Physical Chemistry

The Institute of Physical Chemistry was formulated in 1999 from three former teaching and research groups namely Physical Chemistry, Catalysis & Reaction Kinetics, and Structural Chemistry. The institute has evolved now to have 14 full professors, 3 associate professors, and 3 lectures and engineers for the faculty members; three of them won the Outstanding Young Scientists Award of NSF China, one was entitled ChangJiang Scholar Professorship of the MOE, and three were granted the Trans-Century or New Century Excellent Young Faculty Award of the MOE. Professors Xi Zhang, Zhi-Gang Shuai, Bo-Qing Xu and Zhi-Wu Yu are appearing on the editorial board of a number of international journals and/or academic organizations.

The MOE Key Laboratory of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering was established mainly on the basis of the Institute of Physical Chemistry in 2003. Research activities of the Institute are focusing on the frontiers of physical chemistry of molecular materials, nanostructures, macro- and/or supra-molecules and their ensembles or two dimensional polymeric films and their stacks that are closely related to bio- and information materials, biologic systems, catalysis, sustainable energy and environmental technologies; the main research fields are as following:


Main Research Fields
■ Chemistry of Catalysis and Catalytic Materials
■ Organic Optoelectronics and Photo-chemistry
■ Surface and Interface Chemistry
■ Electrochemical Materials and Electrochemistry
■ Theoretical Methods and Computational Chemistry.
■ Chemical Thermodynamics

The Institute educates each year about 10 post doctorates and more than 30 PhD and master students. Some research collaborations with physical chemists in North America, Europe, Japan and Hong Kong has become important channels for exchange ideas and graduate students.

The Institute is also responsible for ca. 20 courses in both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, such as Physical Chemistry, Structural Chemistry, General Chemistry, Quantum Chemistry, Catalysis and Reaction Kinetics, Organic Optoelectonics, Catalytic Chemistry, Fundamentals of Electrochemistry, Molecular Spectrum, Principles of Photochemistry, Green Chemistry, Experimental in Physical Chemistry, etc. Professor Bo-Qing Xu is the current director of the Institute.