E-MRS/C-MRS Joint symposium on critical applications of sustainable materials in reducing environmental impact and promoting the circular Economy

Sustainable development and environmental protection have become among the most pressing global challenges. The increasing consumption of resources, environmental pollution, and rising energy demand are driving continuous innovation in materials science to support the transition toward a circular economy and environmentally friendly development. Sustainable materials play a crucial role in reducing environmental impact, improving resource efficiency, and enabling green energy conversion and storage.

Scope:

This symposium focuses on the application of high-performance, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly sustainable materials in environmental protection and the circular economy. Topics include materials design, resource recovery, pollutant degradation, waste reutilization, and green energy applications. The symposium encourages interdisciplinary collaboration across chemistry, materials science, engineering, and environmental science to advance technological innovation and sustainable development.

Objectives:

The symposium aims to:

• Explore the critical role of sustainable materials in environmental monitoring, pollution control, and recycling;
• Share recent advances in sustainable materials for energy conversion, storage, and low-carbon technologies;
• Provide strategic insights and development roadmaps for academia, industry, and funding agencies;
• Establish an international platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration among global experts, early-career researchers, and students.

Hot topics to be covered by the symposium:

• Sustainable materials for wastewater, air, and soil pollution control
• Key technologies for recycling and resource recovery
• Materials for green energy conversion and storage (e.g., solar energy, hydrogen, fuel cells)
• Design, composite structures, and performance optimization of sustainable materials
• Interdisciplinary innovations in environmentally friendly materials research

List of invited speakers:

• Professor Mei-Fang Zhu, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Donghua University
• Research areas: high-performance fibers and composites, green fiber materials, and sustainable polymeric materials.
• Professor Yuzhong Wang, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), Sichuan University
• Research areas: polymer material recycling, flame-retardant and safety materials, polymer resource utilization, and green transformation.
• Professor Wei Huang, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Northwestern Polytechnical University
• Research areas: organic electronic materials, flexible electronic devices, green functional materials, and energy conversion materials.
• Professor Zhong Lin Wang, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences
• Research areas: nanogenerators, piezoelectric/triboelectric energy harvesting, self-powered systems, and green energy materials.
• Professor Xiaogang Liu, National University of Singapore (NUS)
• Research areas: energy transfer in lanthanide-doped nanomaterials, optical nanomaterials for neuromodulation and light-field imaging, advanced scintillators for X-ray imaging, and electronic tools for assistive technologies.
• Professor Zhigang Zou, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Nanjing University
• Research areas: photocatalytic materials, solar energy conversion, water splitting for hydrogen production, and environmental purification materials.
• Professor Enhou Han, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), Guangdong Institute of Corrosion Science and Technology Innovation
• Research areas: corrosion science, material durability, service life of materials in industrial environments, and sustainable engineering materials.
• Professor Bingbing Liu, Jilin University
• Research areas: high-pressure materials science, material behavior under extreme conditions, and novel functional materials.
• Professor Sen Yang, Xi’an Jiaotong University
• Research areas: energy materials, electrochemical energy storage systems (batteries and supercapacitors), and advanced energy conversion systems.
• Professor Jingfeng Li, Tsinghua University
• Research areas: energy storage materials, lithium/sodium battery systems, electrode materials, and interfacial engineering.
• Professor Xun Cao, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)
• Research areas: inorganic non-metallic materials, ceramic materials, functional and structural ceramics, and green manufacturing processes.
• Professor Weiwei Fu, Zhejiang University International Innovation Center
• Research areas: functional materials and devices, advanced manufacturing materials, and energy and environmental materials.
• Professor Wenyi Huo, National Centre for Nuclear Research (Poland)
• Research areas: nuclear materials science, radiation damage in materials, material stability in extreme environments, and safety-related materials.
• Professor Tao Xie, Zhejiang University
• Research areas: polymer materials, sustainable polymer systems, functional polymers, and green materials design.
• Professor Xianhong WangChangchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
• Research area: Novel bio-based polymer materials

E-MRS invitees:

• Prof. Alberto Vomiero, University of Venice, Italy
  Research Area: Functional inorganic materials and metal chalcogenides for green hydrogen applications
• Prof. Yogendra Mishra, South Denmark University, Denmark
  Research Area: Hierarchical and hybrid metal oxide nanostructures for health applications
• Prof. Gunnar Westin, Uppsala University, Sweden
  Research Area: Solution processing of advanced materials for energy applications
• Prof. Emmanuel Ionescu, Technical University Vienna, Austria
  Research Area: High entropy materials for sustainable energy solutions
• Dr. Thomas Fischer, University of Cologne, Germany
  ALD and CVD of Advanced Electrocatalysts for Green Ammonia Synthesis