While China's green energy transition appears to have a heavy focus on electric vehicles, solar, wind and hydro power, another clean energy source being developed is hydrogen.

A Chinese team began researching catalysts for hydrogen generation in 2014, with the culmination of various efforts published in February in the journals Nature and Science. The first achievement was the production of a catalyst lifespan of over 1,000 hours in methanol-to-hydrogen reactions. The second was ethanol-catalyzed hydrogen production that released no carbon dioxide emissions.

Zhou Wu, an expert on hydrogen catalysis has been a driving force behind China's research into the process that could revolutionize the clean commercial production of hydrogen.

"We face severe energy and climate warming crises, and hydrogen production is internationally recognized as a critical solution," said Zhou.

Zhou Wu, professor at the School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences

According to research by the United Nations, fossil fuels — coal, oil and natural gas — remain the primary drivers of global climate change, accounting for over 75 percent of greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90 percent of all CO2 emissions.

"While hydrogen combustion produces only water, the production process itself is not clean," said Zhou. Current catalysts are inefficient, leading to energy waste, high costs and CO2 emissions. "Our goal is to design better catalysts to make hydrogen production greener, more efficient and cost-effective," he added.

Despite a three-year scientist position at Oak Ridge National Laboratory under the Department of Energy in the United States where he earned the prestigious Eugene Wigner Fellowship and published high-impact research, in 2015, Zhou faced a crossroads in his career. Offers poured in for him to continue his research at various institutions from Singapore's top universities to the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

"Singapore's package — twice as much as the UCAS funding and salary — was historically generous," Zhou recalled.

Yet a pivotal half-hour call with academician Gao Hongjun, then UCAS vice-president, reshaped his decision. Gao emphasized that while China's immediate resources might lag behind Singapore's, the nation's rapid rise in comprehensive strength and surging investments in scientific research promised far greater long-term potential.

"Academician Gao asked me: Did I want to be a 'founder' building something new, or return years later as a 'joiner'? I chose the former," Zhou said.

UCAS demonstrated its commitment by allocating over 26 million yuan ($3.6 million) from its own funds to establish a world-class electron microscopy lab at its recently inaugurated Yanqi Lake campus in Beijing.

"In 2015, securing 26 million yuan for equipment was challenging for any institution globally," Zhou said, while likening the new campus to a "scientific startup".

For decades, hydrogen industrialization has been stymied by the "impossible triangle": balancing low cost, high stability and zero carbon emissions. Zhou's team tackled this by reengineering catalysts at the atomic scale.

"Success requires four pillars: platform, funding, teamwork and environment," said Zhou, adding that State and municipal grants have proved vital.

In 2016, the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Key Research Program in Frontier Sciences provided 2.5 million yuan over five years. By 2019, the Beijing Municipal Education Commission's "Outstanding Young Scientists" initiative had added over 3 million yuan annually. Crucially, both programs minimized bureaucratic hurdles, freeing the team to focus on research.

However, the real journey began in 2014. "A Peking University team had serendipitously discovered a highly active catalyst, but its performance was erratic," Zhou recalled. By 2020, his team had boosted catalyst stability tenfold by increasing surface site density — only to hit a physical limit. "We were stuck," he said.

A breakthrough emerged from collective resilience. "Remarkable students kept joining us. Together, we tested new strategies and found that incorporating rare earth elements dramatically enhanced both the catalyst's activity and stability — it reignited our hope," he said, emphasizing that "every leap forward has been a team triumph".

While celebrating their latest breakthroughs, Zhou remains grounded. "Publications bring fleeting glory, but our catalysts still rely on expensive precious metals. Industrialization demands cost reduction," he said.

Artificial intelligence is expected to accelerate the progress further by optimizing data analysis, code generation and even manuscript drafting. "We're collaborating with machine learning teams to uncover hidden data patterns — this could lead to quantum leaps," Zhou said.

"Our goal isn't papers; it's making hydrogen energy affordable and practical."

Zhou credits his mentors such as academician Zhu Jing, his adviser at Tsinghua University, who at 68, revised his thesis draft word-byword over a lunch in the canteen. "Her rigor still guides me — every paper must withstand scrutiny," he said. At Oak Ridge, his mentor Juan Carlos Idrobo's boundless curiosity left a lasting mark. "He'd propose 20 ideas; one or two worked. That fearless creativity is what I teach now."

Today, Zhou prioritizes nurturing students who are "confident yet resilient" in a rapidly evolving China. "Doctor Idrobo helped me selflessly, asking only that I pay it forward. That's my mission too."

