Prof Bor Kae Chang has worked on porous materials and gas adsorption/separation for nearly two decades. His research involves synthesis of such materials and how strategic gases such as carbon dioxide or hydrogen interact with them. When prepared as powders, separation can be acheived through adsorption, whereas dynamic separation can be achieved in membrane form. His expertise involves experimental and computational techniques, bringing new insight into the structure and mechanisms of membranes to light.

Porous materials play an important role in chemical industry processes, including gas adsorption, separation, and storage. The introduction of novel materials such as the family of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) have ushered in an era where a large number of organic and inorganic moieties can be chosen to form a robust, crystalline and porous material. This abundance of selection, although excellent for customization, also means that there is difficulty in systematically exploring the structures and arriving at the ideal one for a certain application. By using density functional theory to explore guest-host interactions within the structures, and inputting results in experimental synthesis of MOFs and ZIFs, an accelerated route to implementing these materials in industrial processes can begin to be established.