• Project: Solar-powered artificial electro/photosynthesis of CO2 for greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction from flaring onshore gas terminals
  • Reference no.: EENG/0062
  • Sponsored by: Petronas Research Sdn. Bhd. (PRSB)
  • Status: Principal Investigator
  • Project leader: Prof. Dr. Ong Wee Jun
  • Amount: RM 1,279,775.00
  • Project duration: 1/11/2024 – 31/10/2026 (on-going)

  • Project: Scale Up of Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production and Storage for Fuel Cells and Energy Storage Devices
  • Reference no.: SPO/2024/S.24008
  • Sponsored by: MOSTI Malaysia and NanoMalaysia Berhad
  • Status: Principal Investigator
  • Project leader: Prof. Dr. Ong Wee Jun
  • Co-investigator: Dr. Tan Ji Siang
  • Amount: RM 1,249,000.00
  • Project duration: 1/11/2024 – 30/4/2026 (on-going)

  • Project: d–f Orbital Regulation in Rare-Earth-Doped Layered Double Hydroxides for Paired Electrocatalytic CO2 Conversion and Waste Plastic Valorization
  • Reference no.: SRICSPYF-ZY2025037 and IENG/0090
  • Sponsored by: Ministry of Education (MOE) China
  • Status: Principal Investigator
  • Project leader: Prof. Dr. Ong Wee Jun
  • Amount: RMB 15 million (around MYR 8.7 million)
  • Project duration: 1/1/2026 – 31/12/2030 (on-going)

  • Project: Modulating Zinc and Sulfur Vacancies Density in Zinc Indium Sulfide: Unravelling Charge Dynamics and Reaction Mechanisms for Photoredox Dual Reaction of CO2 Reduction and Benzyl Alcohol Oxidation
  • Reference no.: FRGS/1/2024/TK08/XMU/02/1
  • Sponsored by: Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) Malaysia
  • Status: Principal Investigator
  • Project leader: Prof. Dr. Ong Wee Jun
  • Co-investigator: Prof. Abdul Rahman bin Mohamed, Assoc. Prof. Haw Choon Yian, Dr. Tan Ji Siang, Assoc. Prof. Herma Dina binti Setiabudi, Dr. Lee Hing Wah
  • Amount: RM 175,900.00
  • Project duration: 1/8/2024 – 31/7/2027 (on-going)

  • Project: Advanced Cu-Based Layered Double Hydroxide Electrocatalysts Driving Scalable CO2-to-C2 Conversion Coupled with Selective Biomass-Derived Alcohol Oxidation
  • Reference no.: XMUMRF/2025-C15/IENG/0080
  • Sponsored by: Xiamen University Malaysia
  • Status: Principal Investigator
  • Project leader: Prof. Dr. Ong Wee Jun
  • Co-investigator: Dr. Tan Ji Siang, Dr. Ng Boon Junn, Associate Professor Dr. Haw Choon Yian, Mr. Yap Feng Ming, Ms. Loh Jian Yiing
  • Amount: RM 60,000.00 (3 years)
  • Project duration: 1/1/2025 – 31/12/2027 (on-going)

  • Project: Production of Graphene & Green Hydrogen Supply Chain from Biomethane
  • Reference no.: SRF-APP BICEP Project 4 (NPDO/2022/S.22015/C0)
  • Sponsored by: Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) Malaysia
  • Status: Principal Investigator
  • Project leader: Prof. Dr. Ong Wee Jun
  • Amount: RM 10,500,000.00 (3.5-year grant project)
  • Project duration: 1/7/2022 – 30/6/2026 (on-going)

  • Project: Development of Sustainable Hydrogen using Nanocatalysts-driven Photochemical Production
  • Reference no.: SP/2021/P.21017/C0283-03/SCE
  • Sponsored by: MOSTI Malaysia and NanoMalaysia Berhad
  • Status: Principal Investigator
  • Project leader: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ong Wee Jun
  • Amount: RM 610,000.00 (1.5 years) - Confidential (Research Agreement)
  • Project duration: 14/1/2022 – 30/6/2023 (completed)

  • Project: Tailoring Atomically Dispersed Metal Species in Defect-Engineered 2D Carbon Nitride: Elucidation of Charge Separation and Reaction Mechanism for Photocatalytic CO2 Conversion
  • Reference no.: 2023X11
  • Sponsored by: State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Xiamen University, China
  • Status: Principal Investigator
  • Project leader: Prof. Dr. Ong Wee Jun
  • Collaborator: Prof. Dr. Nanfeng Zheng (Xiamen University, China)
  • Amount: RMB 200,000.00 (3 years)
  • Project duration: 22/9/2023 – 22/9/2026

