Recently, Prof. Deng’s group made a progress in water treatment, using new synthesized perfluorous conjugated microporous polymer as an adsorbent. This work was published in Scientific reports 2015, 5, 10155, titled as “Extraordinary Capability for Water Treatment Achieved by a Perfluorous Conjugated Microporous Polymer”.
　　More than one-third of the human population remains without access or with only limited access to sanitary and safe drinking water despite major efforts to develop effective, economical, and robust methods for water purification. Oils, organic solvents, dyes, and heavy metal ions are primary pollutants in water resources. However, no sorbent material can effectively remove these types of pollutants simultaneously.
　　In this work, Prof. Deng reported a perfluorous conjugated microporous polymer with superhydrophobicity and a large surface area, which exhibits outstanding adsorption capacities, kinetics, and recyclability for a wide range of organic solvents, oils, dyes, and heavy metal ions. The adsorption capacities of this polymer, 1376.7 mg g-1 for Congo red, 808.2 mg g-1 for Pb(II) and 303.2 mg g-1 for As(V), are higher than the adsorption capacities of any previously described porous materials. The theoretical calculation revealed that the superior properties of this polymer are due to fluorination and triple bonds within the polymer. A benchmark experiment indicated that this polymer can efficiently remove these pollutants simultaneously. Application of this polymer may lead to the development of next-generation reusable and portable water purification appliances.
　　Since 2009, Prof. Deng’s group has been developing new conjugated microporous polymers and their applications, for example, hydrogen storage (Angew. Chemie.Int. Ed. 2010, 49, 3330), separation of oil from water (Energy Env.Sci. 2011, 4, 2062), and CO2 conversion and capture(Nature Commun. 2013, 4, 1960). This work was supported by NSFC 21373202, NSFC 21173209, and NSFC 91333116. (byRuixia Yang)
　　

　　Nano and interfacial research group in the State Key Laboratory of Catalysis (SKLC) has recently made new research progress in catalysis under two-dimensional (2D) atomic crystal and in-situ dynamic surface characterization. These new results have been published in the recent issue of Nano Letters (Nano Lett 2015, 15, 3616-3623, doi: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b0120).
　　A team lead by Prof. Qiang Fu and Prof. Xinhe Bao makes use of the newly developed photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM)/low energy electron microscopy (LEEM) system in SKLC and other scientific instruments in Berkley National Laboratory, studying catalysis at graphene/metal interfaces. They find that the interface between the graphene overlayer and the metal surface can be regarded as a nanosized reactor and the graphene cover exerts a strong confinement effect on the surface catalysis. Accordingly, a concept “Catalysis under Cover” has been developed illustrating the 2D confinement effect on catalysis (Angew Chem Int Ed 2012, 51, 4856; PNAS 2014, 111,17023; Chin J Catal 2015, 36, 517). Recently, they have found that hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) can exhibit more significant confinement effect than graphene. Cooperating with Prof. Mingshu Chen in Xiamen University, kinetics of CO oxidation reaction on the h-BN/Pt(111) surfacehas been investigated and enhanced reactivity of Pt surface has been observed due to the h-BN cover. These results suggest that catalytic performance of a metal catalyst can be substantially improved by covering the surface with a graphene or h-BN cover, which provides a new route towards modulation of metal catalyzed reactions.
　　This work is supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Ministry of Finance, and the iChEM program. (By Ying Shi)
　　

