Speakers

Keynote Speakers

Prof. Hassan Karimi-Maleh

University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, China

Title: Sensing process by electrochemical systems amplified with nanomaterials

Abstract: Electrochemical sensors are powerful tools for monitoring and detecting biological, pharmaceutical, and environmental compounds. They are attractive because they offer low-cost analysis, easy operation, the ability to monitor compounds in aqueous solutions, good selectivity, and wide-ranging applications. As a result, electrochemical sensors have emerged as an important class of analytical tools in recent years. Electrochemical sensors exhibit diverse mechanisms for monitoring, such as intercalation, electrochemical reactions, and enzymatic interactions. This diversity has led researchers to focus more on this type of analytical system for trace-level and selective monitoring of biological, pharmaceutical, and environmental compounds. This presentation discusses the fundamentals of electroanalytical sensors and their role in the development of portable systems for the analysis of biological, pharmaceutical, and environmental compounds.

Experience: Hassan Karimi-Maleh works as a professor in the School of Resource and Environment, University of Electronics Science and Technology of China (UESTC). He is a highly cited researcher selected by Clarivate Analytics in 2018 (cross-filed), 2019 (agriculture field), 2020 (cross-filed), 2021 (chemistry and agriculture, two categories in one year), and 2022 (chemistry and agriculture, two categories in one year) and the Top 1% Scientists in Chemistry and Agriculture simultaneously in ISI Essential Science Indicators from 2014 until now. He has published more than 400 SCI research papers with more than 23000 citations and an H-index of 92 (according to the WOS report) and 27800 citations and an H-index of 100 (according to Google Scholar). He works on the editorial board of more than 20 international journals, such as Alexandria Engineering Journal (co-editor in editor ELSEVIER IF 6.626). He also works as an adjunct professor at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa; Saveetha School of Engineering, Chennai, India; and Lebanese American University, Lebanese. He worked as the leader of the nano biosensor group at Ton Duc Thang University, Vietnam, from 2019–2020. He publishes one book with Springer and one chapter book with the same publisher. Recently, he published a paper in the Science journal. His main research interests include the development of chemically modified sensors and biosensors using DNA and enzymes as biological recognition elements for food, biological, pharmaceutical, and environmental compounds, as well as the analysis and investigation of the electrochemistry behavior of electroactive materials such as polymers and organic and inorganic compounds. Recently, he focused on the synthesis of nanomaterials and their application in drug delivery and energy storage fields. He has a big network that works in three different major groups: the Environmental Research Group, the Energy Research Group, and the Sensor Research Group.

Prof. Hui Pan

University of Macau, China

Title: Industrial Fabrication of Electrocatalysts for Green Hydrogen Production

Abstract: Energy and environment are the top issues that we are facing currently. “Green Hydrogen” from water splitting may be the solution because it is clean and can be used as reactant for production of fertilizer and reduction of pollutants, fuels, etc.. Therefore, electrocatalysis of water has been attracting increasing attention for hydrogen production because of its green, easily adoptable, and scale-up natures. In this talk, we shall present the design, synthesis and possible industrial production of novel electrocatalysts for oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions (HER and OER), including: (1) the design principles of HER and OER catalysts, (2) the fabrication of electrocatalysts for water splitting, (3) the surface reconstruction and phase transition of electrocatalyst in OER and HER, (4) the role of multi-phase heterostructure on the highly catalytic activity, (5) the in-situ characterization for the active sites in the HER and OER processes, and (6) anodized steel as the most promising electrocatalysts for overall water splitting with high efficiency. Our demonstrated that multi-metal compound systems were catalytically active for OER and HER in electrochemical energy devices, which may find practical application in hydrogen-energy technologies.

