Innovating Greener Catalytic Processes for Carbon Dioxide Utilization, Storage and Hydrogen Production
Group Members
Principal Investigator
Prof. Sibudjing KAWI
Associate Professor
chekawis at. nus.edu.sg | ChBE Faculty Page | Google Scholar
Prof. Kawi obtained his BS, MS, and Ph.D. degrees from University of Texas (Austin), University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign), and University of Delaware, respectively, and has been attached to the National University of Singapore since 1994. In the past decade, his research has focused on the design and synthesis of nanocatalysts for green and sustainable development, such as CO2 reforming with methane to bio-syngas and hydrogen, CO2 hydrogenation, biomass gasification, and water gas shift reactions via thermal, plasma, photo, and electrocatalysis. His expertise also includes the synthesis of novel inorganic membranes, as well as catalytic membrane reactors. He is a productive researcher who has published more than 400 international peer reviewed journal articles, awarded AIChE Outstanding Principal Investigator Award (2021) and was selected as one of the world’s most highly cited researchers since 2021.
Research Fellows
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Dr. Claudia LI
Research Fellow
cli@ | Google Scholar
Claudia received her B.Eng.(Chemical, Hons.) and Ph.D. from Swinburne University of Technology in 2017 and 2021. Her Ph.D. work was focused on the development and simulation of oxygen permeation fluxes through CO2-resistant dual-phase mixed ionic-electronic conducting (MIEC) membranes. She was awarded the Swinburne’s competitive Deputy Vice Chancellor (DVC) Travel Award, which supported her research attachments to Curtin University in Australia and then to Tiangong University and Shandong University of Technology in China. Her research interests include dense gas separation membranes, carbon capture technologies, and catalytic membrane reactors.
Dr. Qiangqiang XUE
Research Fellow
xueqq@ | Google Scholar
Qiangqiang received his B.Eng. (Chemical Engineering and Technology) from Dalian University of Technology in 2019 and Ph.D. (Chemical Engineering and Technology) from Tsinghua University in 2024. His Ph.D. work was focused on the Controllable synthesis of higher hydrocarbon reforming catalyst in microreactor and its performance study. He was awarded the Tsinghua’s Future Scholar Scholarship in 2022. His research interests include microfluidic construction of nano-catalyst, thermal-catalytic C−H activation for hydrogen, olefin, and carbon nanotube production, and integrated CO2 conversion technology.
Ph.D. Students
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Jiyi CHEN
Ph.D. Student (co-supervised by Prof. Xinbin Ma, Tianjin Univ.)
E0554222@ | Google Scholar
Chen Jiyi graduated in B. Eng. (Polymer Science and Engineering) from Donghua University in 2016 and M. S. (Material Physics and Chemistry) from Fudan University in 2020. He worked on investigations on the advanced electrocatalysts for water splitting during his master career and won 2-time National Scholarship for Graduate Students. Upon his graduation, he was awarded Academic Pioneer Prize for his high quality and significant works. His current research focuses on designing practical and novel catalysts for thermal CO2 hydrogenation to methanol.
Jason Zechen YE
Ph.D. Student (co-supervised by Prof. Jiangwen Jiang, NUS)
E0022634@
To be updated.
Kang Hui LIM
Ph.D. Student
E0030027@ | Google Scholar
Kang Hui graduated with First Class Honours (Highest Distinction) in B. Eng. (Chemical) and B. Soc. Sc. (Quantitative Economics) from the National University of Singapore in 2021. He studied contact electrification phenomenon and optimization modelling as an undergraduate researcher, and was awarded 2-time Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Prizes for his contributions. His current research focuses on developing novel materials and processes for thermal and non-thermal catalytic applications for CO2 utilization and H2 production using experimental and data-driven or machine learning strategies.
Ziwen HAO
Ph.D. Student (co-supervised by Prof. Xinbin Ma, Tianjin Univ.)
E0788048@
Hao Ziwen received his B.Eng. (Chemical Engineering and Technology) from Dalian University of Technology in 2018 and M.S. (Chemical Engineering) from Tianjin University in 2021. He worked on investigations on the size effect of nanocatalysts for CO2 methanation during his Master career. His current research focuses on designing and synthesizing novel catalysts for thermal CO2 hydrogenation to methanol.
Zhenmei ZHANG
Ph.D. Student (co-supervised by Prof. Xinbin Ma, Tianjin Univ.)
E0974172@
Zhenmei graduated in B.Eng. (Chemical Engineering and Technology) from Qufu Normal University in 2017 and M.S. (Chemical Engineering) from Dalian University of Technology in 2021. She researched on CO2-assisted oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane (CO2-ODHE) during her Master’s career and obtained Outstanding Graduate Student Certificates for two consecutive years. Additionally, she joined the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology in 2021 as a Research Assistant working on hydrophobic Fe-NC@SiO2 for C-H bond selective oxidation. Her current research focuses on designing and synthesizing novel catalysts for thermal CO2 hydrogenation to methanol.
Wenyan JIA
Ph.D. Student (co-supervised by Prof. Xinbin Ma, Tianjin Univ.)
E1144037@
Wenyan graduated in B.Eng. (Chemical Engineering) from Tianjin University in 2020 and M.S. (Chemical Engineering) from Fuzhou University(International Joint Institute of Tianjin University, Fuzhou) in 2023. Her current research focuses on designing and synthesizing novel catalysts for thermal CO2 hydrogenation to methanol.
Tingting YANG
Ph.D. Student (co-supervised by Prof. Jinlong Gong, Tianjin Univ.)
E1154534@
Tingting Yang received her Master degree from the School of Chemical Engineering & Technology, Tianjin University in 2023. Her current research focuses on the theoretical study of methan reforming to syngas and C-H activation on metal oxides.
