Carbon-based Polymer Nanocomposites for Environmental and Energy Applications

Dr. A.F. Ismail is a Professor at the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), where he is the Founding Director of the Advanced Membrane Technology Research Centre (AMTEC). He has also served as Dean of Research for the Materials and Manufacturing Alliance at UTM and was the 7th Vice Chancellor of UTM from 2021 to 2024. Dr. Ismail’s research interests encompass membrane formation, membranes for wastewaster treatment and gas separation, and nanofibers and nanostructured materials for energy applications. Dr. Ismail has received several awards, including the ASEAN Young Scientist and Technologist Award in 2001 (the first Malaysian to receive this award), the Malaysian Young Scientist Award in 2000, the Malaysian Intellectual Property Award in the Patent Category, the Merdeka Award for Scholastic Achievements in 2014, and the highly coveted Mustafa Prize (2023) — often referred to as the “Muslim Nobel Prize.” A highly cited researcher in "Separation and Purification Technology" (Elsevier), Professor Fauzi has made several contributions to membrane science, particularly in polymeric, inorganic, and mixed matrix membranes for applications such as water treatment, desalination, gas separation, hemodialysis, fuel cells, and palm oil refining. With an impressive Scopus h-index of 120 and more than 71,000 citations (as of June 2025), he has authored more than 1,500 refereed journal articles, more than 50 book chapters, 6 authored books, and 20 edited volumes. Dr. Ismail also plays active roles in the scientific community, serving as Chairman of the Malaysia Membrane Society (MyMembrane) and Vice President of the Aseanian Membrane Society (AMS).

Pei Sean Goh is Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Petroleum and Renewable Energy Engineering at the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM). Her research interests lie in the fields of fabrication of nanostructured materials for membrane-based separation processes. One of the main focuses of her research is the applications of carbon-based nanomaterials and nanocomposite membranes for acidic gas removal as well as desalination and wastewater treatment.