Experience: Dr. Hui Pan is a professor and the Associate Director of the Institute of Applied Physics and Materials Engineering at the University of Macau. He got his PhD degree in physics from the National University of Singapore in 2006. From 2006 to 2013, he worked at the National University of Singapore as a Research Fellow, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (USA) as a Postdoctoral Fellow, and at the Institute of High-Performance Computing (Singapore) as a Senior Scientist, respectively. He joined the University of Macau as an assistant professor in 2013. In his research, a combined computational and experimental method is used to design and fabricate novel nanomaterials for applications in energy conversion and storage (such as electro-/photo-catalysis, water splitting, N2/CO2 reduction, supercapacitors, hydrogen storage, solar cells, and fuel cells), electronic devices, spintronics, and quantum devices. He has published more than 260 papers in international peer-reviewed journals. The total citation is ~ 13000. Additionally, he is the author of five book chapters and the inventor of four US and six Chinese patents. His present h-index is 58.

Prof. Vinayak Adimule

Angadi Institute of Technology and Management, India

Title: Microstructure, Zeta Potential and Enhanced Photocatalytic Dye Degradation Performances of Mesoporous Flower Shaped Nb Doped CeO2 Bimetallic Oxide Nanostructures Decorated with Reduced Graphene Oxide.

Abstract: The unique features of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) enable their applications in the field of photocatalysis as well as unique electrical properties. In the present research work, a novel series of Nb doped CeO2 incorporated with various weight percentage of rGO (2, 8 and 12 wt %) were synthesized by hydrothermal method. The structural and morphological features of nanomaterials (NMs) investigated by using different analytical techniques namely, XRD (X-ray diffraction), UV-visible, SEM (scanning electron microscopy), EDX (energy dispersive X-ray), XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy), BET (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller). The XRD analysis present polycrystalline mixed phase of tetragonal/cubic crystal structure and microstructure analysis showed flower shaped morphology having mesoporous nature. The addition of rGO results in the increased specific surface area and pore diameter of the NC. Redshift in optical absorbance results with decrease in direct optical band gap as rGO concentration increases in NMs. The EDX/XPS studies showed the chemical composition and oxidation states of elements NB, Ce, O, C in NMs. Zeta potential studies showed increased poly disparity with increase in the mobility of the NMs. The zeta potential varies from 88.1 mV to 110.8 mV as the rGO concentration increases on bimetallic oxide NMs. Further, Photocatalytic dye degradation studies of rGO (2, 8 and 12 wt %): Nb2O3@CeO2 against Methylene blue (NM), Rodhamaine B (RB) and Sudan 1 dye showed increased photocatalytic activity. The Photocatalytic performances increase with increase in rGO concentration on bimetallic oxide NMs. The present work projects the composites can be better candidate to improve photocatalytic performances and an excellent material for charge transport capability.

Experience: Fifteen years of research experience as senior scientist and associate research scientist in R&D organizations of TATA (Advinus Therapeutics Ltd.), Astra Zeneca India, and Trans Chem Ltd. Experts in the areas of medicinal chemistry, material chemistry, material electronics, photocatalysis, polymer nanocomposites, nanoelectronics, actuators, and sensors Overseas Research Fellow of Nanyang Global Research Center, Bangkok, Malaysia. Published more than 150 research articles and 15 books or several book chapters in Scopus, Q-rated journals with high impact factors, attended and presented papers in national and international conferences as keynote speakers, and distinguished speakers. Published books in Wiley, Trans-Tech, etc. Chaired/Keynote speaker/Organizing Secretariat, Editor for international and national conferences, Editorial Board Member, and Life Member of many international societies and research institutions. Editor of the special issues published in Springer, Elsevier, and Wiley. Recognized Research Guide Visvesvarayya Technological University, Belagavi, Karnataka, India. I am currently working as a professor and dean of research at the Angadi Institute of Technology and Management, Belagavi, Karnataka, India. Scientific advisor for various government and research organizations, industries, and R&D organizations. Supervising four research scholars for Ph.D. Research interests include nanoelectronics, liquid crystals, liquid crystal nanostructures, optoelectronics, material chemistry, sensors and actuators, bio-nanomaterials, and medicinal chemistry.

