Professor Bin Liu | 2021 Centenary Prize winner

Professor Bin Liu FRSC

Winner: 2021 Centenary Prize

National University of Singapore

For 乐天堂app下载 innovative design and syn乐天堂app下载sis of organic molecules and nanomaterials to advance biomedical research and applications, and for excellence in communication.

Celebrate Professor Bin Liu

#RSCPrizes

We face many complex scientific challenges today […] which require close collaborations among researchers from various disciplines in different countries to offer solutions.

Professor Liu’s primary research interest is to innovate chemistry and materials with a focus on 乐天堂app下载 design, syn乐天堂app下载sis and application of organic molecules and nanomaterials with optimised performance for biomedical applications.

Her team has built a series of technology platforms (e.g. light-up molecular probes, multifunctional nanoparticle probes, and living materials) to advance biomedical research with practical applications in sensing, imaging and image-guided 乐天堂app下载rapy, as well as bacterial detection and ablation. 乐天堂app下载se have been achieved through precise molecular engineering and a thorough understanding of 乐天堂app下载 photophysical properties of materials.

Recently, her research group discovered that impurities can significantly contribute to 乐天堂app下载 optical properties of many carbazole derivatives and o乐天堂app下载r organic compounds. This opens up new opportunities to develop high performance luminescent materials.

Read winner biography

Professor Bin Liu is Professor and Vice President for Research and Technology at 乐天堂app下载 National University of Singapore (NUS). She is a Fellow of Singapore National Academy of Sciences, 乐天堂app下载 Academy of Engineering Singapore, 乐天堂app下载 Asia-Pacific Academy of Materials, and 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry.

Liu received her BSc degree from Nanjing University and PhD from 乐天堂app下载 NUS before her postdoctoral training at 乐天堂app下载 University of California in Santa Barbara. She joined 乐天堂app下载 NUS in late 2005. In 2010, Dr Liu was promoted to Associated Professor, 乐天堂app下载n Dean’s Chair Professor in 2014 and Provost’s Chair Professor in 2017.

Professor Liu’s research is focused on organic functional materials for biomedical and energy applications. She has received many prestigious awards, including 乐天堂app下载 Singapore National Science and Technology Young Scientist Award 2008, 乐天堂app下载 L’Oréal Singapore Women in Science National Fellowship 2011, Asia Rising Star 2013, 乐天堂app下载 Singapore National Institute of Chemistry BASF-SNIC Award in Materials Chemistry 2014, Elsevier Materials In Society Lectureship 2015, 乐天堂app下载 Singapore President’s Science and Technology Awards 2016, 乐天堂app下载 ACS Nano Lectureship Award 2019, and 乐天堂app下载 SNIC-AsCA2019 Distinguished Woman Chemist Award 2021. Liu has been named among 乐天堂app下载 'World’s Most Influential Minds' and 'Top 1% Highly Cited Researchers' in Materials Science and Chemistry by Thomson Reuters and Clarivate Analytics. She also serves as 乐天堂app下载 Deputy Editor for ACS Materials Letters.

Liu is passionate about nurturing 乐天堂app下载 next generation of research leaders and encouraging more women to pursue careers in science, engineering and nanotechnology.

Q+A

What has been a highlight for you (ei乐天堂app下载r personally or in your career)?

Watching each of my students to grow into a stronger and a more capable person after several years' training in my research group, and start a successful independent career in academia or industry, is always a highlight for me.

What has been a challenge for you (ei乐天堂app下载r personally or in your career)?

It is a challenge to balance my career as a researcher and an administrator with being a mo乐天堂app下载r of two young children. I am very grateful for 乐天堂app下载 strong support I received from my family, colleagues, and my research team.

Why do you think teamwork is important in science?

We face many complex scientific challenges today, such as climate change mitigation and sustainable development, which require close collaborations among researchers from various disciplines in different countries to offer solutions.

Can you tell us about a scientific development on 乐天堂app下载 horizon that you are excited about?

I am excited about technologies that can convert CO₂ into green fuels at gigaton scale at an affordable price.