An expert in the field of environmental catalysis, Dr Zhao Jun, Assistant Professor of the Department of Biology, has been developing new techniques for optimising biomass conversion efficiency and pioneering waste-to-fuel and waste-to-energy technologies.

One man's trash is another man's treasure. To Dr Zhao Jun, Assistant Professor of the Department of Biology, there is value in waste, and perhaps one of the best ways to treat municipal solid waste is to convert the waste resources into oil and fuel.

An expert in the field of environmental catalysis, Dr Zhao has been leading a team of researchers at HKBU to develop new techniques for optimising biomass conversion efficiency and pioneering waste-to-fuel and waste-to-energy technologies.

Dr Zhao's interest in scientific work has been driven by a sense of mission to promote environmental sustainability. Growing up in a coal town, he saw from a young age the environmental impact caused by coal mining, transportation and combustion. After obtaining a PhD in chemical and biomolecular engineering at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, he has dedicated his research work to the areas of clean energy, biomass conversion, as well as waste treatment and utilisation.

Dr Zhao and his team develop clay-based catalysts that increase the yield of fuel converted from waste plastics.

Through research, he strives to contribute to promoting a green, circular economy and achieving long-term environmental resilience. "I hope that scientific research can bring about approaches for sustainable development for the world without compromising the environment," he says. "We are researching waste-to-chemical, waste-to-material, and waste-to-energy technologies, with the aim of replacing fossil resources."

His work in biomass resource utilisation has led to a series of technological breakthroughs, including the development of clay-based catalysts that increase the yield of fuel converted from waste plastics from around 50% to over 80%. The catalysts also reduce the reaction operating temperature from 800 to 1,000 degrees Celsius to 400 to 450, which enables a significant decrease in energy consumption and production cost, and more than 50% reduction in CO2 emission compared to the conventional plastic waste treatment process like incineration.

Furthermore, Dr Zhao has advanced hydrogen production using biomass waste. While hydrogen is generally considered a green energy, it is expensive to produce. To reduce the production cost of green hydrogen, Dr Zhao and his team developed a new catalytic reaction system that can turn wet and dry garbage, including food waste and waste plastics, into hydrogen. Their technology streamlines the reaction process, thereby substantially lowering operational costs while offering a solution to the problem of urban solid waste management and CO₂ emission.

Dr Zhao demonstrates that different catalysts can yield oil of different qualities.

Dr Zhao has not spared himself in his quest to help save our environment. He has published more than 90 papers in peer-reviewed academic journals, and over 70% of these journals are among the world's top 10% journals according to CiteScore Percentile. In addition, he has provided consultation and reports on wastewater and solid waste management to the HKSAR Government.

In the past five years, he has secured more than HK$20 million in research funding. His project on the catalytic conversion of municipal solid waste to hydrogen has received HK$1.3 million from the MTR Research Funding Scheme 2023, making him the first scholar from HKBU to receive this award and foster the development of clean fuel for sustainable transportation.

The latest accolade in Dr Zhao's achievements is the HKBU President's Award for Outstanding Performance as Early Career Researcher. Dr Zhao humbly thanks his team for their concerted effort and contribution to environmental catalysis research, and he highlights his aspiration: "Through our research, I hope we can continue to contribute to protecting our environment."