Assoc. Prof. Yunfeng Qiu

Harbin Institute of Technology, China

Title: Interfacial engineering of microorganism-anodes in Microbial fuel cells

Abstract: Anodes are important sites for microbial adhesion and extracellular electron transfer (EET) in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). The surface/interface physicochemical properties and pore structure of the anode play an important role in enriching exoelectrogens, accelerating EET, and maintaining the metabolic activity of the biofilm. Nanomaterial modification is an effective means to improve anode performance. The carbon/metal composite hierarchical micro-/nano-structure anode can enrich Geobacter in sludge, reduce internal resistance of MFCs, improve surface specific capacitance, and facilitate the storage of electrons metabolized by microorganisms. Loosely stacked one-dimensional nanostructures serve as artificial nanowires, which can insert into the interior of biofilms, providing a large number of physical contact sites with the outer membrane cytochromes. Meanwhile, the mesoporous structure is beneficial for improving the metabolic level of flavin, significantly promoting the direct electron transfer dominated by cytochrome C and flavin complexes, as well as the indirect electron transfer process mediated by free flavin, synergistically improving the production capacity and sewage treatment capacity of MFCs, and directly improving their Coulombic efficiency.

Experience: Dr. Yunfeng Qiu obtained his Ph.D degree from Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science in 2009, working on supramolecular assembly of π-conjugated molecules. In 2009, Dr. Qiu joined the Academy of Fundamental and Interdisciplinary Sciences of Harbin Institute of Technology. From October 2022, he carried out his postdoctoral research at University of California, Berkeley, investigating the synthesis and assembly of cyclic peptide. Since 2021, he joined the School of Medicine and Health, Faculty of Life Science and Medicine of Harbin Institute of Technology, working on microbial fuel cells and cells stack, solar steam sterilization. Dr. Qiu has co-authored over 90 peer-reviewed papers including J. Am. Chem. Soc., Adv. Mater., Appl. Catal. B: Environ., Small, J. Mater. Chem. A, etc. with an H-index of 38. Four publications were selected as highly cited papers by ESI. He has led more than 10 projects funded by the National Science Foundation and commissioned by enterprises. Currently, he served as an Editorial board member for “Materials” and “Modern Chemical Research”, a member of Youth Editorial Board for “Materials Science and Technology”. 

Assoc. Prof. CHING YERN CHEE

University of Malaya, Malaysia

Title: AgIR Coating Lacquer for Enhanced FIR Absorption and UV Protection of Agricultural Greenhouse Film

Abstract: The types of greenhouse coverings currently available are dominated by plastics. Polyethylene greenhouse films have been developed so that they are reliable, and usually have a lower initial cost than most other greenhouse glazing systems. The most recently developed films have included a thermal barriers (infrared (IR) barrier),  condensate control and /or wavelength selective properties. The use of thermal fillers  have allowed the manufacture of PE film that block and reflect radiated heat back into the greenhouse, which helps reduce heating costs. However, the use of most mineral fillers can cause reduction of visible transmission for photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and accelerate photodegradability of polyethylene film.  So, it is important to study alternative which can function as an effective IR blocker for greenhouse usage without affecting the  lifetime of the polyethylene film due to possible chemical reactions. In this research, nanocomposite coating layer has been successfully developed for coating on PE surface. This nanocomposite coating layer has successfully improved the IR effectiveness without deteriorated PAR for photosynthesis of PE substrate. 

Experience: Ching was the recipient of “Leaders in Innovation Fellowship 2017” by the Royal Academy of Engineering, UK for her notable contribution in the field of engineering education and advancement in composite field. Ching is the recipient of “Top Research Scientists Malaysia 2020” (TRSM) from Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM). Dr. Ching was selected as one of UM Researchers Among The World's Top 2% Scientists 2022 and 2023 by Elservier. She is also a recipient of the “Hitachi Fellowship 2019” with a tenure at the The University of Kitakyushu, Japan as a visiting scholar.