Researching Dr. Bao Xinhe's National Natural Science Foundation projects history. Interviewee provided photos.
■ By Chen Huanhuan, Reporter and Intern Pu Yajie
Dr. Bao Xinhe, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has been associated with the National Distinguished Young Scientists Fund (referred to as the "Young Scientists Fund") since 1995, making him one of the earliest scientists to receive funding from this project.
On March 7th, while attending the National People's Congress in Beijing as a national representative, Dr. Bao visited the National Natural Science Foundation of China (referred to as the "Natural Science Foundation"), where he embarked on his independent research journey nearly 30 years ago. He shared with China Science Daily the story of his "Young Scientists" relationship and the challenging years devoted to scientific research.
"The Young Scientists Fund had a decisive impact on my later research direction," admitted Dr. Bao. At the time, in his thirties, he wasn't entirely sure which research direction would be most promising. Besides providing funding, the Young Scientists Fund played a crucial role in guiding and affirming his research direction, which was pivotal.
During his student days, Dr. Bao, hailing from Yangzhong, Jiangsu Province, found himself naturally drawn to surface chemistry research. After graduating from high school in 1975, he, like many educated youths of his time, was sent to work on a farm. He jokingly referred to himself as an "eight-tenths laborer," capable of handling almost any farm task. His most vivid memory was participating in flood prevention efforts, shouldering heavy loads of wet soil to repair river embankments. A year and a half later, he was assigned to work at a county pharmaceutical factory, mainly involved in cleaning vials and inspecting assay products. This marked his first time wearing a lab coat.
"Why did I choose to study chemistry later on? It's simple. Because I had experience working in a lab, and it felt familiar and interesting, so I chose chemistry," Dr. Bao chuckled.
When college entrance exams were reinstated in 1977, Dr. Bao initially failed to secure admission due to some unexpected circumstances. After earnestly reviewing for another year, he achieved excellent results, ranking among the top students in the county, and entered Fudan University smoothly. "For us at that time, getting into college not only brought a sense of achievement but also a sense of duty. We all secretly pledged to study hard and become useful individuals for the country."
Surprisingly, Dr. Bao started his surface chemistry research journey in his third year of college, under the guidance of Professor Deng Jingfa, participating in projects such as "Electrochemical Silver Catalyst Methanol Preparation of Formaldehyde." The principles of surface chemistry were crucial in these experiments, laying the foundation for Dr. Bao's future research in the field.
Though only an undergraduate, Dr. Bao was deeply committed to his experiments, often pulling all-nighters once the experiments began. He recalled many amusing incidents from those days. "Once, we wanted to cook noodles at night, but we didn't have any salt. What did we do? We used sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid from the lab to react and crystallize sodium chloride after multiple purifications. None of us, a bunch of young people, thought much of it and happily ate the noodles with the salt we made." Dr. Bao laughed, "It felt interesting and fulfilling at the time, but of course, we can't do that now; it doesn't comply with lab safety regulations."
Research in surface chemistry demands highly advanced instruments, but in the 1980s, such instruments were scarce in China. In 1989, Dr. Bao went to the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Germany to continue his surface chemistry research. He collaborated with Professor G. Ertl, who later won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Their focus was on the characterization of dynamic catalysis and nonlinear reaction kinetics.
A few years later, with the increasing efforts by the Chinese Academy of Sciences to attract talent, the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) extended an invitation to Dr. Bao. Feeling that the time was ripe to return to China, Dr. Bao decided to join DICP, which was a leading institution in China's catalysis industry.
One incident before his return home left a lasting impression on him.
It was customary at the Max Planck Institute that when a laboratory director retired without a successor, the lab would typically close down. Dr. Bao happened to encounter a situation where the laboratory he worked in was facing closure, leaving a large number of still highly advanced experimental instruments to be dealt with. He thought that these instruments might not be of significant use in Germany but could be very useful in China if transported there.
He approached his collaborating supervisor with the idea of bringing these instruments back to China, and the supervisor immediately supported it. Later, with the support of the Max Planck Society, these experimental instruments, along with highly advanced computers donated by the Humboldt Foundation, filled two containers and were shipped to Dalian. This provided Dr. Bao with excellent research conditions upon his return home.
Grateful and Remembering those unforgettable "Young Scientists" Bonds
One day in January 1995, DICP sent a special fax to Dr. Bao, who was then in Berlin, Germany, including a funding application form. This was for the Young Scientists Fund, established in 1994 and initially known as the "Prime Minister's Fund," approved by the then Premier Li Peng, aimed at encouraging young people to engage in basic research.
For Dr. Bao, who was already preparing to return to work in China, this was an excellent opportunity.
Recalling the experience of the Young Scientists Fund defense back then, Dr. Bao said with emotion, "Looking back now, I am grateful to many people."
In May 1995, Dr. Bao returned to DICP in Dalian to begin his research work and soon went to Lanzhou for the defense of the Young Scientists Fund. In Lanzhou, Dr. Bao met several famous Chinese senior scientists for the first time, and the solemn atmosphere of the review filled him with admiration and pressure.
