Introduction to the Discipline of Chemistry

History

The Chemistry discipline of Northeast Forestry University originated from the discipline of Chemical Processing Engineering of Forest Products. In 2004, the secondary-order discipline of Polymer Chemistry and Physics was authorized and began to enroll postgraduate students. In 2010, the first-order discipline of Chemistry began. Another secondary-order discipline of Organic Chemistry started to admit postgraduate students in 2012. It has recruited almost 200 postgraduate students and about 170 students have graduated with Master’s degrees by the end of 2016. In the past 5 years, the Chemistry discipline undertook several research programs, including the National Science and Technology Supporting Plan, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Heilongjiang Province Key Projects, Heilongjiang Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, the Lateral Research Funds, etc, which provided talent and technology support for the local area and industry.

 

Orientations and Objectives

 

The discipline of Chemistry aims to serve the National Innovation-Driven Development Strategy, focusing on researching various fields including new materials, ecological environmental protection and pharmaceutical biology. We always focus on the key problems existing in the pure basic works, the basic research works for application and in exploring new applied technologies. Our most active secondary-order disciplines include polymer science, organic chemistry and analytical chemistry.

 

Based on our high-level scientific research, the quality of the graduate students in our discipline has been improving rapidly. We will carry out an in-depth reform for the graduate education. We will strive to promote an international cooperation to cultivate high-level talents with international perspective, international communication ability and both innovation and entrepreneurship awareness.

 

Direction Settings

 

(1) Flame Retardant and Degradation of Polymers. The research direction is the most characteristic research direction in our discipline. Our research works have been located in the advanced ranks in similar domestic research fields. The direction focuses on the basic research of polymeric halogen-free flame-retardant, carbon-forming, degradation and combustion behavior, and the surface/interface and morphology of polymer materials. On these bases, we are trying to design and prepare novel halogen-free flame retardants with high efficiency. We also investigate and exploit new technologies for the preparation of halogen-free flame retardants for polymeric materials, while also exploring the preparation methods for advanced carbon materials with controllable carbonization.

 

(2) Functional Polymeric Materials. This direction focuses on the fundamental research of functional response mechanisms and the relationship between structure and function of polymer functional materials, such as separation membranes, optical/electrical response polymers, adsorption polymers, super-hydrophobic polymers, and thermally conductive polymers. We are researching and developing a new technology of high-performance polymeric separation membranes, trying to apply the new membranes for the separation of active ingredients from berry plants, and for the treatment of polluted water and the production of bio-energy. We are also researching new technologies for the preparation of composite materials with high thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity, looking for applications in the fields of electronic appliances, electronic packaging and other fields.

 

(3) Organic Synthetic Chemistry. It focuses on the investigation of novel organic synthesis reactions and organic synthesis methods with the use of new reagent, new media and new catalysts. The purpose is to develop environmentally friendly metal catalyzed reactions with high efficiency, high selectivity in organic synthesis, and related research methodology. In addition, the catalysis mechanism will be put forward and act as a theoretical basis for the design and synthesize new drugs, reagent molecules and organic chemicals.

 

(4) Organic Functional Material Chemistry. It focuses on the fundamental research of organic photoelectric functional materials, which construct the monomers with different substituent and functional groups through organic reactions, and using metal catalytic polymerization for preparing functional organic polymeric materials. The novel organic synthetic approaches are developed to prepare miscellaneous aromatic and functional molecules with diverse π conjugate structures, aim to the development of application in the fields of photoelectric materials, molecular probe and the cell and tissue imaging.

 

Academic Leader

 

Bin Li, was born in October 1962, holds a Ph.D., is a Professor, and doctoral tutor. He graduated from the National Flame Retardant Materials Research Laboratory of Beijing Institute of Technology and received engineering Ph.D in September 1997. Currently, he is vice-president of Northeast Forestry University. He won the provincial outstanding teacher award, the State Council special government allowance, Longjiang scholar professor, the provincial outstanding youth fund winner, the provincial outstanding communist party and so on. He is mainly engaged in research including environmentally friendly halogen-free flame retardant polymeric materials and biomass materials, has published more than one hundred SCI academic papers, edited one monograph and one textbook, was awarded eleven national invention patents, won the second prize of the provincial Science and Technology Progress Award three times, and the first prize of the Provincial Natural Science Award one time. He has presided over twenty-one research projects, such as national "Eleventh Five-Year" science and technology support plan, the National Natural Science Foundation and so on. His research achievements include colored fiber particles, high-effective intumescent flame retardants, chloro-bromo-phosphate flame retardants and water-soluble polyurethane block materials, which have been used in industry. He works for several societies, such as executive director of Chinese Flame Retardant Society, vice-chairman of Heilongjiang Chemical Society, vice-chairman of Plastic Engineering Society, editorial board for "Chemistry and Adhesion" magazine.

