Biography of Master Chemist Zhang Liuyu

Author: Xu Guangrong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-10-01
Features: Zhang Dayu was one of the renowned chemists and pioneers of catalysis science in 20th-century China. He served as a professor, head of the Department of Chemical Engineering, and director of the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and was among the first academician members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. This book vividly portrays his extraordinary life with detailed, engaging, and profound writing, from his early participation in student movements to his study of colloid and surface chemistry in Germany with the aspiration of saving his homeland. It covers his difficult journey of initiating liquid fuel research during the War of Resistance against Japan to establishing China's first petroleum and coal chemistry research base after liberation. In 1960, he proposed the new theory of surface bonding in catalytic processes at an early stage internationally, and in 1965, he successfully organized the research and development of three catalysts for a new ammonia synthesis process, achieving a world-leading breakthrough. Over the decades, he also nurtured a generation of outstanding physical chemists and academicians of the two academies, earning the respect of later generations as the "master of the generation." The book follows his life achievements as the main thread, presenting his family, friendship, and love from multiple perspectives with rich detail, highlighting his profound love for his country, dedication to science, noble character, and well-rounded, humanized portrayal.