The final lecture of the general elective course "Opportunities and Challenges in Materials Science" was delivered by Zhang Hongjie, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and professor of Tsinghua University. He introduced the basic and applied research on rare earth, an important national strategic resource, to undergraduates of Nankai University under the topic of "Basic Research on and Application of Rare Earth Luminescence and Biological Materials".

Academician Zhang Hongjie gave the lecture from six areas: rare earth upconversion luminescent materials, rare earth AC LED lamps, rare earth fill lamps for smart agriculture, rare earth eyesight-friendly lamps, application of rare earth luminescent materials in temperature measurement for hypersonic wind tunnels, and rare earth biotechnology materials. Zhang Hongjie introduced the characteristics of rare earth and the synthetic strategy of new rare earth upconversion luminescent nanocrystals. He said that rare earth luminescent material can be used as a stimulus-responsive therapeutic agent in the NIR-activated nano-theranostics system, in which light is used to kill tumors at high temperatures. Moreover, rare earth luminescent materials are widely applied to agricultural lighting. Rare earth luminescent materials which have a comprehensive spectrum can provide the full spectrum for plant growth, thereby increasing the yield of crops such as cherries, strawberries, and tomatoes. 

At the end of the lecture, Zhang Hongjie introduced the importance and practicality of rare earth luminescent materials using the example of corridor induction lamps. He encouraged NKU students to contribute to the field of rare earth luminescent materials in the future.

This lecture marks the successful conclusion of the general elective course "Opportunities and Challenges in Materials Science".

The "Opportunities and Challenges in Materials Science" course focuses on the frontiers of researches on new materials. Academicians and well-known experts in the field of materials science were invited to introduce the new progress of materials science, cutting-edge technologies, opportunities and challenges in the development of materials science in a straightaway way. A dozen of academicians including Li Yongfang, Chen Xuesi, Sun Shigang, Han Buxing, Zhu Meifang, Wang Zhonglin, Zhao Dongyuan, Tang Benzhong, Li Yuliang, Liu Zhongfan, Yu Shuhong, and Zhang Hongjie introduced the materials science in a comprehensive and easy-to-understand way, covering solar photovoltaic cell materials, biomedical polymers, energy materials, green chemistry, fiber materials, triboelectric nanogenerators, functional mesoporous materials, molecules and aggregates, two-dimensional graphdiyne, graphene materials, nano heterogeneous materials and rare earth luminescent materials. 

(Edited and translated by Nankai News Team)