 

Echelon of Discipline

 

There are 25 teachers in the discipline, including 16 master’s tutors (2 Ph.D. tutors), 4 professors, 12 associate professors, 4 young backbone lecturers and 5 laboratory technicians. 23 teachers have their Ph.D degree, and there are 20 middle-aged and young teachers who are under 45 years old. One Longjiang Scholar Distinguished Professor and one Provincial Outstanding Youth Fund winner initially formed a vibrant teaching staff possessing high academic level and reasonable structure.

 

Advantages and Characteristics

 

The advantages and characteristics of the research fields and personnel training in Chemical discipline mainly include halogen-free flame retardant polymeric materials, the preparation of polymer membranes and separation technology, organic synthesis, separation and analytical methods. “Heilongjiang Key Laboratory of Molecular Design and Preparation of Flame Retardant Materials” acted as the support platform, the tutors of the discipline all have Ph.D. degree, and it is a tutor team with strong ability, solidarity and hard work. 

 

The discipline is one of the earliest research units in the research of flame retardant polymers, especially in the field of halogen-free flame retardant polymers with high efficiency and the industrialization of halogen-free flame retardant polyolefin materials. The discipline has significant worldwide impact, and the published academic papers about intumescent flame retardant polymers have become one of the highest cited research papers, and the triazine halogen-free flame retardant has successfully realized industrialization.

 

In the area of the preparation of polymer membrane and separation technology with membrane, we have obtained integrated achievements including the preparation of polymer membranes, separation technology, and design and manufacturing of separation equipment. The application of basic research for the long-term has laid the foundation for the promotion of the technology, and the technology is committed to the application of separation and purification of effective components from the forest economic crops. 

 

The fundamental and applied basic research are carried out in the fields of organic synthesis and separation of analytical chemistry, focusing on crossover investigations with the disciplines of medicine, biology, materials, food, environment and so on. Based on services for the local chemical and pharmaceutical industries, and the food safety and environmental protection, the research includes innovative drug-based on chemical biology and the novel methods of separation and analysis based on multi-functional composite materials.

 

Objective of Cultivating Talents

 

The goal of cultivating talents is to cultivate high-quality innovative talents with application-oriented research. Graduates should have a good scientific spirit; patriotism, law-abiding, honest and trustworthy; with a solid, systematic knowledge of chemical theory and experimental skills; the ability to continuous learning the related field of cutting-edge development and independently update knowledge; the innovative ability and the spirit of cooperation to carry out research program design and independent research; the ability to write and communicate in Chinese and foreign languages; the ability to query and summarize literature; have a healthy body and good psychological quality. Meanwhile, it is necessary to cultivate the ability to think critically, have an international perspective, and good communication skills, along with the consciousness of protecting the ecological environmental and the social responsibility of graduate students. 

 

Scientific Research Level and Achievements

 

During the period of 12th Five-Year, the discipline undertook nearly 100 scientific research projects, including 10 projects of National Natural Science Foundation of China, 30 projects of provincial or ministerial level, 5 projects of bureau level and more than 40 projects of school level, with total scientific research funds reaching more than 10 million yuan. The discipline has published more than 150 articles, including more than 100 SCI articles. Three papers published in FOOD CHEMISTRY and BIOSENSORS & BIOELECTRONICS are ESI highly cited papers. According to the latest statistics in November 2016 from the United States Essential Science Indicators (ESI) data, the discipline for the first time entered the world’s top 1%.

 

Main Influence at Home and Abroad and Social Service

 

The discipline has the important influence in the field of environmental friendly flame retardant materials both at home and abroad. The leader is a well-known expert in this field, whose research work has been generally recognized by the industry, and whose related papers are quoted frequently by domestic and foreign counterparts. The research results have achieved industrialization and produced good economic and social benefits. The discipline, especially in the chemical analysis and high organic synthesis, has published many research results with high frequency of reference, such as Organic Letters, Journal of Organic Chemistry, Trends in Analytical Chemistry, Biosensors & Bioelectronics, Journal of Chromatography A, and Chemistry-A European Journal.

 

Chemical disciplines can provide decision-making consultation and technical service for the government and enterprises in halogen-free flame retardant polymers, biomass materials, high performance polymer separation membrane and pharmaceutical intermediates. As the deputy director of the new flame retardant materials professional committee of China federation of petroleum and chemical industry, and as the deputy head of the Heilongjiang province branch Gu Wei petrochemical group, the experts take part in the planning and demonstration of the provincial petrochemical industry and new materials in the 13th Five-year plan, and the chemical new material development decision-making consultation and demonstration. Relying on chemical disciplines and flame retardant material preparation and molecular design of the Heilongjiang province key laboratory, the experts have carried on the strategic cooperation in the combination of industry-university-research with the Heilongjiang province embellish technology co., LTD. The effective expansion of flame retardant landing industrialization has been achieved after years of effort. In recent years, with the constant upgrading of the product, many graduate students and enterprise employees have been cultivated. Combined with enterprise, the Chemical disciplines have undertaken the provincial science and technology research key projects.