The International Chemical Frontier Forum was declared open in our university on November 18. This Forum was organized by the Department of Chemistry of SUSTC. Themed on “Synthetic Chemistry, New Medicine, New Materials, New Energy: Challenges and Opportunities”, the Forum will carry out academic discussions and exchanges on the latest development and applications of inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, polymer chemistry, theoretical chemistry, material chemistry, chemical biology, asymmetric catalysis chemistry and other fields. This Forum aims to strengthen the exchanges among the international chemical peers, liven up the academic research atmosphere in the chemistry community, and enhance the academic status and influence of China’s chemical science at home and abroad.

The specially invited guests to this Forum include Professor Robert H. Grubbs, the winner of Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2005 and an academician of the US National Academy of Sciences; Academician Ding Kuiling, Director of the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry of CAS; Academician Li Can of the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics of CAS; Academician Wu Yundong, Vice Dean of the Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School; Prof. Shi Yi’an of National Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Nanjing University; Prof. Chen Zhongren, Dean of the Faculty of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University; Prof. Yu Zhixiang of the College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University; Dr. Xin Shixuan, Vice Chief Engineer of the Research Institute of Petroleum Processing of SINOPEC; and Prof. Zhang Xumu, Dean of the Department of Chemistry of SUSTC. Also invited to the Forum are a lot of experts, young scholars and business representatives engaged in the fields of chemistry, materials science and other relevant fields, and the attendance reached approx. 400 people.

Vice President of SUSTC Wu Chuanyue delivered the opening speech for this Forum. He first thanked the experts and scholars from the chemical industry at home and abroad for attending this Forum, and he said that the rapid development of the Department of Chemistry of SUSTC is attributable to the help and support of the experts and scholars in chemical industry. President of SUSTC Chen Shiyi presided at the opening lecture of Prof. Grubbs. He extended his welcome to Prof. Grubbs for coming to SUSTC for academic exchanges, thanked Prof. Grubbs for generously supporting the construction of the Department of Chemistry of SUSTC, and pictured the future development of SUSTC as well as the construction of disciplines.

Prof. Grubbs, a winner of Nobel Prize in Chemistry and an academician of the US National Academy of Sciences, delivered a report entitled The Design of Olefin Structure-controllable Olefin Metathesis Catalyst. Professor Grubbs noted in the report that the olefin cis-trans isomerism-controllable olefin metathesis is a very important stereoselective reaction in the olefin metathesis family. From the perspectives of design and mechanism of the catalyst, he introduced the olefin cis-trans isomerism-controllable olefin metathesis catalyst that has been developed by the project team; and in plain language, he made a profound explanation about the application of the catalyst in the fields of medicine, pheromones and total synthesis of other natural products.

Prof. Grubbs, a winner of Nobel Prize in Chemistry and an academician of the US National Academy of Sciences

Later, Academician Ding Kuiling, Academician Li Can, and Prof. Zhang Xumu delivered lectures entitled Asymmetric Synthesis of Concerted Catalysis, Understanding on Artificial Photosynthesis and Production of Solar Energy, and Practical Asymmetric Hydrogenation respectively. The two-day Frontier Forum will continue on the morning of November 19 with five excellent lectures on organic synthesis, polymer materials and petrochemical field.