Publisher: College of Chemistry and Materials Science  

Date: March 14, 2025  

The Chinese Chemical Society has recently announced the recipients of the prestigious 2024 Youth Chemistry Award, and we are proud to announce that Professor Zeng Heng from the College of Chemistry and Materials Science at Jinan University has been honored with this award.

(Prof. Zeng Heng)

 About the Youth Chemistry Award

Established in 1983, the Youth Chemistry Award is the Chinese Chemical Society's earliest academic recognition. It is awarded annually to outstanding young researchers in the field of chemistry, under the age of 35, who display innovation, improvement, and the ability to independently conduct significant research in fundamental and cutting-edge chemistry, applied engineering, or chemical education. Each year, only ten recipients are chosen for this honor.

 Introduction of Professor Zeng Heng

Professor Zeng Heng completed his doctoral studies under the mentorship of Professor Li Dan and Professor Lu Weigang. He has been recognized for his contributions to the field with several distinctions, including the Jingbo Science and Technology Award for Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation and the Jingqing Chemistry Spark Award from the Chinese Chemical Society. He was also chosen for the Postdoctoral Innovation Talent Support Program and received support from the Provincial Youth Talent Project.

In his research, Professor Zeng has published representative papers as the first author or co-corresponding author in renowned journals, such as Nature, Nature Chemical Engineering, Chem, Journal of the American Chemical Society, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, and CCS Chemistry. He is set to join the School of Chemistry and Materials Science at Jinan University as a fourth-level senior student in 2024.

 Research Focus

Professor Zeng Heng's research primarily concentrates on the design and application of efficient metal-organic framework (MOF) materials for separation processes. His work includes:

- Regulation of Adsorption Sites: Systematically studying the coupling mechanisms between active sites and pore structures to enhance the efficiency of MOFs.

- Design of High-Performance MOFs: Developing light hydrocarbon separation materials with high selectivity, adsorption capacity, and stability.

- Dynamic Screening Mechanisms: Proposing an orthogonal array dynamic screening mechanism to tackle the slow adsorption kinetics and low capacity of traditional molecular sieves.

- Cage-Shaped MOFs: Creating cage-shaped materials with improved pore connectivity to enhance mass transfer efficiency and framework stability.

- Optimizing Coordination Environments: Inducing changes to the coordination environment of metal centers to strengthen adsorption thermodynamics and improve separation capabilities.

Professor Zeng Heng's achievements and innovative research contributions significantly advance the field of chemistry, particularly in the development of materials that address pressing challenges in separation technologies.

For more information about the award, please visit the [Chinese Chemical Society Awards page]

(https://www.chemsoc.org.cn/Awards/a6447.html).