Nano Research

Tsinghua University Press and Springer Nature honor two of the world’s leading experts in nanoscience and nanotechnology

Two outstanding scientists have been awarded the annual Nano Research Award which is sponsored by Tsinghua University Press (TUP) and Springer Nature. Hongjie Dai is the Professor at the Stanford University. Zhong Lin Wang is the Professor at Georgia Institute of Technology. Both winners have been invited to give keynote speeches at the Sino-US Forum on Nanoscale Science and Technology.

Professor Hongjie Dai

Professor Hongjie Dai won the Nano Research Award for his pioneering contributions to carbon based nanoscience and nanomedicine. Dai is the Jackson-Wood Professor of Chemistry at Stanford University. He is internationally recognized as a leader in carbon-based nanoscience, renewable energy materials and nanomedicine. His pioneering work has facilitated basic research in chemistry and physics of quasi-1D carbon nano-materials, and opened up creative applications of nano-carbon materials from nanotubes sensors/field effect transistors, to graphite/graphene foam cathodes for aluminum ion battery, drug delivery and photothermal therapy for nanomedicine, and near-infrared-II (NIR-II)/short-wave infrared (SWIR) probes for imaging biological systems in vivo. Specifically, Dai's contributions to carbon-based nanoscience including pioneering work on surface patterned carbon nanotube growth into ordered carbon nanotube arrays; the first synthesis of graphene nanoribbons; single-nanotube based nanoelectronic-sensors; nanotube based ballistic field-effect transistors; nano-carbon materials for renewable energy; invention of a rechargeable Al ion battery using graphite and graphene foam as the positive electrode; and recently, direct electrolysis of seawater to produce H₂ and O₂ without the need of desalination. Dai is also a pioneer and leader in nanomedicine. He pioneered carbon nanotube and graphene materials for biological systems including drug delivery and photothermal therapy. Lastly Dai pioneered NIR-II/SWIR fluorescence imaging. Dai’s contribution to nanoscience and nanomedicine has led to awards from four major professional societies/organizations including the APS, ACS, MRS, and NIH.

Professor Zhong Lin Wang

Professor Zhong Lin Wang was selected for the award in recognition of his discovery and development of nanogenerators for selfpowered systems and large-scale blue energy, an unprecedented technology for harvesting energy from the environment and biological systems, for applications in personal electronics, internet of things, biomedical devices, environmental monitoring and robotics. Prof. Wang’s innovations also provide a revolutionary approach for obtaining large-scale energy from daily life non-polluting sources with potential to harvest huge amounts of energy from ocean waves, aimed at solving the future energy needs of the world. His discovery and breakthroughs in developing nanogenerators have established the principle and technological road map for using mechanical energy for powering mobile sensors. He also coined the fields of piezotronics and piezo-phototronics for the third generation semiconductors, and discovered a few new physics effects.

The Nano Research Award, established by the journal Nano Research together with TUP and Springer Nature in 2013, is awarded for outstanding contributions to nano research by an individual scientist. The winner is selected by the Award Committee (the Editors-in-Chief, Associate Editors, representatives from TUP and Springer Nature) after receiving nominations from the members of the Nano Research Editorial Board. The first twelve recipients of the honor were Prof. Charles M. Lieber of Harvard University, Prof. Paul Alivisatos and Prof. Peidong Yang, both of the University of California Berkeley, Prof. Yi Xie of University of Science and Technology of China, Prof. Lei Jiang of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Prof. Chad Mirkin of Northwestern University, Prof. Xinhe Bao of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Prof. Omar M. Yaghi of the University of California Berkeley, Prof. Dongyuan Zhao of Fudan University, Prof. John A. Rogers of Northwestern University, Prof. Zhongfan Liu of Peking University, Prof. Cees Dekker of Delft University of Technology.