From a "scientific startup" campus to atomic-scale breakthroughs, Zhou's individual journey encapsulates China's bold strides in clean energy. As his team races toward industrial-scale solutions, one principle endures: "Science isn't about shortcuts — it's about building foundations, atom by atom."

When asked about cultivating young scientific talents, Zhou shared his educational philosophy: "Many excellent students in my team share one trait: clear goals."

Instead of highlighting research prospects during recruitment, Zhou emphasizes the arduousness of research. He stresses that results may take three or more years, and suggests alternative directions if they lack determination.

"Research requires intrinsic love. Enjoy the process, not just the outcome. Especially in basic research, facing daily failures for long periods is common. Only real curiosity can sustain you through experimental setbacks. I'll constantly encourage them to keep this passion."

Shi Yudie contributed to this story.

yandongjie@chinadaily.com.cn

https://enapp.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202503/17/AP67d771d3a3108e2d112feeea.html

       为扎实推进党组织建设，提升党员的党性修养与思想觉悟，2025年3月14日13：00，物理-天文学院教工党支部于中关村校区教学楼N208教室召开了支部党员大会，会议由党支部书记朴云松同志主持。

       会议伊始，由何幸同志领学《全国党员教育培训工作规划（2024－2028 年）》。在学习过程中，党员们对未来几年党员教育培训工作的目标、任务和要求有了全面且准确的认识，同时也深刻认识到加强党员教育培训在提高党员队伍素质、增强党组织凝聚力和战斗力的重要意义。

何幸同志领学《全国党员教育培训工作规划（2024－2028 年）》

       随后，朴云松同志向全体党员作 2024 年支部工作总结报告。他围绕组织发展、理论学习、人才培养工作等三方面进行总结，清晰呈现了过去一年支部工作概况。一方面，肯定了支部党员在科技、教育和人才培养领域发挥的先锋模范作用，入选北京高校“双带头人”教师党支部书记“强国行”专项行动团队名单，本科书院课业辅导育人团队获得北京高校优秀本科育人团队等。另一方面，客观指出工作中存在的不足与面临的挑战。参会党员对支部工作进行了评议，在肯定支部工作的同时提出了意见和建议。朴云松同志表示，在今后的工作中，支部将继续努力，不断改进工作方法，提高工作效率，更好地发挥党支部的战斗堡垒作用。

       接下来，每位党员进行了自我评议，开展批评和自我批评，党员们结合党章规定的党员标准以及本职工作认真分析了自己在思想、工作、学习和生活等方面的表现，查找存在的问题，并明确了今后的努力方向。而后，通过无记名投票的形式进行民主测评。

与会党员进行批评和自我批评

       会议最后，全体党员围绕如何提高支部活动党员出席率的问题，就支部后续活动时间、地点，以及党小组设置等进行了充分交流和讨论。

      2025年3月11日14时，物理天文核学院党委高年级学生第二党支部在雁栖湖校区学园2-268会议室召开党员大会开展2024年党支部工作述职和民主评议党员。会议由支部书记张轩珩同志主持。

      会议首先由张轩珩进行2024年支部述职报告。张轩珩围绕支部建设情况、整体情况、"三会一课"制度的落实情况、支部党员高水平论文发表情况、支部当前存在的问题及改进措施、下一年度的工作展望等方面进行了详细阐述。张轩珩指出，支部在过去一年取得了一定的成绩，但仍存在一些不足，需要进一步优化和提升。

      随后，会议进入党支部工作自评环节。全体党员共同阅读《党支部工作量化考评表》，对照考评标准和实际工作情况，对支部过去一年的工作进行了深入分析和讨论。总体来看，支部工作完成较好，但仍然存在与团委、班委等组织联系不够紧密、党建活动形式较为单一等问题。针对这些问题，与会党员纷纷发表意见，探讨改进措施，为下一年度支部工作提供自己的建议。

      接下来，开展民主评议党员，全体党员依次进行了批评与自我批评。党员们围绕自身在过去一年中的表现，坦诚剖析个人存在的问题，并接受其他党员的批评和建议。这一环节不仅增进了党员之间的相互了解，也进一步强化了党支部的民主氛围和自我提升意识。

      最后，党支部通过无记名投票的方式进行民主测评，初步确定了等次为优秀的党员。

      本次大会的召开，不仅为党支部总结经验、发现问题、明确方向提供了重要契机，也进一步激发了党员们的责任感和使命感。未来，支部将继续深化党建工作，优化组织管理，推动支部建设迈向新的高度。