Professor Hua Zhang, Herman Hu Chair Professor of Nanomaterials from the Department of Chemistry and the Director of the Hong Kong Institute for Clean Energy, has secured HK$39.64 million grants under the Research Grants Council’s (RGC) Theme-based Research Scheme (TRS).

Led by Professor Zhang, the five-year project titled “Novel Unconventional Cu-based Catalysts for CO₂ Conversion towards Scalable Production of Value-added Chemicals” focuses on frontier developments in green technology and clean energy. It integrates AI-guided catalyst design with unique Phase Engineering of Nanomaterials (PEN) technology to synthesise novel catalysts, efficiently converting waste carbon dioxide into high-value chemicals, such as ethylene and ethanol, at a scalable industrial level. Professor Xin Wang, Dean of the College of Science, is one of the team members of Professor Zhang’s project.

The research project actively aligns with the HKSAR Government’s Climate Action Plan 2050 and the national “Dual Carbon” strategy. The project will collaborate with more than ten enterprises in Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland, leveraging CityUHK’s “HK Tech 300” programme to accelerate commercialisation.

“With the urgent global demand for sustainable green technology and decarbonisation, CityUHK will continue to provide a one-stop R&D roadmap covering material design, theoretical modelling and scalable production,” said Professor Zhang. “By deepening collaboration with industry, we aim to translate research outcomes into tangible economic and social benefits.”

RGC’s Theme-based Research Scheme aims to focus the academic research efforts of UGC-funded universities on themes of strategic importance to the long-term development of Hong Kong. There are four designated research themes under the TRS, with a total of 21 grand challenge topics across them.

This article originated from CityUHK News Centre.