Recently, Tao Zhang, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Professor at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, was honored with the Humboldt Research Award established by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in Germany. The Humboldt Research Award is one of Germany’s highest honors bestowed upon foreign scholars and is widely recognized as one of the most prestigious distinctions in the international scientific community. According to the Foundation’s official information, his host professor in Germany is Professor Roland A. Fischer at the Technical University of Munich (TUM).
Figure. Prof Robert Schlogl, the president of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, presented the award to Tao Zhang
On Professor Zhang’s official profile page, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation describes him as an internationally leading chemist and a pioneer in the field of single-atom catalysis. Over the years, Professor Zhang has continuously advanced both fundamental and applied research in catalysis, achieving a series of original and internationally influential accomplishments in single-atom catalysis, energy catalysis, green chemical engineering, and materials innovation. In particular, in the field of single-atom catalysis, the systematic work carried out by Professor Zhang and his team has driven the sustained development of this area from concept formulation and material construction to catalytic applications and mechanistic understanding, providing an important scientific foundation for precise catalysis and efficient green transformations.
The Foundation’s website also lists several major honors that Professor Zhang has received in recent years, including the 2025 Clarivate Citation Laureates Award and the 2024 Future Science Prize in Physical Science, further reflecting his distinguished academic standing in international chemistry field. Receiving the Humboldt Research Award marks another major international recognition of Professor Zhang’s pioneering contributions to catalysis, especially to the field of single-atom catalysis. It is also expected to further promote high-level cooperation between China and Germany in frontier areas such as catalysis, materials science, and energy chemistry. Through the research platform and support provided by the Humboldt Research Award, Professor Zhang will carry out in-depth collaborations with leading German research institutions such as the Technical University of Munich, injecting new momentum into frontier breakthroughs in catalysis science and international cooperation.
Related report: https://www.humboldt-foundation.de/entdecken/newsroom/pressemitteilungen/bundesforschungsministerin-baer-in-bamberg
Professor Tao Zhang’s profile on the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation website: https://www.humboldt-foundation.de/en/connect/explore-the-humboldt-network/singleview/1248542/%7B%7Bhref%7D%7D
(Image and text provided by Xiang-Ting Min)
