【CHINA DAILY】Research improves prospects for sustainable commercial production of hydrogen
While China's green energy transition appears to have a heavy focus on electric vehicles, solar, wind and hydro power, another clean energy source being developed is hydrogen.
A Chinese team began researching catalysts for hydrogen generation in 2014, with the culmination of various efforts published in February in the journals Nature and Science. The first achievement was the production of a catalyst lifespan of over 1,000 hours in methanol-to-hydrogen reactions. The second was ethanol-catalyzed hydrogen production that released no carbon dioxide emissions.
Zhou Wu, an expert on hydrogen catalysis has been a driving force behind China's research into the process that could revolutionize the clean commercial production of hydrogen.
"We face severe energy and climate warming crises, and hydrogen production is internationally recognized as a critical solution," said Zhou.
Zhou Wu, professor at the School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
According to research by the United Nations, fossil fuels — coal, oil and natural gas — remain the primary drivers of global climate change, accounting for over 75 percent of greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90 percent of all CO2 emissions.
"While hydrogen combustion produces only water, the production process itself is not clean," said Zhou. Current catalysts are inefficient, leading to energy waste, high costs and CO2 emissions. "Our goal is to design better catalysts to make hydrogen production greener, more efficient and cost-effective," he added.
Despite a three-year scientist position at Oak Ridge National Laboratory under the Department of Energy in the United States where he earned the prestigious Eugene Wigner Fellowship and published high-impact research, in 2015, Zhou faced a crossroads in his career. Offers poured in for him to continue his research at various institutions from Singapore's top universities to the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
"Singapore's package — twice as much as the UCAS funding and salary — was historically generous," Zhou recalled.
Yet a pivotal half-hour call with academician Gao Hongjun, then UCAS vice-president, reshaped his decision. Gao emphasized that while China's immediate resources might lag behind Singapore's, the nation's rapid rise in comprehensive strength and surging investments in scientific research promised far greater long-term potential.
"Academician Gao asked me: Did I want to be a 'founder' building something new, or return years later as a 'joiner'? I chose the former," Zhou said.
UCAS demonstrated its commitment by allocating over 26 million yuan ($3.6 million) from its own funds to establish a world-class electron microscopy lab at its recently inaugurated Yanqi Lake campus in Beijing.
"In 2015, securing 26 million yuan for equipment was challenging for any institution globally," Zhou said, while likening the new campus to a "scientific startup".
For decades, hydrogen industrialization has been stymied by the "impossible triangle": balancing low cost, high stability and zero carbon emissions. Zhou's team tackled this by reengineering catalysts at the atomic scale.
"Success requires four pillars: platform, funding, teamwork and environment," said Zhou, adding that State and municipal grants have proved vital.
In 2016, the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Key Research Program in Frontier Sciences provided 2.5 million yuan over five years. By 2019, the Beijing Municipal Education Commission's "Outstanding Young Scientists" initiative had added over 3 million yuan annually. Crucially, both programs minimized bureaucratic hurdles, freeing the team to focus on research.
However, the real journey began in 2014. "A Peking University team had serendipitously discovered a highly active catalyst, but its performance was erratic," Zhou recalled. By 2020, his team had boosted catalyst stability tenfold by increasing surface site density — only to hit a physical limit. "We were stuck," he said.
A breakthrough emerged from collective resilience. "Remarkable students kept joining us. Together, we tested new strategies and found that incorporating rare earth elements dramatically enhanced both the catalyst's activity and stability — it reignited our hope," he said, emphasizing that "every leap forward has been a team triumph".
While celebrating their latest breakthroughs, Zhou remains grounded. "Publications bring fleeting glory, but our catalysts still rely on expensive precious metals. Industrialization demands cost reduction," he said.
Artificial intelligence is expected to accelerate the progress further by optimizing data analysis, code generation and even manuscript drafting. "We're collaborating with machine learning teams to uncover hidden data patterns — this could lead to quantum leaps," Zhou said.
"Our goal isn't papers; it's making hydrogen energy affordable and practical."
Zhou credits his mentors such as academician Zhu Jing, his adviser at Tsinghua University, who at 68, revised his thesis draft word-byword over a lunch in the canteen. "Her rigor still guides me — every paper must withstand scrutiny," he said. At Oak Ridge, his mentor Juan Carlos Idrobo's boundless curiosity left a lasting mark. "He'd propose 20 ideas; one or two worked. That fearless creativity is what I teach now."
Today, Zhou prioritizes nurturing students who are "confident yet resilient" in a rapidly evolving China. "Doctor Idrobo helped me selflessly, asking only that I pay it forward. That's my mission too."
From a "scientific startup" campus to atomic-scale breakthroughs, Zhou's individual journey encapsulates China's bold strides in clean energy. As his team races toward industrial-scale solutions, one principle endures: "Science isn't about shortcuts — it's about building foundations, atom by atom."
When asked about cultivating young scientific talents, Zhou shared his educational philosophy: "Many excellent students in my team share one trait: clear goals."
Instead of highlighting research prospects during recruitment, Zhou emphasizes the arduousness of research. He stresses that results may take three or more years, and suggests alternative directions if they lack determination.
"Research requires intrinsic love. Enjoy the process, not just the outcome. Especially in basic research, facing daily failures for long periods is common. Only real curiosity can sustain you through experimental setbacks. I'll constantly encourage them to keep this passion."