　　On May 9-11th, the 12thAnnual Conference andExhibitiononAnalytical Chemistry of China was held in theHongshan auditorium, Wuhan City. The sponsors of thisconference were Chinese Chemical Society and National Natural Science Foundation of China, and the assistant organizer was Huazhong Normal University. About 2200 scientists, scholars, postdoctors, students and exhibitors from universities, institutions and enterprises attended the annual conference, including about 20 researchers from Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics. Prof. Yukui Zhang gave a Plenary Lecture on “Research Advance in the Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry” and Prof. HanfaZou gave a Plenary Lecture on “New Technologies and Methods for Proteome Post-Translational Modifications”. Prof. HanfaZou received the “Liang Shuquan Fundamental Research Award in Analytical Chemistry” along with Prof. Jinming Lin from Tsinghua University and Prof. Qun Fang from Zhejiang University, and Prof. Lihua Zhang received the “China Female Analytical Chemist Award” in the open ceremony of the annual conference.
　　The “Liang Shuquan Fundamental Research Award in Analytical Chemistry” is named after the famous analytical chemist Mr. Liang Shuquan, which is the top award in Analytical Chemistry of China and is awarded ever three years. The purpose of this award is encouraging the young and middle-age analytical chemists devoting to the fundamental research and education and promoting the development of Analytical Chemistry of China.
　　In the past 20 years, Prof. HanfaZoudevoted to the fundamental theory of Chromatography and new technologies and methods for bioanalysis, achieving systematic innovations on the separation mechanism and monolithic solid phase in both LiquidChromatography and Capillary Electro-Chromatography, new technologies and methods in high-efficient Proteome and related Post-Translational Modifications analyses.
　　In the open ceremony of the annual conference, the “China Female Analytical Chemist Award” was issued to Prof. Lihua Zhang from Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics along withAcademicianShaojun Dong and AcademicianXiurong Yang from Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry、Prof. XiaohongQian from Academy of Military Medical Sciences、Prof. Jin Ouyang from Beijing Normal University、Prof. Xiaohong Fang from Institute of Chemistry、Prof. Hua Cui from University of Science and Technology of China、Prof. Baohong Liu from Fudan University、Prof. JingjuanXu from Nanjing University、Prof. Xiaomei Yan from Xiamen University、Prof. Yang Tian from East China Normal University、Prof. Xuemei Wang from Southeast University、Prof. HongyingZhong from Central China Normal University、Prof. Gongke Li from Sun Yat-Sen University and Prof. Mengqiu Dong from National Institute of Biological Sciences.(Author:Fangjun Wang)

　　The evaluation meeting of 863 project “Monitoring and risk evaluation technique for dioxin compounds in flue gas” (2011AA060600) was carried by the 863 office of the Ministry of Science and Technology on April 23rd, 2015. The project was conducted by the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (CAS), Focused Photonics (Hangzhou), Inc., Agela Technologies (Tianjin), Inc., Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences (CAS), and Tsinghua University together by the leading of Professor Qing Zhang as the project’s chief scientist. The expert group has debriefed the project defense by Professor Qing Zhang representative of the individual research teams, reviewed the acceptance reports and the research achievements of the project during the meeting. They showed recognition that the project had obtained some innovation achievements and finished the assigned objectives and technique specifications.
　　The project has made important progresses on a series of monitoring equipments, including the automatic continuous sampling system for dioxin compounds in flue gas, the online industrial GC-MS, online TOF-MS, and two-dimensional GC-GC systems for monitoring dioxin precursors in flue gas. The developed rapid biological screening and sample pretreatment technology for dioxin compounds has also achieved a great improvement on dioxin compounds. A series of innovative achievements have been obtained in the aspects of the online monitoring, environmental pollution and health risk assessment technology for dioxin compounds.
　　The technique, equipment and devices developed in the project have been applied for independent intellectual properties, including 17 national invention patents, 2 software copyrights as well as 6 standard specifications (proposals) and consulting reports. The achievements obtained have good social benefits and market application prospects.
　　Based on the serious discussion, the expert group was unanimous in approving that the project had passed the evaluation. (Text / Photo : Group 103)
　　 

