On April 21, the 61st HNU Distinguished Scientist Lecture was held at the Lecture Hall of Tian Jiabing Building. Chi Lifeng, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Professor at the Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials, Soochow University, delivered a lecture entitled “Precise Surface Synthesis and Physical Properties of Carbon-Based Functional Molecules and Polymers”. In attendance was Xu Wei, Vice Chairman of the Hainan Association for Science and Technology. The lecture was chaired by Chen Jun, Vice President of Hainan University.

The 61st HNU Distinguished Scientist Lecture is held at the Lecture Hall of Tian Jiabing Building on April 21. (Photo by Xu Niankun)

Based on the fundamental concepts of surface and interface molecular science, Chi Lifeng systematically presented topics including atomic-level construction and precise characterization at surfaces and interfaces, as well as on-surface chemistry. She explained that on-surface chemistry activates precursor molecules to enable their activation, migration, and coupling reactions directly on solid surfaces. This approach allows the synthesis of functional molecules and polymers that are difficult to obtain through conventional methods. The key advantage is that the precise control of product structures can be achieved through strategies such as precursor molecular design, substrate lattice interactions, molecular pre-organization, and single-molecule manipulation. Chi Lifeng provided a systematic account of representative products, including structurally tunable graphene nanoribbons, graphyne nanowires, conjugated polyenes, organic spin molecules, and metal–organic hybrid materials.

Chi Lifeng noted that high-precision experimental techniques, such as scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), non-contact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM), scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS), and single-molecule manipulation, enable accurate characterization of the surface reactions and fundamental properties of functional carbon-based molecules and polymers. She emphasized that the development of on-surface chemistry provides new strategies for the atomically precise synthesis and property characterization of novel molecular materials.

Prof. Chi Lifeng delivers the lecture. (Photo by Chen Sitian)

The forum was well attended by faculty members and students, who engaged in in-depth discussions covering single-molecule synthesis, organic superconductors, and the academic advancement of graduate students. Prof. Chi fielded each question in detail.

The Q&A session (Photo by Xu Niankun)

Representatives from the Hainan Association for Science and Technology, professional societies, enterprises, and university ST associations attended the lecture in a hybrid format. On site and online were also faculty members and students from HNU’s four campuses—Haidian, Danzhou, Mission Hills (including the Chengxi Teaching Site) and Yazhou Bay.

Translated by Wang Zixuan

Proofread by Guo Jinping