Xue Duan
Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
E-mail: duanx@mail.buct.edu.cn
Professor Xue Duan was elected an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2007. He was awarded a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Jilin University in 1982 followed by a Master’s degree (1984) and PhD degree (1988) by the Chinese Academy of Sciences after studying in Beijing University of Chemical Technology (BUCT). Over the past 30 years has established a distinctive research program covering “Intercalation Assembly of Layered Materials and Resource Utilization”. He has undertaken detailed fundamental studies analyzing the key scientific principles controlling the formation of layered solids. He has proposed many innovative concepts such as understanding intercalated structures based on assembly of octahedral units, coupling of catalytic reaction enthalpy and heat transfer, in situ ultrastable mineralization, high-efficiency low-cost green hydrogen, and dual carbon utilization in industrial carbonate hydrorefining. He has also developed many novel synthetic methods including the design of a rotating liquid film reactor, separation of nucleation and crystallization steps in co-precipitation, separation of nucleation and aging steps (SNAS), reaction-separation coupling and non-autoclave hydrothermal synthesis, and used these to synthesize a wide range of novel materials. These include UV barrier materials, smoke suppressant materials and environmental remediation materials. These fundamental studies have resulted in a large number of papers in leading international journals in chemistry and chemical engineering, and for many years he has been one of China’s most highly cited scientists. These fundamental studies have also led to the establishment of a portfolio of independent IP represented by the award of over 60 Chinese patents and five US patents. In addition, fundamental ideas developed in the laboratory have been successfully scaled up in technology transfer incubators in Qinghai, Shandong, Gansu and other places, resulting over 10 large-scale industrial plants with more than 20 production lines for the manufacture of materials employing effective utilization of salt lake resources, as well as automobile chemical products, soil remediation materials and many other products. These innovations have made significant contributions to technological process in their respective industries which has been recognized by the award of many prizes, including two National Scientific and Technological Innovation Prize (Second Class), and one National Scientific and Technological Progress Prize (Second Class) and more than ten provincial and ministerial level awards.