  • Project: Advancing Two-Dimensional Nanocatalysts for Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Generation: A Collaborative Academic Pursuit
  • Reference no.: EENG/0045
  • Sponsored by: Embassy of the People’s Republic of China
  • Status: Principal Investigator
  • Project leader: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ong Wee Jun
  • Amount: RM 64,960.00 (1 year)
  • Project duration: 1/9/2023 – 31/9/2024 (completed)

  • Project: Charge dynamics and reaction mechanistic studies on carbon nitrides photocatalyst for photoreforming of polypropylene to formic acid and hydrogen
  • Reference no.: 22202168
  • Sponsored by: National Natural Science Foundation of China
  • Status: Principal Investigator
  • Project leader: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ong Wee Jun
  • Amount: RMB 300,000.00 (3 years)
  • Project duration: 1/1/2023 – 31/12/2025
Postgraduate Students under Primary Supervision (Xiamen University Malaysia, XMUM)

  • Project title: Low-dimensional 2D visible-light responsive photocatalyst for multifunctional applications
  • Research output: Nano Research, Materials Today Nano, Small Structures, InfoMat, Applied Materials Today, etc.

  • Project title: Layered double hydroxides-based electrocatalysts for CO2 conversion and alcohol oxidation
  • Research output: Nanoscale, Journal of Materials Science & Technology

  • Project title: Self-supported carbon-based substrates for electrocatalytic CO2 conversion and alcohol oxidation
  • Research output: Nano Research Energy, Nano Research

  • Project title: Production of graphene and green hydrogen supply chain from biomethane using microwave plasma technology

  • Project title: Metal sulfide photocatalysts for simultaneous photocatalytic plastic waste valorization and CO2 conversion

  • Project title: Copper-based electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction to C2+ products

  • Project title: Copper-based electrocatalysts for simultaneous CO2 reduction to C2+ products and glycerol oxidation

  • Project title: Metal sulfide-based photocatalysts for the production of H2O2 and biomass valorization

  • Project title: ZnCdS-based photocatalysts for dual-functional hydrogen production and biomass valorization

  • Project title: MXene-based electrocatalysts for coupled nitrate-to-ammonia and plastic upcycling

  • Project title: AI-Guided Design of Single-Atom Electrocatalysts for Efficient CO₂ Conversion

  • Project title: Engineering Heteroatom-Doped Copper Electrocatalysts for Enhanced Nitrate to Ammonia Electroreduction Coupled with Glycerol Oxidation.

  • Project title: Searching for suitable metal-decorated borophene nanomaterials for hydrogen storage by machine learning modeling based on density functional theory
Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Xiamen University Malaysia, XMUM)

  • Background: Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from UTP

  • Background: Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from UPNM

  • Background: Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from UTM
  • Project title: Development of Sustainable Hydrogen using Nanocatalysts-driven Photochemical Production

  • Background: Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from UTM
  • Project title: Production of Graphene and Hydrogen via Microwave Plasma Methane Cracking

  • Background: Ph.D. in Materials Science & Engineering from Shanghai Jiao Tong University
  • Project title: Development of Nanocatalysts for Hydrogen Storage and Microwave Plasma Methane Cracking

  • Background: Ph.D. in Plasma Physics
  • Project title: Development of Graphene and Hydrogen Production via Microwave Plasma Methane Cracking
Postgraduate Research Students

  • Project title: Tailoring carbon nitrides towards enhancing charge carrier dynamics for photocatalytic applications
  • Research output: Solar RRL, Small, InfoMat, Advanced Materials, ChemSusChem, Carbon Energy, EcoMat, Journal of Cleaner Production, Chinese Journal of Catalysis, Materials Horizons, etc.
  • Award: Green Talent Award 2022

  • Project title: ZnIn2S4-based photocatalyst toward photoredox hydrogen production and benzyl alcohol oxidation
  • Research output: Advanced Functional Materials, Journal of Materials Chemistry A, Energy Material Advances, etc.

  • Project title: Ternary sulfide photocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction
  • Research output: Carbon Energy, Applied Materials Today, Nanoscale

  • Project title: Synthesis of free-standing graphene by atmospheric microwave plasma cracking of methane

  • Project title: Semiconductor photocatalysts for CO2 reduction integrated with organic synthesis

  • Project title: Semiconductor photocatalysts for photocatalytic plastic waste valorization toward production of H2 fuels and value-added chemicals

  • Project title: Investigation of Heat Proliferation Profile in ZnO/ PPy as Interfacial Photoabsorber Materials in Self-sustained Solar Steam Generation
  • Research output: ACS Applied Engineering Materials (Cover art)

