Biography

Mei Xuan obtained her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry with a minor in Mathematics from the National University of Singapore (NUS). She went on to pursue her doctorate with the NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering (NGS). During her PhD, she spent 4 years at the A*STAR Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN). Her research was committed to the development and synthesis of porous organic polymers for various applications in green chemistry, which include carbon dioxide adsorption, water purification and metal-free catalysis.

During her undergraduate and graduate studies, she had various opportunities to teach and mentor tertiary and university students. Since she joined SUTD in 2013, she has helped revised the Chemistry curriculum, developed 1D and 2D projects, and took on pedagogy research to investigate the effectiveness of active learning and digital tools in education. She believes that education should be more than just acquiring technical knowledge and skills. She hopes that education can continue to shift towards a holistic approach that serves to bring out the potential in each individual.

Education

• PhD, NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering (NGS), Singapore
• BSc (First Class Hons.) Chemistry, National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore

Awards & Achievements

• Best Presenter (First Prize), 6^th IBN Graduate Student Symposium, 2011
• Bayer Young Environmental Envoy (BYEE) – Distinction, Singapore, 2010
• Best Presenter (Second Prize), 5^th IBN Graduate Student Symposium, 2010
• Faculty of Science Dean’s List, NUS, 2005–2008
• Singapore National Institute of Chemistry (SNIC) Book Prize, 2006

Publications & Patents

1. M. X. Tan, Y. N. Sum, J. Y. Ying, Y. Zhang. A Mesoporous Poly-Melamine-Formaldehyde Polymer as a Solid Sorbent for Toxic Metal Removal. Energy & Environmental Science 2013, 6, 3254–3259.
2. M. X. Tan, L. Gu, N. Li, J. Y. Ying, Y. Zhang. Mesoporous Poly-Melamine-Formaldehyde (mPMF): A Highly Efficient Catalyst for Chemoselective Acetalization of Aldehydes. Green Chemistry 2013, 15, 1127–1132.
3. M. X. Tan, Y. Zhang, J. Y. Ying. Mesoporous Poly(Melamine-Formaldehyde) Solid Sorbent for Carbon Dioxide Capture. ChemSusChem 2013, 6 (7), 1186–1190.
4. D. Yu, M. X. Tan, Y. Zhang. Carboxylation of Terminal Alkynes with CO2 Catalyzed by Poly-N-Heterocyclic Carbene Supported Silver Nano-Particles. Advanced Synthesis and Catalysis 2012, 354, 969–974.
5. Y. Zhang, M. X. Tan, H. Li, Y. Zheng, S. Gao, H. Zhang, J. Y. Ying. Mesoscopic Organic Nanosheets Peeled from Stacked 2D Covalent Frameworks. Chemical Communications 2011, 47, 7365–7367.
6. M. X. Tan, L. Zhao, Y. Zhang. Production of 5-Hydroxymethyl Furfural from Cellulose in CrCl2/Zeolite/BMIMCl System. Biomass and Bioenergy 2011, 35, 1367–1370.
7. M. X. Tan, Y. Zhang, J. Y. Ying. Hydrosilylation of Ketone and Imine over Poly-N-Heterocyclic Carbene Particles. Advanced Synthesis and Catalysis 2009, 351, 1390–1394.
8. M. X. Tan, Y. Zhang. An Efficient Metal-Free Reduction using Diphenylsilane with (Tris-perfluorophenyl)borane as Catalyst. Tetrahedron Letters 2009, 50, 4912–4915.
9. Y. Zhang, J. Y. Ying, M. X. Tan. Chemoselective Acetalization of Aldehydes Catalyzed by Mesoporous Poly-Melamine-Formaldehyde. Singapore Patent Application No. 201201905-5, 15 Mar 2012.
10. Y. Zhang, J. Y. Ying, M. X. Tan. A Melamine Polymer Material and Uses Thereof. Singapore Patent Application No. 201108838-2, 29 Nov 2011.
11. Y. Zhang, J. Y. Ying, M. X. Tan. Mesoporous Poly-Melamine-Formaldehyde and its Application in Carbon Dioxide Capture. Singapore Patent Application No. 201007003-5, 24 Sept 2010; Patent Cooperation Treaty Patent Application No.: PCT/SG2011/000328, 23 Sep 2011.