Dr. Qiyuan Li is a Lecturer in the School of Chemical Engineering at UNSW and Founder of DecarbAir. He earned his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from UNSW in 2016, worked at the UNESCO Centre for Membrane Science and Technology (2016–2019), and joined the Particle and Catalysis Research Group (PartCat) in 2019. His research focuses on solar-powered catalytic modules and systems for water treatment, green hydrogen/chemical production, and...view more
Dr. Qiyuan Li is a Lecturer in the School of Chemical Engineering at UNSW and Founder of DecarbAir. He earned his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from UNSW in 2016, worked at the UNESCO Centre for Membrane Science and Technology (2016–2019), and joined the Particle and Catalysis Research Group (PartCat) in 2019. His research focuses on solar-powered catalytic modules and systems for water treatment, green hydrogen/chemical production, and CO₂ capture and utilization.
He has supervised or co-supervised 3 Ph.D. students and over 20 undergraduate/master’s students, and currently co-supervises 1 Ph.D. and 1 Master by Research student. He has published over 40 journal papers, 3 book chapters, and 10 conference papers in leading venues such as Energy & Environmental Science, Applied Energy, and Water Research. He is an inventor on 3 granted Chinese patents and 1 European patent.
During his Ph.D., he received the “UNSW Student Innovator of the Year 2014” and “UNSW Innovation Award 2014.” In 2024–2025, he was awarded the UNSW Founders ECA Startup Fellowship and was selected for commercialization accelerator programs, including the UNSW Pre-Accelerator (Pre-X) and Beanstalk Drought Resilience Lab.
My Grants
Onsite Hydrogen Peroxide Generation for Sustainable Future Farming (2025), CRC for Future Food Systems / Research Project, Amal, R; Li, Q; Zhang, D (AU $150,000)
UNSW 2024 Research Infrastructure Scheme (2024), “Harnessing and utilizing renewable energy at a demonstration scale for research, teaching and outreach”, Amal, R, Scott, J, ...., Li, Q, et al. (AU $183,000)
NSW Department of Planning and Environment (2023), “NSW Evaporative Cooling Roadmap”, Taylor, R, Omar, A, Li, Q, Leslie, GL. (AU$ 95,179)
NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) / Circular Solar Trials Grants Program. (2022-2025) “Highly efficient and flexible recycling technology for end-of-life silicon photovoltaic panels towards NSW circular economy: from reactors design to system optimisation”, Shen, Y, Green, M, Amal, R, Leslie, GL, Hao, X, Bao, J, Sun, K, Liu, Z, Chang, N, Deng, R, Li, Q, Zhuo, Y. (AU$ 1,000,000)
My Awards
UNSW Founders ECA Startup Fellowship (2024-2025), UNSW Founders
Finalist of Academic Sharp Brain, 2017, Melbourne
Winner of UNSW Innovation Awards 2014 - UNSW Student Innovator of the Year Award
Winner of UNSW Innovation Awards 2014 - Early Stage Innovation Awards
Winner of The New Employee Award, Foxconn Technology Group 2007
My Research Activities
CO₂ capture, including Direct Air Carbon Capture (DAC), and utilization in applications such as greenhouses and green fuel production
Development of hydrogen peroxide electrolyzer modules and integrated systems
Solar reforming (hydrothermal, electrochemical, and photochemical) of waste organics for clean hydrogen and chemical production
My Research Supervision
Areas of supervision
Design engineering (computer aided design, simulation and manufacturing);
Renewable Energy (solar PV-Thermal, biomass, hydrogen production);
Chemical engineering (wastewater treatment, desalination, CO2 capture and utilization, and catalyst development).
Currently supervising
Dr. Siti Suhailah Binti Rosli – Analysis of Hydrogen Peroxide Disinfection Capabilities, Trailblazer for Recycling and Clean Energy (TRaCE) Mobility Fellowship Program – UNSW
Mr. Qingyi Liu (Master by Research) – Molten Salt-Promoted MgO-Based Sorbents for Intermediate-Temperature CO₂ Capture: Performance Assessment for Post-Combustion Applications and Mechanistic Role of LiNO₃
Mrs. Sumaya Sarmin (Ph.D. candidate) – Transforming Sugar-Containing Wastewater to Renewable Hydrogen
My Teaching
CEIC2007 Chemical Engineering Lab A (Demonstrator)
MMAN1130 Design and Manufacturing (Guest Lecturer)
GSOE9111 Energy Storage (Guest Lecturer)
ENGG3600 Vertically Integrated Projects (supervisor of ‘Sun to H2O’ project)
MECH9720 Solar Thermal Energy Design (Tutor)
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