Cui Ying Toe

Dr. Cui Ying Toe is a Lecturer in Renewable Energy Engineering at the University of Newcastle's School of Engineering, affiliated with the College of Engineering, Science and Environment. She holds a PhD in Advanced Manufacturing from the University of New South Wales and a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Malaya. Her research centers on solar energy conversion technologies, including photocatalytic hydrogen generation, photoelectrochemical CO₂ reduction, and scalable photoreactor systems for sustainable fuel production.

Her work bridges fundamental catalyst design and industrial applications, emphasizing techno-economic feasibility and AI-driven material discovery. Recent projects explore hybrid photocatalysis-photoelectrocatalysis systems and waste-derived chemical synthesis. Key research themes include:

• Photocatalytic reforming of organic waste for simultaneous H₂ and value-added chemical production
• Nanoscale engineering of kesterite and ferroelectric materials for enhanced solar fuel efficiency
• Machine learning optimization of photocatalyst performance

Her 15 most recent publications (2021-2025) demonstrate a consistent focus on renewable energy materials, with emerging trends in defect engineering, single-atom catalysts, and solar-driven ammonia synthesis. Earlier work established foundational insights into plasma-functionalized coatings and biomimetic implant interfaces.

She has received the Best Poster Award (2021) and Future Women Leaders Conference Award (2019). Current industry partnerships target photocatalytic system upscaling and techno-economic validation. She coordinates courses in Bioenergy and Geothermal Systems, supervising PhD candidates in photoelectrochemical reactor design.