Shi Yudie contributed to this story.
https://enapp.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202503/17/AP67d771d3a3108e2d112feeea.html
大型强子对撞机LHCb实验取得重大突破！中国科学院大学团队成员深度参与发现重子CP破坏
日内瓦时间2025年3月24日晚，欧洲核子研究中心（CERN）在第59届“国际电弱相互作用和统一理论会议”上宣布，大型强子对撞机底夸克实验（LHCb）合作组首次在重子衰变中观测到电荷共轭-宇称联合变换对称性破坏（简称CP破坏）现象，为揭示宇宙中正反物质不对称之谜提供了决定性线索。中国LHCb实验团队作出突出贡献，中国科学院大学LHCb团队成员深度参与并发挥重要作用。
138亿年前的大爆炸本应产生等量的正物质与反物质，但如今的可观测宇宙几乎完全由正物质主导。这一谜题的核心，可能在于正反粒子行为的细微差异——即CP对称性破坏。自1956年宇称不守恒理论颠覆传统认知后，科学家于1964年首次在含奇异夸克的介子衰变中观测到CP破缺，相关发现者斩获诺贝尔物理学奖。此后数十年间，对含底夸克、粲夸克的介子体系的研究也相继验证了这一现象。然而，由三个夸克构成的重子（如质子、中子）作为构成宇宙可见物质主要成分的基本单元，其CP破缺却始终未被捕获。探寻重子系统中的CP破坏成为粒子物理学领域一个悬而未决的难题。
中国LHCb实验团队与合作者利用LHCb实验数据，在多个重子衰变过程中寻找CP破坏现象。最终，在底重子到质子、奇异介子和正反π介子的四体衰变过程中，发现正反底重子的衰变率存在超过5倍标准差的显著差异（如下图所示），标志着首次在重子衰变中观测到 CP 破坏。这一发现填补了粒子物理学60多年的空白，为精确检验粒子物理标准模型的三代夸克混合机制、理解宇宙中正反物质不对称性起源提供了关键线索。
图1：LHCb实验观测到（左）底重子和（右）反底重子衰变的产额显著不同，从而首次在重子衰变中发现CP破坏。
LHCb国际合作组由来自24个国家的100家研究机构、约1800名科研人员组成。中国科学院大学于2015年加入LHCb实验国际合作组。多年来与国内外合作者一起，在 CP 破坏、强子谱学和重味强子产生机制等方向取得一系列重要物理成果，包括弱相角的精确测量、在三体非粲衰变中发现新的CP破坏模式、双粲重子和双电荷四夸克态的发现等。
自2017年回国加入郑阳恒教授团队以来，中国科学院大学钱文斌副教授便全面布局重子CP破坏的探索研究。他积极联合LHCb中国组合作单位，组织协调可能发现重子CP破坏的衰变道的实验研究，并在多个衰变道中起到了主导作用，包括近期在底重子衰变到超子和奇异介子对的三体衰变中首次观测到重子CP破坏迹象等。该成果此前于本月12日作为《物理评论快报》编辑推荐和亮点论文在线发表；同日，美国物理学会《物理》期刊以“LHCb实验为理解CP破坏疑难提供了关键信息”同步报道。值得一提的是，钱文斌副教授在2018-2020年担任LHCb实验底强子到非粲强子末态组（BnoC）的召集人，上述重子CP破坏的研究正是依托该分析组的平台展开的。他现在也是LHCb实验底强子到粲强子末态组（B2OC）的召集人，LHCb实验CP破坏研究的工作绝大部分都是在这两个物理分析组里面进行的。
此次最终发现重子中的CP破坏，不仅验证了粒子物理标准模型的理论预言，更为探索超越标准模型的新物理现象开辟了崭新的路径。重子CP破坏现象可能携带表征宇宙早期正反物质不同行为的独特“密钥”，或将成为寻究新物理的黄金探针。随着大科学装置迭代升级、前沿技术集中涌现、实验性能日益提升，物理学家有望在更高的精度下解析CP破坏机制，重构138亿年前决定宇宙中正反物质存续的决定性瞬间，持续突破人类认知边界，早日揭开重大科学问题之谜。
LHCb实验论文预印本：https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.16954
CERN新闻报道：https://home.cern/news/press-release/physics/new-piece-matter-antimatter-puzzle
玉泉路高年级团支部开展团员教育评议和组织生活会
2025年3月6日，中国共产主义青年团中国科学院大学物理学院玉泉路高年级团支部于玉泉路校区教学大楼阶二教室开展团员教育评议和组织生活会，并学习了《中国共产主义青年团纪律处分条例（试行）》，支部书记赵文泽主持会议并领学。
会议第一部分，赵文泽提到，中国共产主义青年团是中国共产党领导的先进青年的群团组织，共青团员理应成为青年中的积极分子、先进分子。先进性的保持既离不开崇高的理想信念，也离不开严明的纪律规矩。《中国共产主义青年团章程》规定，团的纪律是团的各级组织和全体团员必须遵守的行为规则，是维护团在党领导下的团结统一，完成党赋予的职责使命的保证。团组织必须严格执行和维护团的纪律，共青团员必须自觉接受团的纪律约束，所以本次学习围绕团的纪律是什么，团员团干部能做什么，不能做什么，与大家做一次学习分享。
会议第二部分，赵文泽、王南洋、鹿猛猛、杨清涵、花祝同作为团支部书记、委员及团小组组长就团内工作和自己的表现分别做了批评与自我批评。赵文泽给出了未来的团支部的改进措施和接下来支部工作的原则和方式方法。王南洋、鹿猛猛、杨清涵、花祝同分别给出了对本次学习和团支部日常工作的意见。
会议第三部分，支部成员进行教育评议，按照优秀、合格、基本合格、不合格四个等次，对团员进行民主测评。
会议第四部分，重温入团誓词。
会议最后，邀请了物理天文核学院党委高年级学生党支部书记刘潇对本次会议进行点评，刘潇对玉泉路高年级团支部的工作给出了建议，同时号召大家积极参与各类团学活动、遇到困难积极寻求党员的帮助。
