The Future Science Prize winners were announced on August 16. Professor Zhang Tao, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, and Professor Li Yadong, also an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a professor in the Department of Chemistry at Tsinghua University, jointly won the Future Science Prize in Physical Sciences. They were recognized for their seminal contributions to the development and application of Single-Atom Catalysis (SAC).
In 2011, Zhang Tao, Li Jun and Liu Jingyue reported the synthesis, characterization, and catalytic properties of a single-atom Pt catalyst embedded in the FeOx substrate. This breakthrough established practical methods for the effective synthesis and rigorous characterization of a solid catalyst with isolated single Pt atoms as the active centers and demonstrated that such catalysts exhibit superior activity and selectivity for CO oxidation. Zhang and his team coined the term “Single-Atom Catalysis (SAC)” and subsequently extended SAC to a variety of metals, supports, and reactions. Zhang's groundbreaking work has since marked a milestone, catalyzing a surge in research efforts aimed at developing SAC for a diverse array of chemical reactions.
Li and co-workers systematically advanced the deterministic and controlled synthesis of single-atom catalysts with structurally-defined morphology and coordination environment of the metal center. These methods enable the large-scale production of single-atom catalysts with high metal loading and uniform structural features, moving Single-Atom Catalysis one step closer to industrial production. The methods developed by Li are widely adapted all over the world for the development of single-atom catalysts with desirable activity and selectivity, significantly broadening the scope and bolstering the impact of SAC in chemical transformation, energy conversion, environmental protection, and materials discovery.
Zhang and Li’s seminal contributions to SAC have paved the way for understanding the nature of active sites in supported metal catalysts and controlling the structure of solid catalysts with atomic precision. Their pioneering work has brought SAC to the forefront of heterogeneous catalysis and technology. Furthermore, their innovations have enabled environment-friendly and energy-efficient production of commodity chemicals, such as chloroethylene, acetic acid, and propanol. These advancements highlight how SAC contributes to fostering a sustainable society.
Prof. Li Yadong was born in 1964 in Anhui province. He earned his Ph.D. in 1998 from the University of Science and Technology of China.
Founded in 2016, the Future Science Prize, which includes categories for Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Mathematics and Computer Science, has been awarded to 39 scientists.
Editor：Li Han
