1. Catalysis and New Catalytic Reactions
2. Molecular Sieves Synthesis
3. Methanol & Derivatives Conversion Technologies
4. Syngas Conversion
5. Hydrocarbon Conversion Research
6. Multiphase Catalytic Process Development and Scale-up
7. Engineering R&D
Education
B.S., Chemistry, 1983, Zhengzhou University
M.S., Chemical Physics, 1986, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Ph.D., Chemical Physics, 1990, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Resume
Prof. Zhongmin Liu is the Director of Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics(DICP) and Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS); Director of National Engineering Laboratory for Methanol to Olefins and National Energy Low-carbon Catalysis and Engineering R&D Center.
Prof. Liu has long been working with the catalysis research, process development, and technology transfer in energy conversion and utilization, and made significant achievements. In 2006, as a leading scientist, Professor Liu, together with partners and his colleagues, finished the first industrial demonstration test of methanol to olefin process, named as DMTO. Based on DMTO technology the world’s first commercial unit of MTO process was constructed and started to operate by Shenhua group in 2010, which was an important progress for coal to chemicals, and provides a new chance for the substitution of oil by coal. So far, DMTO technology has been licensed to 31 units with a total olefins production capacity of 20.25 Mt/a. And 15 commercial DMTO units have been put into stream with olefins production capacity of 8.36 Mt/a. This breakthrough leads coal to olefins to a new industrial sector in China, greatly changes Chinese light olefins supply, and impacts the light olefins market worldwide. Professor Liu also developed coal-based ethanol production technology, via carbonylation of dimethylether and further hydrogenation, and finished its comerciallization by construction of a world’s first plant (100KTA) in 2017, which demonstrates a new way for the clean utilization of coal. Up to now, eight DMTE units have been licensed with the ethanol production capacity of 2.25 Mt/a. As DMTE technology can turn the relatively abundant coal resources not food into ethanol, it can safeguard China’s food supply while reduce air pollution.
Prof. Liu has published more than 430 research papers and got 600 authorized patents or more. He also received many awards in his scientific career, including The First Class of the National Technological Invention Awards (2014), The First Class of the National Scientific and Technological Progress Award (2017), Chinese Catalytic Achievement Award (2017), AIChE Professional Achievement Award for Innovations in Green Process Engineering (2018), Highest Science and Technology Awards of Liaoning Province (2019), etc.
1. Highest Science and Technology Awards of Liaoning Province (2019)
2. AIChE Professional Achievement Award for Innovations in Green Process Engineering (2018)
3. Science & Technology for Development Award by the Chinese Academy of Sciences for Coal-based Ethanol Research Team (2018)
4. National Innovation Competition Awards (2017)
5. Chinese Catalytic Achievement Award (2017)
6. The First Class of the National Scientific and Technological Progress Award on “Development and Application of Large Scale Coal-to-Oil and Coal-to-Olefin Technologies” (2017)
7. The Science and Technology Innovation Award of Ho Leung Ho Lee Foundation (2015)
8. The First Class of the National Technological Invention Awards for “the Methanol to Olefins (DMTO) Technology” (2014)
9. Zhou Guang Zhao Foundation Award on Applied Science (2014)
10. The Top Prize of the Science and Technology Progress Award by Chinese Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation (CPCIF) for "the Coal-to-olefin project in Shenhua Baotou" (2013)
11. Outstanding Science and Technology Research Achievement Prize of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (2011)
12. The Top Prize of the Technology Invention Award by Chinese Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation (CPCIF) for " the Methanol to Olefins (DMTO) technology" (2011)
13. The 13th WIPO-SIPO Gold Medal award for Outstanding Chinese Patents for "Method of Producing Light Olefin from Methanol or/and Dimethylether（ZL200710064232.3）" (2011)
14. The Top Ten News on Science and Technology Progress in China for "the commercialization of the DMTO Technology” (2010)
15. The First Prize of the Science and Technology Progress Award by Liaoning Province Government for “DMTO Process Technology” (2008)
16. The Top Prize of the Scientific and Technological Progress Award by The Chinese Academy of Science for “Synthesis of Light Olefins from Syngas via Dimethylether --- a New Technique Process” (1996)
[1] Water-Controlled Coking Dynamics during High-Pressure Methanol-to-Olefins Reaction over SAPO-34, C Zhang, X Wu, Y Zhang, L Wang, Y Jin, M Gao, M Ye, Y Wei, Z Liu, ACS Catalysis 15, 1553-1562, 2025.
[2] Methanol to Olefins (MTO): Understanding and Regulating Dynamic Complex Catalysis, Shanfan Lin, Hua Li, Peng Tian, Yingxu Wei*, Mao Ye*, and Zhongmin Liu*, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2025, https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.4c12145.
[3] Unraveling a Stable 16-Ring Aluminophosphate DNL-11 through Three-Dimensional Electron Diffraction for Atmospheric Water Harvesting. Chenyang Nie, Nana Yan, Chenyi Liao, Chao Ma, Xiaona Liu, Jing Wang, Guohui Li, Peng Guo*, Zhongmin Liu*, Journal of the American Chemical Society, 146:10257-10262, 2024.
[4] Fluoride- and Seed-Free Synthesis of Pure-Silica Zeolite Adsorbent and Matrix Using OSDA-Mismatch Approach. Chao Ma, Xiaona Liu, Yang Hong, Nana Yan, Chenyang Nie, Jing Wang, Peng Guo*, Zhongmin Liu*, Journal of the American Chemical Society, 145(44):24191-24201, 2023.
[5] Dynamic Catalytic Mechanism of the Methanol-to-Hydrocarbons Reaction over Zeolites. Xinqiang Wu, Yingxu Wei*, Zhongmin Liu*, Accounts of Chemical Research, 56(14):2001-2014, 2023.
[6] Cavity-controlled methanol conversion over zeolite catalysts. Wenna Zhang, Shanfan Lin, Yingxu Wei*, Peng Tian, Mao Ye, Zhongmin Liu*, National Science Review, 10(9), 2023.
[7] Coking and decoking chemistry for resource utilization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and low-carbon process. Nan Wang, Li Wang, Yuchun Zhi, Jingfeng Han,Chengwei Zhang, Xinqiang Wu, Jinling Zhang, Linying Wang, Benhan Fan, Shutao Xu, Yijun Zheng, Shanfan Lin, Renan Wu, Yingxu Wei*, Zhongmin Liu*, Journal of Energy Chemistry,76:105-116, 2023.
[8] An efficient way to use CO2 as chemical feedstock by coupling with alkanes. Changcheng Wei, Wenna Zhang, Kuo Yang, Xiu Bai, Shutao Xu, Jinzhe Li, Zhongmin Liu, Chinese Journal of Catalysis, 47:138-149, 2023.
[9] Realizing Fast Synthesis of High-Silica Zeolite Y with Remarkable Catalytic Performance. Dali Zhu, Linying Wang, Wenna Zhang, Dong Fan, Jinzhe Li, Wenhao Cui, Shengjun Huang, Shutao Xu, Peng Tian*, Zhongmin Liu*, AngewandteChemie International Edition, 61 (23):e202117698, 2022.
[10] Dynamic Evolution of Aluminum Coordination Environments in Mordenite Zeolite and Their Role in the Dimethyl Ether (DME) Carbonylation Reaction. Rongsheng Liu, Benhan Fan, Yuchun Zhi, Chong Liu, Shutao Xu, Zhengxi Yu*, Zhongmin Liu*, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 61(42):e202210658, 2022.