  • Background: Ph.D. student in Wuhan University of Technology (co-supervised with Prof. Neng Li)
  • Project title: Transition metal chalcogenides and carbides nanomaterials for electrochemical reactions
  • Research output: 4 publications in Materials Horizons (Inside Front Cover), Journal of Materials Chemistry A (Outside Front Cover), ACS Nano (Special Issue)

  • Background: Ph.D. exchange student in IMRE, A*STAR, Singapore (CSC Scholarship) – Graduated in May 2018
  • Project title: Two-dimensional (2D) semiconductor-based photocatalysts for water splitting
  • Research output: 5 publications in Journal of Materials Chemistry A (Back Cover), ChemSusChem, Applied Catalysis B-Environmental, Particle & Particle Systems Characterization

  • Background: Master student in Wuhan University of Technology (co-supervised with Prof. Neng Li)
  • Project title: Transition metal nitrides nanomaterials for energy conversion and storage
  • Research output: 2 publications in Materials Horizons (Inside Front Cover) and Applied Surface Science
Undergraduate Research Students under Supervision (XMUM)

Thesis Title: Interfacial Engineering of NiFe-Layered Double Hydroxide-Based Heterojunction Catalysts for Enhanced Photocatalysis

Thesis Title: 2D/2D Heterojunction Nanohybrids: CoFe-Layered Double Hydroxide/Reduced Graphene Oxide for Photocatalysis

Thesis Title: A Prospective Economic and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Electrochemical CO2 Reduction to C1 and C2-Chemicals

Thesis Title: Facet-Engineered Bismuth-Based Photocatalysts for Water Splitting and CO2 Reduction

Thesis Title: Latest Panorama of Oxidative Desulfurization of Fuels Utilizing Heat and Solar Light: From Materials Design to Catalysis for Clean Energy

Thesis Title: ZnIn2S4-based Nanocomposites in Photocatalytic Reduction Toward Energy Applications

Thesis Title: Assessing the environmental footprint of hydrogen production via steam methane reforming, electrocatalysis, and photocatalysis

Thesis Title: Prospective toward Sustainable Fuel Generation: Life Cycle Assessment of Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction to CO and CH3OH using Graphitic Carbon Nitride

Thesis Title: Comparative life cycle assessment of ammonia production from nitrogen via thermochemical and photocatalytic conversion technologies

Thesis Title: Comparative analysis of biochemical, thermochemical and photochemical technologies for syngas generation: An Aspen Plus modelling integrated life cycle assessment

Thesis Title: Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Methanol Production via Conventional, Thermochemical, and Electrochemical Technologies

Thesis Title: Prospective Life Cycle Assessment of Biochemical, Thermochemical, and Electrochemical CO2 Reduction Towards Sustainable Ethanol Synthesis

Thesis Title: Sodium Methoxide-Catalyzed Transesterification of Cooking Oil Origins for Biodiesel Production

Thesis Title: Rational design and optimization of catalyst for the catalytic oxidation of methane to methanol

Thesis Title: 3D Aerogels: Development of Graphitic Carbon Nitride Hybrid Photocatalysts for Solar-to-Chemical Process

Thesis Title: Nanobubbling-Assisted Liquid Triphasic Flotation Technique For Microalgae Biorefinery

Thesis Title: Engineering of 1T/2H MoS2 coupled with Ti3C2Tx heterostructured electrocatalysts for overall water splitting

Thesis Title: Self-Supported 1T/2H-WS2 Coupled With Nitrogen-Doped Reduced Graphene Oxide Anchored on Carbon Cloth for Efficient pH-Universal Electrocatalytic Water Splitting

Thesis Title: “Trash-to-Energy” in Photocatalysis: Photoreforming of Waste Plastic to Hydrogen Using Zinc Cadmium Sulfide/Carbon Nitride

Thesis Title: 3D-printing of carbon-based photocatalyst towards solar driven hydrogen production

Thesis Title: Photoreforming of solid waste into H2 production driven by CdS/graphene/WO3 heterojunction photocatalysts

Thesis Title: Synergy of cocatalyst and S-vacancy engineering on ZnxIn2Sx+3 hollow structure towards cooperative photoredox synthesis of hydrogen peroxide and benzaldehyde

Thesis Title: Innovative Self-Supported Nanocatalysts Design for Urea Electrocatalysis: Synergistic Effects of Layered Double Hydroxides and Dual-Phase Nickel Selenides

Key Publications

Full Citation: Wee-Jun Ong, Meei Mei Gui, Siang-Piao Chai and Abdul Rahman Mohamed (2013). Direct growth of carbon nanotubes on Ni/TiO2 as next generation catalysts for photoreduction of CO2 to methane by water under visible light irradiation. RSC Advances, 3, 4505-4509. Link

