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ME PhD Student Clinches Champion at 2025 Young Persons’ Lecture Competition Hong Kong Heat

2 Oct 2025

Student News

Congratulations to Miss ZHANG Kouer, a PhD student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, for winning the Champion at the Young Persons’ Lecture Competition (YPLC) Hong Kong Heat on October 2, 2025.

Under the supervision of Prof. AN Liang, Kouer delivered a compelling presentation on her research, titled “Closing the Loop: Transforming Wastewater Nitrate into Sustainable Fertilizer,” which distinguished her among a strong field of participants.

About the Research
Ammonia production for fertilizers traditionally depends on the energy-intensive Haber-Bosch process. Kouer's research explores a more sustainable alternative: producing ammonia from electricity and wastewater nitrate. A key challenge is the competing hydrogen evolution reaction, which reduces efficiency. The team's solution is a novel catalyst composed of copper-cobalt nanowires grown on copper foam. In this tandem mechanism, cobalt sites initiate nitrate reduction, while copper sites complete the process, efficiently guiding the reaction toward ammonia and suppressing hydrogen production. Supported by advanced in-situ characterization and computational tools, this catalyst demonstrates high efficiency and long-term stability, paving the way for greener, scalable ammonia production.

Representing Hong Kong at the World Final
With this victory, Kouer has earned the right to represent Hong Kong at the YPLC World Final this November, where she will compete against other top young researchers from around the globe.

The YPLC World Final brings together winners from national and regional heats organized by The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3). Since its inception in London in 2005, the competition has been held across four continents. The IOM3 Hong Kong Branch has organized the local heat annually since 2005, providing a platform for young professionals and students to showcase their expertise and presentation skills in materials, minerals, mining, and related engineering fields.

 

 


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