Topic: Opportunities and Challenges in Artificial Photosynthesis: Science and Technology

Speaker: Academician Li Can

Guest MC: Academician Tang Benzhong

Date: Monday, November 25,2024

Time: 10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

Venue: Conference Complex II 401

Language: Chinese

Abstract: 

Humanity faces critical challenges such as environmental degradation, extreme climate events, and the consequences of excessive fossil fuel use—problems that threaten our future and demand urgent solutions. The pursuit of sustainable development has thus become a central focus in 21st-century science and technology. Solar energy, with its abundance and lack of pollution, offers an ideal resource; however, efficiently converting it into usable forms of energy remains a formidable challenge. Among the most promising solutions is the transformation of solar energy into storable and transportable fuels, known as solar fuels—a goal often regarded as a “holy grail” within scientific research. Artificial photosynthesis, inspired by natural photosynthetic processes, represents a key strategy for creating solar fuels. This approach not only addresses global energy demands but also supports ecological sustainability and environmental stewardship. Achieving this, however, requires breakthroughs in artificial photosynthesis technologies, particularly in areas like photocatalysis, photoelectrocatalysis, electrocatalysis, and biocatalysis to efficiently convert solar energy. In this lecture, Professor Can Li will present recent advances in artificial photosynthesis, with a focus on the opportunities and challenges encountered in the development of green hydrogen and liquid sunlight methanol as sustainable fuels.

Speaker Profile:

Professor Can Li is a renowned physical chemist and researcher / PhD supervisor at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). He was elected a CAS member in 2003, a member of the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS) in 2005, and a foreign member of Academia Europaea in 2008. He has held numerous leadership roles, including as Director of the State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, President of the International Association of Catalysis Societies (IACS), and Chair of the 16th International Congress on Catalysis (ICC16).

Currently, Professor Li serves as Dean of the School of Materials and Chemistry at the University of Science and Technology of China, Chair of the Catalysis Division of the Chinese Chemical Society, and Director of the Basic Science Center on "Artificial Photosynthesis" under the National Natural Science Foundation of China. In addition, he is an adjunct or honorary professor at several universities in China and internationally, including Université Pierre et Marie Curie, where he served as a visiting professor in 2002/2003, Honorary Professor at the University of Queensland, and Distinguished Visiting Professor at Hong Kong Baptist University.

Professor Li’s research focuses on catalytic materials, catalytic reactions, and spectroscopic characterization, with a particular emphasis on the conversion and utilization of solar energy. His work in artificial photosynthesis includes groundbreaking studies on photocatalytic and electrocatalytic water splitting, carbon dioxide conversion, and next-generation solar cells. Among his pioneering contributions are the discoveries of heterojunctions in photocatalysis, the photoinduced charge separation between crystal facets, and the development of spatiotemporal imaging techniques for photogenerated charges. He has advanced UV Raman spectroscopy and short-wavelength chiral Raman spectroscopy. Notably, he led an industrial-scale demonstration project for the direct solar methanol synthesis, and in collaboration with the Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, he achieved artificial starch synthesis from liquid sunlight methanol. Recently, he developed an off-field electrocatalysis technology that enables the complete decomposition of hydrogen sulfide into hydrogen and sulfur under ambient conditions. Professor Li has received numerous prestigious awards, including the Qiu Shi Outstanding Young Scholar Award, the National Natural Science Award (Second Class), the International Catalysis Award, the CAS Outstanding Science and Technology Achievement Prize, the Ho Leung Ho Lee Prize for Scientific and Technological Progress, the China Catalysis Achievement Award, the China Spectroscopy Achievement Award, the Japan Photochemistry Award, the Franco-Chinese Chemical Lectureship Award, the Asia-Pacific Catalysis Achievement Award, the “Mission Innovation Champion” for Clean Energy, the Technology Invention First Prize from the China Renewable Energy Society, and the Tianjin Natural Science Award (Top Prize).