Founded in 2017 at ECUST and named after Prof. Bernard L. Feringa (Renowned Grandmaster Guest Professor,), the Feringa Nobel Prize Scientist Joint Research Center aims to integrate global academic expertise in molecular machines, smart materials, and dynamic chemistry, and to strengthen international scientific collaboration and advance cutting-edge research in nanotechnology, chemistry, and biomedicine.
The Center makes scientific breakthroughs and nurtures world-class talents in collaboration with leading international scholars and scientists. By collaborating with top-tier universities and research institutions worldwide, the Center addresses critical global challenges in Precision Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, particularly in Energy, Life Sciences, and Health.
By fostering interdisciplinary research, the Center aims to establish a distinctive, globally recognized platform for:
Cutting-edge scientific research and technological innovation;
Attracting and cultivating top-tier talents;
Facilitating international academic exchange and cooperation.
The Center’s 6,000-square-meter research facility was completed in November 2019. It provides world-class scientific and educational infrastructure, including:
A cutting-edge platform featuring advanced electron microscopes;
A single-molecule photoelectric analysis platform;
A device processing platform;
Other internationally competitive research and teaching facilities.
These state-of-the-art resources have contributed to the discipline construction of the university, for example: Chemistry has been recognized as the National First-Class Discipline, Shanghai Peak Discipline (Class II) and ranked in ESI Global top 0.017%.
The Center has achieved significant breakthroughs in Dynamic Chemistry and Smart Materials, pioneering novel concepts including:Vibration-induced Emission, Covalent Organic Framework Reconstruction, etc.
Its innovations in intelligent photochromic materials have enabled Shanghai-based enterprises to overcome critical technological barriers, with co-developed products that have captured approximately 70% of the target market share.
The Center has published numerous papers in high-impact journals, for example, Nature, Science, Cell, etc. Its work has been honored with 30+ prestigious awards, including the Second Prize of China’s National Natural Science Award, and the First Prize of Shanghai Natural Science Award.
Academic Recognition:
Academician Tian He: Highly Cited Researcher from 2014 to 2024;
Academician Weihong Zhu: Highly Cited Researcher from 2018 to 2024.
The Center has recruited:
Professor Itamar Willner (Member of Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities);
Professor Andrew Ian Cooper FRS (Fellow of the Royal Society);
Professor Hans Ågren (Member of Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden);
Professor Klaus Müllen (Member of German National Academy of Sciences);
Professor Henning Sirringhaus (Fellow of the Royal Society and Materials Research Society).
The faculty also include:
1 new Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences;
3 Foreign Members of Chinese Academy of Sciences;
1 Member of the European Academy of Sciences;
1 Foreign Member of the Russian Academy of Engineering;
3 Fellows of the Royal Society of Chemistry;
20+ national-level talent program recipients.
Through strategic global partnerships, the Center has cultivated talents who have earned international recognition through prestigious honors such as the IUPAC International Young Chemist Award. Its graduates now hold positions at world-renowned institutions including the University of Geneva, with many selected for competitive national talent initiatives.
