The urgent need to reduce carbon emissions as a means to help mitigate the impact of climate change, is driving a global push for alternative, low-carbon clean-energy solutions. Central to this effort is Professor Yan Ning from NUS Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and the Centre for Hydrogen Innovations, who conducts research focused on the catalytic conversion of renewable carbon sources, green chemistry and engineering, and catalyst development.

Of particular interest to Prof Yan is the potential for ammonia to serve as an alternative energy source. Not only are the basic elements of ammonia (nitrogen and hydrogen) abundantly available, but the absence of carbon makes it an attractive option when it comes to meeting carbon emission targets. Its potential as an alternative energy source is being pursued through two approaches: firstly, by decomposing ammonia to obtain hydrogen, which can be used directly as a clean energy, or secondly, by mixing ammonia with natural gas to help reduce the carbon footprint of this otherwise commonly used fuel.

Prof Yan is also exploring carbon capture technologies. In a recent collaborative study, he described the development of a new material, mordenite zeolite doped with isolated Fe clusters (Fe-MOR), which can be used for carbon dioxide (CO2) sieving. The low-cost, highly efficient material is also highly selective towards CO2 absorption even in the presence of gas molecules of similar size and properties.

Prof Yan was awarded the prestigious NRF Investigatorship to continue his research in identifying pathways towards renewable chemicals, specifically to produce amines for renewable sources, using original catalyst designs and strategies.