There was a small incident before the defense. At the time, presentations were mainly done using slides, but Dr. Bao had prepared a videotape for the nonlinear reaction dynamics, requiring playback equipment at the defense venue. Initially unprepared, the staff from the Natural Science Foundation went to great lengths to find a projector and a television, eventually allowing the complete experimental dynamic process to be presented to the reviewers, achieving excellent results. Thirty years later, Bao Xinhe still feels deeply grateful and moved when recalling this experience. When the funding for the "Young Elite Scientist Sponsorship Program" was allocated, faced with such a substantial amount, Bao Xinhe was solely focused on "using the nation's funds wisely and executing the project well."
His dedication paid off when, at the end of the second year of project implementation, Bao Xinhe's research was rated as "excellent" during the project assessment. Consequently, the project duration was extended from 3 to 5 years, and correspondingly, the research funding increased from 600,000 RMB to 1 million RMB. This further solidified Bao Xinhe's confidence and determination in conducting research in the field of surface catalysis.
From that point on, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to the study of surface chemistry, catalysis, and nonlinear reaction kinetics. "My research direction for this lifetime is set, no changes," joked Bao Xinhe.
Focusing on research, he pioneered the concept of "nano-confined catalysis." In the early days of his return to China, the country was in the nascent stage of developing basic scientific research. The lack of a well-established atmosphere for fundamental research meant enduring the "cold bench" was a commendable quality.
In this environment, Bao Xinhe immersed himself in fundamental research in catalysis and surface science. In the realm of surface catalysis research, it was a common consensus that catalytic systems with large and regular structures often had limited effectiveness in actual catalytic reactions, i.e., they exhibited low "reaction activity."
After 1990, nanoscience began to gain traction internationally, and scientists became intrigued by the potential roles of nanomaterials. Bao Xinhe gradually introduced nanomaterials into his catalytic research from the familiar field of surface chemistry.
"The characteristic of nanomaterials is their small particle size and high activity, so I quickly thought of combining nanoparticles with carbon nanotubes for experiments," reminisced Bao Xinhe.
The instability and high activity of nanomaterial structures piqued Bao Xinhe's interest. Through repeated experimental studies and theoretical analysis, he developed a new direction with universal applicability—research on catalyst activity under nano-confined conditions. By leveraging the spatial confinement effect of the nanometer scale to modulate the electronic states of the system, precise control of catalytic performance was achieved, leading the forefront of international science in this field.
Significant progress was made in the stability and controllability of catalysts through experiments. Subsequently, Bao Xinhe's team gradually transitioned from experimental results to practical applications. For example, by applying the concept of nano-confined catalysis, they conducted research on the direct selective conversion of methane and the direct synthesis of ethylene from coal-produced syngas, both crucial industrial materials. Their research findings garnered increasing attention from international peers, and now, more and more scientists at home and abroad are beginning to apply this nano-confined principle to catalysis research.
After more than 20 years of dedicated research and practice, Bao Xinhe's team won the first prize of the National Natural Science Award in 2020 for their research in nano-confined catalysis.
"The initial support from the 'Young Elite Scientist Sponsorship Program' continued until major scientific achievements were produced later on," reflected Bao Xinhe. He expressed his commitment to advancing research in nano-confined catalysis and extending the relevant principles to other fields in the future.
Discussing the 30-year development and reform journey of the "Young Elite Scientist Sponsorship Program," Bao Xinhe candidly stated that the program is a product of China's high regard for nurturing young talent in basic research. Through years of continuous reform and development, it has evolved along the path of supporting and selecting outstanding talents, with more sophisticated mechanisms in place. Under the mandate of the four aspects of China's scientific and technological development, the focus of the "Young Elite Scientist Sponsorship Program" is to encourage scientific talents to contribute better research to new national major demands.
For example, in 2023, the National Natural Science Foundation launched a major reform measure—starting from 2024, the "Young Elite Scientist Sponsorship Program" will be subject to hierarchical evaluation, selecting excellent projects for rolling support, with the highest funding intensity reaching nearly 30 million RMB over 15 years. In response, Bao Xinhe remarked that if strict screening, proper direction identification, and selection of the right people can be achieved, it will greatly promote basic research in China.
Regarding the change of extending the age limit for female scientists applying for the "Young Elite Scientist Sponsorship Program," Bao Xinhe emphasized its necessity. Due to factors such as childbirth, female scientists often have shortened research periods, so appropriately extending the application age can better promote fairness.
The new era places higher demands on today's young scientific research talents. Bao Xinhe urged the "Young Elite Scientist Sponsorship Program" to adhere to its original intention, focus on cultivating talents with integrity, perseverance in tackling challenges, and genuine dedication to basic and strategic issues, considering more national development-oriented and steadfast young talents in basic research. He also offered his advice to young talents through the "China Science News": "Return to the essence of research, stay focused on your research, while continuously adjusting and optimizing specific paths and goals according to national development needs, to promote social progress."
(From "China Science News" on March 27, 2024, Page 4, Natural Science Foundation)
