Published:
Dr. Tan Lling-Lling (Carynn), an academician from Heriot-Watt University Malaysia’s School of Engineering and Physical Sciences (EPS), was recently awarded the Young Researcher Award by IChemE Malaysia. She was acknowledged for her contribution through her work in advanced materials, photocatalysis and nanotechnology. The award recognises the individual who best demonstrates the impact of their research in helping to address important economic, environmental or social issues.
Dr. Tan’s research interests are on the rational design and development of two-dimensional material-based nanostructures for artificial photosynthesis and environmental remediation. According to her, “In the five years of my research career, I have successfully developed a number of novel advanced materials for the photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide into renewable hydrocarbon fuels.
“The photoconversion process, which mimics natural photosynthesis in the direct conversion of solar energy to chemical energy, presents an extremely intriguing opportunity to mitigate the ever-growing CO2 concentration and to meet the long-term worldwide demand for clean renewable energy,” she elaborated.
An enthusiastic go-getter, Dr. Tan is optimistic about how her research will help to transform the renewable energy industry.
“The state of the art technology in harnessing energy from the sun to convert CO2 into fuels is still far from being optimal. There are still considerable breakthroughs to be made before it can be considered as a viable economical process. However, with joint efforts from academia and the industry, highly efficient photocatalytic systems could undoubtedly be developed as a robust means to pave the way for a renewable energy revolution,”
As a recipient of the Young Researcher Award, Dr. Tan has been automatically shortlisted for the prestigious IChemE Global Awards, which will be held on 2 November 2017 in the UK. The award ceremony is a global event that acknowledges and credits excellent individuals who thrive in the chemical, biochemical and process engineering field.