Yi XIONG
Ph.D. Student
E1143484@
Xiong Yi graduated in B. Eng. (Energy Chemical Engineering) from Southwest University of Science and Technology in 2023 and M. S. (Chemical Engineering) from National University of Singapore in 2024. She worked on advanced electrocatalysts for water splitting (OER) during her undergraduate and CO2 electrochemical reduction during Master. Her current research focuses on plasma catalysis for non-oxidative coupling of methane.
M.Sc. and M.Eng. Students
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Jingting YANG
M.Eng. Student
E0281349@
JingTing received her Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from the National University of Singapore in 2022. She joined the research group in 2022 to pursue her M.Eng. for Chemical Engineering in NUS. Her current research focuses on the development of catalytic membrane reactor for methane pyrolysis.
Pinli DIAO
M.Sc. Student (CN5555)
E1139690@
Pinli Diao obtained a bachelor's degree at Beijing University of Chemical Technology and participated in the 3+1+1 project at the National University of Singapore. His current research focuses on the development of SSZ membrane for the separation of hydrogen and methane gas.
Mengyang GAO
M.Sc. Student (CN5555)
E1323306@
To be updated
Caiwei WANG
M.Sc. Student (CN5555)
E1143011@
Wang Caiwei obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Technion Israel Institute of Technology in 2023, therein she worked on cyclic polymer synthesis catalyzed by noble metal. She is now pursuing her M.Sc in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering in National University of Singapore. Her current research focuses on designing catalyst for non-oxidative coupling of methane under the assist of plasma.
Yifan CHEN
M.Eng. Student (3+1+1 Program)
E1347129@
Chen Yifan studied undergraduate courses at Beijing University of Chemical Technology (major in Chemistry ) and is currently participating in 3+1+1 project at the National University of Singapore. His recent research focuses on catalysts for methane pyrolysis, mainly on catalyst design and recovery.
Zhicheng XIAO
M.Eng. Student (3+1+1 Program)
E1376015@
Zhicheng Xiao studied undergraduate courses at Beijing University of Chemical Technology (major in Chemistry ) and is currently participating in 3+1+1 project at the National University of Singapore. His recent research focuses on high temperature-resistant zeolite hollow fiber membranes for hydrogen separation .
Can ZHOU
M.Eng. Student (3+1+1 Program)
E1376004@
To be updated
Visiting Students
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Liza Melia Anak TERRY
Visiting Ph.D. Student
E1183469@ | Google Scholar
Liza graduated from Swinburne University of Technology in Bachelor of Chemical Engineering in 2018 and started her first career as process engineer in solar industry in the same year. In 2020, she decided to pursue her master study in the same institution, which the research focused on the bio-oil production from the catalytic co-pyrolysis of oil palm trunk and polypropylene. In 2023, she continues her PhD research with the same supervisory team. Currently, she is working on the ceramic carbonate membrane synthesis for carbon dioxide separation and reforming with methane and joins Prof Kawi's team as visiting research student under this collaboration project.
Leiting KUAI
Visiting Ph.D. Student
E1320478@
Leiting obtained her bachelor’s degree from Zhengzhou University in 2017. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the East China University of Science and Technology and a visiting Ph.D. student at the National University of Singapore. Her current research direction at NUS is heteroatom-modified zeolite and its application for aromatics alkylation.
Minghai SHEN
Visiting Ph.D. Student
E1321037@
​Minghai Shen obtained obtained his Master's degree in Inorganic Chemistry from China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing) in 2020, and is currently a PhD candidate in Power Engineering and Engineering Thermophysics at Beijing University of Science and Technology, as well as a visiting PhD student at the National University of Singapore. His research focuses on CO2 capture and comprehensive utilization, direct air carbon capture, and cold plasma methane dry reforming technology.
Visiting Scholars
Jie HONG
Visiting Scholar
To be updated.
Prof. Jinke CHENG
Visiting Scholar
To be updated.
Prof. Wanliang YANG
Visiting Scholar
To be updated.
Prof. Yixing MA
Visiting Scholar
Ma Yixing graduated from Kunming University of Science and Technology in 2016 with a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering. Joined the School of Environmental Science and Engineering at Kunming University of Science and Technology in 2017 and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2019. In 2020, was selected as a Young Top-notch Talent in Yunnan Province's "Ten Thousand Talents Plan". The main research direction is atmospheric pollution control and waste gas resource utilization particularly through plasma catalysis technology at atmospheric pressure. This involves converting CO2 into carbon monoxide, methane, and multi-carbon alkanes. The goal is to reduce the energy consumption associated with CO2 conversion while enhancing product yield and improving economic feasibility.
Dr. Melvin WEE
Visiting Scholar
To be updated.
Collaborators
Dr. Yuming WEN
Research Fellow
yuming at. nus.edu.sg | Google Scholar
Yuming Wen received his B.Eng. in Functional Materials from Northeastern University (China) in 2016. After that, he worked as an Astronomy Guide for a star-gazing company called Earth & Sky in New Zealand from 2016 to 2017. He then earned his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Sweden) in 2019 and 2022, respectively. After completing his Ph.D., he stayed at KTH as a Postdoctoral Researcher for two months before moving to the National University of Singapore as a Research Fellow on Dec. 1st, 2022. He is working on the project of Methane Pyrolysis for Hydrogen and Carbon Nanotube Production via Catalytic Membrane Reactor. His research interests include the production of carbon nanotubes through methane pyrolysis, wastewater treatment, the development of machine learning models for thermal conversion processes, and art expression, etc.
Bella
Research Engineer
bella at. isce2.a-star.edu.sg
To be updated.