PolyU Joins a World-leading Catalysis Research Consortium to Accelerate Carbon Neutrality

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) joins a world-leading catalysis research consortium launched by Johnson Matthey (JM), together with Fudan University (Fudan), Xiamen University (Xiamen), and University of Oxford (Oxford), working in partnership to accelerate global carbon neutrality goals using a novel formic acid strategy. Through the collaboration, PolyU hopes to bring formic acid to a cutting-edge solution for sustainable chemical processes and provide a new level of innovation, focus and ambition to confront challenges in green catalysis and sustainable chemistry.

The consortium is a world-leading catalysis and chemistry group with each member’s specialities, working together on scientific research focussed on how CO2 can be used in green bulk chemicals production. 

Dr Mark Su, President – China at Johnson Matthey, said, “We know we can only accelerate progress through strategic partnerships. By working with world-leading universities, collectively we will be able to acquire and leverage technological capabilities which can help to provide the low carbon solutions that help China achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.”

PolyU team led by Dr Molly Li, Assistant Professor of the Department of Applied Physics, proposed using carbon and hydrogen atoms from green formic acid to facilitate a heterogeneous hydroformylation route and deliver industrially important substances without using any fossil fuel sources. Dr Li remarked, “Leveraging PolyU’s expertise in surface science and in-situ spectroscopy, as well as our strength in advanced characterisation facilities, we will pave the way toward new class of heterogeneous catalysts to make industrially important chemical processes clean and green.” 

About Johnson Matthey (JM)
JM is an international chemical manufacturing company founded almost 200 years ago in London. As a global leader in sustainable technologies, JM has applied cutting-edge science to create solutions with a worldwide customer base through continued investment in sound research and development. JM has been leading this field to apply unrivalled scientific expertise to enable cleaner air, improved health and more efficient use of natural resources. 

About PolyU Department of Applied Physics (AP)
PolyU AP has long been engaging in top-notch scientific research activities, which is well-equipped with more than 30 laboratories and has benefited from the world-class research facilities in various university-managed research facilities. To pursue world-leading research and innovations that impact the scientific community and regional industries, the researchers are also actively involved in industrial collaborations and consultancy projects, contributing to the technological development.