　　On April 19-21 2015, the 20th National Symposium and Exhibition on Chromatography was held in the ancient city Xi'an ceremoniously. The symposium was chaired by Prof. Yukui Zhang from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics，Chinese Academy of Sciences（DICP）, and co-chaired by Prof. Xiaohui Zheng from Northwestern University. The sponsors of the symposium were the Chinese Chemical Society and the Chinese Chromatography Society. The symposium was organized by the Northwestern University, the Commission on Chromatography of Chinese Chemical Society and the Commission on Chromatography of China Association for Instrumental Analysis. The assistant organizers were DICP，and Shaanxi Chemical Society.
　　About 1000 scientists, scholars, postdoctors, students and exhibitors from more than 200 institutions and enterprises attended the symposium. 49 chromatographic instruments and accessories companies including Agilent Technologies (China) Co., ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (China) Inc. and SHIMADZU (CHINA) CO., LTD attended the exhibition. The editorial board meeting of the Chinese Journal of Chromatography and the meeting of Commission on Chromatography of Chinese Chemical Society and Chinese Chromatography Society were held during the Symposium.
　　Prof. Xiaohui Zheng chaired the opening ceremony. Prof. Yukui Zhang gave an opening speech and Prof. Peizhang Lu from the DICP introduced the history of the series symposium which was held biannually since 1961. Prof. Lihong Guo, the President of the Northwestern University, gave a welcome speech. Some famous professors also attended the opening ceremony, including Prof. Hongyuan Chen from the Nanjing University, Prof. Yufen Zhao from the Tsinghua University, Prof. Guibin Jiang from the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, CAS, Xueti Wu from the Research Condition and the financial secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology and Prof. Qiankun Zhuang from the Department of Chemistry of National Natural Science Foundation.
　　Professor Liren Ma, Professor An Zhu, Professor Qingyu Ou, Professor Caiying Wu and Professor Xindu Geng received the “Chinese Chromatography Contribution Award” in the opening ceremony.
　　The 20th National Symposium and Exhibition on Chromatography was featuring 12 plenary, 72 keynote, 154 oral, 25 Youth Forum lectures and 416 posters. In the exhibition area 12 vendor seminars were given. Prof. Yukui Zhang, Prof. Guowang Xu and Prof. Hanfa Zou from the DICP gave the plenary lectures. Prof. Yafeng Guan, Prof. Xinmiao Liang, Prof. Lihua Zhang and Prof. Jianhua Qin from the DICP gave the invited keynote lectures. More than 40 researchers from the DICP attended the symposium.
　　During the 3 days conference, extensive presentations and discussions were carried out in all fields of research in chromatography including gas chromatography, liquid chromatography, microscale separations, sample preparation methods, column technology and stationary phases, hyphenated separations techniques、metabolomics, proteomics, theoretical models and insights.
　　The Youth Oral Lecture evaluation committee presented 10 Youth Oral Lecture Prize Awards. Jia Li and Nan Deng, both PhD students from the DICP, were awarded the prize. The poster evaluation committee handed out 15 Best Poster Prize Awards. Shuangyuan Wang, Qun Zhao and Yi Min from the DICP, received the prize.
　　At the end of the closing ceremony, Prof. Guowang Xu announced on behalf of the Permanent Science Committee of the National Symposium and Exhibition on Chromatography, that the next symposium will be organized by the Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in April, 2017 in Lanzhou.
　　（Author：Xiaoli Hou， Photo：Northwestern University）
　　

　　Nano and interfacial research group in the State Key Laboratory of Catalysis (SKLC), in collaboration with Prof. Jianguo Wang from Zhejiang University of Technology,has recently made research progress in electrocatalytic reduction of CO2. They report that CO2 is efficiently reduced to CO over Pd nanoparticles with prominent size dependence. The results are published in Journal of the American Chemical Society (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2015, 137, 4288-4291).
　　In recent years, increased carbon dioxide emissions posed a serious threat to the ecological environment for human survival.Traditional chemical methods for CO2 reductionneeds to provideenergy and hydrogen gas, whereaselectrocatalytic reduction of CO2, coupled with water electrolysis to obtain hydrogen from water, can be used to directly prepare carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon,methanol and other high value chemicals and liquid fuel under relatively mild reaction conditions in one step.At the same time, the process in combination with renewable energy and nuclear power can achieve large-scale energy storage, showing promising applications, which has become an important research focus in related fields.
　　Pd isa typical catalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction, and there are several fundamental challenges in theelectrocatalytic reduction of CO2 in bulk Pd electrode, such as high overpotential, low Faradic efficiency due to the competitive hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), etc. The experimental studies show that the Faradaic efficiency for CO production varies from 5.8% at -0.89 V (vs. reversible hydrogen electrode) over 10.3 nm NPs to 91.2% over 3.7 nm NPs, along with an 18.4 fold increase in current density. Based on the Gibbs free energy diagrams from density functional theory calculations, the adsorption of CO2 and the formation of key reaction intermediate COOH* are much easier on edge and corner sites than on terrace one of Pd NPs. In contrast, the formation of H* for competitive hydrogen evolution reaction is similar on all three sites. A volcano-like curve of the turnover frequency for CO production within the size range suggests that CO2 adsorption, COOH* formation and CO* removal during CO2 reduction can be tuned by varying the size of Pd nanoparticles, thus realizing the conversion from hydrogen production to efficient CO2 reduction overPd nanoparticles.
　　This work is supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China and the Ministry of Science and Technology. (By DunfengGao and Feng Jiao)