Dr. Kong Xin Ying

Recipient of Outstanding Contribution to Science, Technology & Innovation 2023

Institution

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), United States

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Photocatalytics Upcycling of Plastics as a Sustainable Energy Alternative

Health, Science and Technology

Dato' Professor Dr. Adeeba Kamarulzaman

Recipient for Year 2022

Something that is worth doing is often tough, but the rewards can be big.

Turning Plastic Waste Into a Sustainable Energy Alternative

Johor born, Kong Xin Ying is a current Postdoctoral Fellow at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Her research interests lie in nanomaterials design and development, photocatalysis, electrocatalysis, carbon dioxide reduction, water splitting, renewable energy harvesting, and environmental remediation.

Her work focuses on developing a photocatalyst for plastics to address the issue of plastic pollution and excessive plastic waste. She plans to undergo her attachment on “Photocatalytic Upcycling of Plastics as a Sustainable Energy Alternative” at three institutions; Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, ETH Zurich, Switzerland, and Harvard University, USA.

The Multifaceted Research of Kong Xin Ying

Since beginning her Doctorate studies at Monash University in 2015, Kong Xing Ying has published 24 publications that cover diverse topics in the field of photocatalysis and sustainable energy.

Alongside her fellow researchers, Kong Xing Ying has explored ligand-to-metal charge transfer in homogeneous photocatalysis, atomic-level charge modulation for enhanced CO2 reduction, sustainable photo-driven CO2 reduction, and developments in chemical upcycling of waste plastics.

On the mission to turn trash into treasure

Globally, a mere 9% of plastic waste undergoes recycling, leaving the majority composed of non-biodegradable polyolefins, thereby presenting a significant challenge for waste management. Xin Ying's pioneering research focuses on the creation of sustainable technology for converting waste into fuel, offering a promising avenue to address both the pressing energy crisis and environmental concerns in Malaysia.

Her research focuses on photocatalytic reactions that can upcycle plastics into crucial platform chemicals at an ambient temperature and pressure. This ensures plastic waste can be upcycled for other purposes in a sustainable approach such as ‘mining’ plastic waste as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels for energy generation and the production of chemical feedstock.

During the proposed attachment, she aims to further develop her current photocatalytic patent to contribute to effective waste-to-wealth solutions for Malaysia.

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