Prof. Ong Wee Jun & Team Publish in Advanced Functional Materials and Selected as Journal Back Cover
The Research and Postgraduate Centre congratulates Yap Feng Ming, Loh Jian Yiing, and Prof. Dr. Ong Wee Jun (corresponding author) from the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering and the Center of Excellence for NaNo Energy & Catalysis Technology (CONNECT) for their recent research article published in Advanced Functional Materials, an SCI Q1 journal with the latest impact factor of 18.5. According to Clarivate (Web of Science), Advanced Functional Materials ranks in the top 4% of journals in the multidisciplinary chemistry category.
Both Yap Feng Ming and Loh Jian Yiing are PhD students in School of Energy and Chemical Engineering under the primary supervision of Prof. Dr. Ong Wee Jun. Their work has been selected as the Back Cover of the latest issue in Advanced Functional Materials.
The paper “Revolutionizing CO2-to-C2 Conversion: Unleashing the Potential of CeO2 Nanocores for Self-Supported Electrocatalysts with Cu2O Nanoflakes on 3D Graphene Aerogel” explores how lanthanide oxide, particularly CeO2, improves Cu-based catalysts for CO2 reduction. The unique electronic properties of cerium (Ce) in CeO2 stabilize CO* species within CeO2─Cu2O, enhancing the catalytic efficiency for CO2 reduction. When CeO2─Cu2O is combined with graphene aerogel, the resulting CeO2─Cu2O(10%)/GA electrocatalyst achieves an impressive faradaic efficiency for C2 products, exceeding 62%, and remains stable for 80 hours over a wide potential range. Additionally, a solar cell-powered CO2 reduction system demonstrates consistent performance, with a current density of −27.8 mA cm−2 at 3.46 V and nearly 100% performance retention over 4 hours of continuous illumination. This development effectively bridges fundamental research and practical applications, enhancing CO2-to-C2 selectivity and addressing key global challenges.
The published full article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202407605
Figure. Graphical abstract of the work on the interplay of surface properties, reaction mechanism and electrocatalytic activity, showcasing reliable performance in a solar cell-driven CO2 reduction setup
The Back Cover can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202570018
The Back Cover art features a captivating chessboard motif. This imagery symbolizes the strategic essence of electrocatalysis research, where each chess piece represents a ground-breaking innovation. A decisive move captures the triumph of achieving high-performance electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction, underscoring the meticulous planning and innovation required to address complex energy challenges. This creative metaphor highlights a pivotal step toward carbon neutrality and sustainable clean energy solutions.
Beyond scientific excellence, this back cover highlights the strong partnership and synergy between Xiamen University, China and Xiamen University Malaysia, fostering deeper ties under the One Belt One Road initiative and enhancing research collaboration with the State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces (PCOSS). Such partnerships are crucial in driving innovation and advancing clean energy technologies on a global scale.
The authors acknowledge the financial support from the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia (FRGS/1/2024/TK08/XMU/02/1), the PETRONAS-Academia Collaboration Dialogue (PACD) grant, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22202168), the Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation (2021A1515111019), and the State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Xiamen University (2023X11). This work was also funded by the Xiamen University Malaysia Investigatorship Grant (IENG/0038), and Xiamen University Malaysia Research Fund (ICOE/0001 and XMUMRF/2021-C8/IENG/0041).
