The Research and Postgraduate Centre congratulates Hong Seang Uyin, Wang Yida, Soh Leong Sing, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yong Wai Fen from the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering for the recent article published in Green Chemistry, an SCI Q1 journal with the latest impact factor of 11.034. 

Hong Seang Uyin and Wang Yida are the co-first authors of this work. Both Hong Seang Uyin and Soh Leong Sing are master’s students in Chemical Engineering, whereas Wang Yida is a graduate of the class of 2022 who conducted his final year project under the supervision of Dr. Yong Wai Fen.

Entitled “Are green solvents truly green? Integrating life cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis for sustainable membrane fabrication”, this study aimed to appraise both environmental and economic perspectives of green solvents in fabricating polyimide flat sheet membranes. This analysis systematically evaluated from monomers to polymer synthesis and subsequently the design of scalable and sustainable membrane production processes. Noticeable impact decrements were spotted by replacing the toxic conventional solvent with a green solvent in membrane fabrication, but a green solvent might be less competitive in terms of production costs. Collectively, this integrated assessment was envisaged to elucidate environmental hotspots and process limitations that are pivotal for future engineering and research endeavors in polyimide membrane fabrication.

This research is funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant number: 22108118), Xiamen University Malaysia Research Fund (grant number: XMUMRF/2021-C8/IENG/0042), and Hengyuan International Sdn. Bhd. (grant number: EENG/0003).

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The article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1039/D3GC00776F. 

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This graphical abstract portrays the integration of life cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis to examine the impacts of solvent selection and synthesis approaches in polyimide membrane fabrication. 

Image	Hong Seang Uyin: “It is an enlightening experience to publish in Green Chemistry. I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to my peers and Dr. Yong, who have inspired us throughout the journey. I hope this research paper could convey insightful knowledge and directions to employ green solvents for sustainable membrane fabrication.”
Image	Wang Yida: “The publication of this paper is incredibly rewarding. I would like to thank my mentors for their unwavering support throughout my final year project as well as the paper’s publication. I hope this article could deliver guidelines to develop green membranes for the promotion of sustainability.”
Image	Soh Leong Sing: “Being a part of this research work is indeed an illuminating experience. I am grateful for this research opportunity as it has strengthened my understanding of sustainable membrane fabrication, which is crucial in furthering my academic pursuits in membrane technology.”
Image	Dr. Yong Wai Fen is an Associate Professor and Head of Programme (Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical Engineering) at School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University Malaysia. With a PhD degree from the National University of Singapore, her research interests include sustainable materials and membrane technologies for CO2 capture, biogas separation, industrial air purification, and water purification. She is also a Chartered Engineer under the Institute of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), UK. She has won several prestigious awards including the Green Talents Award in 2016, Top 50 outstanding Green Talents alumni from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, and the Finalist of the Energy and Sustainability Awards from the IChemE Singapore.