Notes:
Highly Cited Paper in January–December 2015

Full Citation: Wee-Jun Ong, Lling-Lling Tan, Siang-Piao Chai, Siek-Ting Yong and Abdul Rahman Mohamed (2014). Highly reactive {001} facets of TiO2-based composites: Synthesis, formation mechanism and characterizations. Nanoscale, 6, 1946-2008. Link

Notes:
Highly Cited Paper (2015-2024)
Top 20 Most Accessed Nanoscale Articles in 2014
Top 10% Highly Cited Nanoscale Articles in 2016

Full Citation: Wee-Jun Ong, Lling-Lling Tan, Siang-Piao Chai, Siek-Ting Yong and Abdul Rahman Mohamed (2014). Facet-dependent photocatalytic properties of TiO2-based composites for energy conversion and environmental remediation. ChemSusChem, 7, 690-719. Link

Notes:
Highly Cited Paper (2015-2024)
Highlighted in ChemInform, 2014, 45, 23

Full Citation: Wee-Jun Ong, Lling-Lling Tan, Siang-Piao Chai, Siek-Ting Yong and Abdul Rahman Mohamed (2014). Self-assembly of nitrogen-doped TiO2 with exposed {001} facets on the graphene scaffold as photo-active hybrid nanostructures for reduction of carbon dioxide to methane. Nano Research, 7, 1528-1547. Link

Notes:
Hot Paper (Jan-Feb 2015)
Highly Cited Paper (2015-2024)
Top Paper Award 2016

Full Citation: Wee-Jun Ong, Jia-Jun Yeong, Lling-Lling Tan, Boon Tong Goh, Siek-Ting Yong and Siang-Piao Chai (2014). Synergistic effect of graphene as a co-catalyst for enhanced daylight-induced photocatalytic activity of Zn0.5Cd0.5S synthesized via an improved one-pot co-precipitation-hydrothermal strategy. RSC Advances, 4, 59676-59685. Link

Full Citation: Wee-Jun Ong, Seen-Yee Voon, Lling-Lling Tan, Boon Tong Goh, Siek-Ting Yong and Siang-Piao Chai (2014). Enhanced daylight-induced photocatalytic activity of solvent exfoliated graphene (SEG)/ZnO hybrid nanocomposites towards degradation of Reactive Black 5. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 53, 17333-17344. Link

Full Citation: Wee-Jun Ong, Lling-Lling Tan, Siang-Piao Chai and Siek-Ting Yong (2015). Graphene oxide as a structure-directing agent for the two-dimensional interface engineering of sandwich-like graphene–g-C3N4 hybrid nanostructures with enhanced visible-light photoreduction of CO2 to methane. Chemical Communications, 51, 858-861. Link

Notes:
Highly Cited Paper (2015-2023)

Full Citation: Wee-Jun Ong, Lling-Lling Tan, Siang-Piao Chai and Siek-Ting Yong (2015). Heterojunction engineering of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) via Pt loading with improved daylight-induced photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide to methane. Dalton Transactions, 44, 1249-1257. Link

Notes:
Highly Cited Paper (2015-2024)

Full Citation: Wee-Jun Ong, Lling-Lling Tan, Siang-Piao Chai, Siek-Ting Yong and Abdul Rahman Mohamed (2015). Surface charge modification via protonation of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) for electrostatic self-assembly construction of 2D/2D reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/g-C3N4 nanostructures toward enhanced photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide to methane. Nano Energy, 13, 757-770. Link

Notes:
Highly Cited Paper (2016-2024)

Full Citation: Wee-Jun Ong, Kurnianditia Putri Lutfi, Lling-Lling Tan, Siang-Piao Chai and Siek-Ting Yong (2016). Heterostructured AgX/g-C3N4 (X = Cl and Br) nanocomposites via a sonication-assisted deposition-precipitation approach: Emerging role of halide ions in the synergistic photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 180, 530-543. Link

Notes:
Highly Cited Paper (2016-2024)

Meei Mei Gui, Lling-Lling Tan, Wee-Jun Ong, Siang-Piao Chai and Abdul Rahman Mohamed (2015). CO2 photocatalytic reduction: Photocatalyst choice and product selectivity. In CO2 sequestration, biofuels and depollution, E. Lichtfouse, J. Schwarzbauer, D. Robert (Eds.), Springer International Publishing, Vol. 5, 71-104.

Patents & Cover Arts

Inventors: Wee-Jun Ong, Joel Jie Foo, Tan Ji Siang and Shalini a/p Muniandy
Patent Agency: MyIPO
Patent No.: PI2022006574
Status: Filed on 22 November 2022

Inventors: Wee-Jun Ong, Tan Ji Siang
Patent Agency: MyIPO
Patent No.: PI2024003031
Status: Filed on 24 May 2024

Career

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