Prof. Francois Fajula, Emeritus Research Director at the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) was invited to give the XIV Zhang Dayu Lectureship at DICP on November 10th. The title of his lecture was, “Greatest Achievements and Challenges of Zeolite Science and Practice,” which was held in the conference hall of the Basic Energy Research Building on the DICP campus. The lecture was hosted by Prof. Zhongmin Liu, Deputy Director of DICP. On behalf of the institute, Prof. Liu awarded Prof. Fajula with a certificate for the Zhang Dayu Lectureship and presented him with the title of “Honorary Professor of DICP,” a title given to all Zhang Dayu Lectureship recipeints.
In his presentation, Prof. Fajula gave a short introduction on the great achievements in zeolite science, including methanol-to-olefins (MTO) reactions, a process that has been successfully commercialized by researchers at DICP. He then provided research results from his laboratory to explain the synthesis and application of mesoporous materials and functional materials. When the lecture concluded, Prof. Fajula received a round of applause, and an active discussion ensued focusing on current topics in zeolite science and their applications.
Prof. Francois Fajula Presents XIV Zhang Dayu Lecture(Photo by LIU Wansheng and ZHOU Xukai)
In the afternoon, Prof. Fajula visited the lab of Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy and the State Key Laboratory for Basic Catalysis . He expressed that he was impressed by the research facilities and important challenges that the DICP scientists were working to address. He was also very complimentary of the approach DICP researchers were taking to important research questions in a way that can be applied at an industrial scale and thus directly impact the economy of chemical industry. He expressed interest in seeking more international cooperation in fundamental research and industrial application with DICP over the next few years.
Prof. Fajula has authored more than 270 scientific papers and 35 original patents, several of which were brought to the industrial stage. From 2004 to 2010, he was the president of the International Zeolite Association (IZA). He has received numerous awards throughout his distinguished career, including the CNRS Bronze Medal, the AIChE Award, the Award of the French Chemical Society, and the Award of the International Zeolite Association, which bestowed upon him the title of “Ambassador of IZA” for a period of three years.(Text by YU Bowen/ Photo by LIU Wansheng and ZHOU Xukai)