Dr. Yu Ka-ming, Iris Research Assistant Professor

Location Y817-08
Phone +852 3400 8720
mail iris.km.yu@polyu.edu.hk
stream Personal Website

Open Platform for University Scholars







Education and Academic Qualifications Doctor of Philosophy, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Bachelor of Science in Environment and Sustainable Development, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University




Research Overview We are interested in green chemistry for the upcycling of biomass waste into bio-based chemicals and materials, which are renewable alternatives to their petroleum-derived counterparts to pursue carbon neutrality.




Academic and Professional Experiences Humboldt Research Fellow, The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany
Guest Editor, Environmental Pollution (2021), Science of the Total Environment (2020), Environmental Research (2020)




Research Interests
biomass conversion
heterogeneous catalysis
biochar as catalyst
microwave technology
bio-based chemical



Achievements

Awards
FCE Award for Outstanding PhD Thesis (Hong Kong Polytechnic University) 2018/19
PolyU Micro Fund (Hong Kong Polytechnic University) 2015




Representative Publications
Yu, I.K.M*. Mechanistic understandings of catalytic hydrogenation of bio-derived aromatics. Green Chem., 2021, 23, 9239-9253.
Xiong, X.; Yu I.K.M.^*; Dutta, S.; Mašek, O.; Tsang, D.C.W.^* Valorization of humins from food waste biorefinery for synthesis of biochar-supported Lewis acid catalysts. Sci. Total Environ., 2021, 775, 145851.
Yu, I.K.M.; Fan, J.^*; Budarin, V.L.^*; Bouxin, F.P.; Clark, J.H.; Tsang, D.C.W.^* Evidences of starch-microwave interactions under hydrolytic and pyrolytic conditions. Green Chem., 2020, 22, 7109-7118.
Yu, I.K.M.; Fan, J.^*; Budarin, V.L.^*; Bouxin, F.P.; Clark, J.H.; Tsang, D.C.W.^* NaCl-promoted phase transition and glycosidic bond cleavage under microwave for energy-efficient biorefinery of rice starch. Green Chem., 2020, 22, 7355-7365.
Yu, I.K.M.; Hanif, A.; Tsang, D.C.W.^*; Shang, J.^*; Su, Z.; Song, H.; Ok, Y.S.; Poon, C.S. Tuneable functionalities in layered double hydroxide catalysts for thermochemical conversion of biomass-derived glucose to fructose. Chem. Eng. J., 2020, 383, 122914.
Yu, I.K.M.; Attard, T.M.;Chen, S.S.;Tsang, D.C.W.^*; Hunt, A.J.^*; Jerome, F.; Ok, Y.S.; Poon, C.S. Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction of value-added products and thermochemical synthesis of platform chemicals from food waste. ACS Sustain. Chem. Eng., 2019, 7, 2821-2829.
Yu, I.K.M.;Xiong, X.; Tsang, D.C.W.^*; Ng, Y.H.; Clark, J.H.; Fan, J.; Zhang, S.; Hu, C.; Ok Y.S.; Graphite oxide- and graphene oxide-supported catalysts for microwave-assisted glucose isomerisation in water. Green Chem., 2019, 21, 4341-4353.
Yu, I.K.M.;Xiong, X.;Tsang, D.C.W.^*;Wang, L.; Hunt, A.J.; Song, H.; Shang, J.; Ok, Y.S.; Poon, C.S. Aluminium-biochar composites as sustainable heterogeneous catalysts for glucose isomerisation in a biorefinery. Green Chem., 2019, 21, 1267-1281.
Yu, I.K.M.; Tsang, D.C.W.^*; Yip, A.C.K.; Hunt, A.J.; Sherwood, J.; Shang, J.; Song H.C.; Ok, Y.S.; Poon, C.S. Propylene carbonate and γ-valerolactone as green solvents enhance Sn(IV)-catalysed hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) production from bread waste. Green Chem., 2018, 20, 2064-2074.
Yu, I.K.M.; Ong, K.L.; Tsang, D.C.W.^*; Haque, M.A.; Kwan, T.H.; Chen, S.S.; Uisan, K.; Kulkami, S.; Lin, C.S.K.^* Chemical transformation of food and beverage waste-derived fructose to hydroxymethylfurfural as a value-added product. Catal. Today, 2018, 314, 70-77.