The Research and Postgraduate Centre congratulate Tan Xin Quan (first author), Grayson Ling Zhi Sheng, Dr. Tan Ji Siang, and Prof. Dr. Ong Wee (correspondence author) Jun from the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering and the Center of Excellence for NaNo Energy & Catalysis Technology (CONNECT) on their recent publication in Nano Materials Science, a peer-reviewed SCI Q1 journal published by Elsevier, with a current impact factor of 17.9. 

This research has also been selected as the front cover of Nano Materials Science, Volume 7, Issue 2 (April 2025).

The article, titled “Elevating dual-redox photocatalysis with p-n junction: Hydrangea-like Zn₃In₂S₆ nanoflowers coupled hexagonal Co₃O₄ for cooperative hydrogen and benzaldehyde production”, presents an innovative perspective on the construction of dual-functioning p-n heterojunctions for practical photoredox applications.

The study explores a facile materials science strategy to develop a highly efficient, noble-metal-free photocatalyst that tackles two important challenges at once. These are the production of renewable energy (H₂) and synthesizing valuable chemicals in a single, solar-powered process.

It is a collaborative research with Prof. Dr. Zeng Xianhai of Xiamen University, China and Prof. Dr. Abdul Rahman Mohamed from Universiti Sains Malaysia. 

This research project received support from: The Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia under the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS); PETRONAS-Academia Collaboration Dialogue through the PETRONAS Research Sdn. Bhd. (PRSB); The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) Malaysia under the Strategic Research Fund (SRF); Agilent Technologies Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. for their contribution through chromatography; the National Natural Science Foundation of China and Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation; the financial support from the State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Xiamen University; the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Malaysia. Additional support was provided by the Xiamen University Malaysia Investigatorship Grant and Xiamen University Malaysia Research Fund.

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The full research article can be accessed online at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589965125000042.

Tan Xin Quan is now pursuing his master’s degree under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Ong Wee Jun at Xiamen University Malaysia. His research focuses on developing innovative solutions for sustainable energy systems, particularly in renewable energy technologies and energy conversion processes.

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Prof. Ong Wee Jun is the Assistant Dean of XMUM School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, as well as the director of CONNECT research center. His research interests include nanomaterials for photo(electro)catalytic and electrochemical H2O splitting, CO2 reduction, H2O2 synthesis, nitrate-to-ammonia, alcohol oxidation and organic synthesis as well as microwave plasma methane cracking for graphene and hydrogen production. 

For more details, refer to his website: https://sites.google.com/site/wjongresearch/