JOHOR BAHRU, 23 July 2026 – Mr. Bong Lai Zhi from the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), has successfully secured research funding from the Kurita Water and Environment Foundation (KWEF), Japan.
The grant, valued at JPY 400,000, will support a research project entitled “Sustainable Water Treatment via Photocatalytic Degradation of Paracetamol Using Cobalt Oxide Derived from Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries.” The project will be conducted from October 2026 to September 2027 under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. ChM. Dr. Sheela Chandren from the Department of Chemistry.
The research addresses two important environmental challenges: the presence of pharmaceutical contaminants in water and the increasing accumulation of spent lithium-ion batteries. By recovering cobalt-based materials from discarded batteries and applying them as photocatalysts, the project aims to develop a more sustainable approach for degrading paracetamol residues in contaminated water.
This initiative highlights the potential of waste-derived functional materials in environmental remediation while supporting circular-economy practices through the reuse of valuable resources from electronic waste. The project also reflects the Faculty of Science’s commitment to advancing innovative research in sustainable chemistry, water treatment and environmental protection.
The Faculty of Science congratulates Mr. Bong Lai Zhi and Assoc. Prof. ChM. Dr. Sheela Chandren on this achievement and wishes them every success in completing the research project.
