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A world-leading nanoscience and nanotechnology scientist – known as “the father of nanogenerators” – has left his decades-long career in the US to focus his research efforts in his native China.
Wang Zhonglin is credited with developing the field of nanoenergy. His work in developing nanogenerators and self-powered systems opened up the technological potential for wireless devices that can be self-powered without a battery.
Multiple Chinese media sources, as well as a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology – Wang’s faculty since 1995 – confirmed that he had resigned from his position and is working “full-time” in Beijing at the institute that he helped to found.
The council of the Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), held its first meeting in July to establish its board and charter, along with Wang’s official role as director and inaugural chief scientist.
Neither Wang nor Georgia Tech – where he served as Regent’s professor and Hightower chair for the school of materials science and engineering (MSE), and director of the Centre for Nanostructure Characterisation – responded before publication.
Wang took first place in this year’s Stanford/Elsevier ranking of the top 2 per cent of scientists – based on more than 40 parameters for millions of scientists worldwide – for the fifth consecutive time, but his listed affiliation switched from Georgia Tech to CAS in 2023.
The latest Stanford/Elsevier ranking also rates Wang – who was born in Shaanxi province, northwest China and became a US citizen – ahead of all other American scientists in terms of career-long scientific impact.
Wang is listed among emeritus and retired faculty on the Georgia Tech materials science and engineering website, where his profile describes him as “a pioneer and world leader in nanoscience and nanotechnology for his outstanding creativity and productivity”.
At time of publication, the link to Wang’s Georgia Tech research website was redirecting to the school’s homepage. His personal research homepage also did not load, although both were operational a week earlier and showed details of Wang’s research group.
Georgia Tech is one of the US universities scrutinised by Congress for its collaborations with Chinese entities that are alleged to have military links.
Earlier this month, it ended research ties with Tianjin University and the jointly established Georgia Tech Shenzhen Institute, because of their continuing inclusion on the US Commerce Department’s export restrictions list, Reuters reported.
Wang’s fellow nanoscientist, Charles Lieber – who was targeted by the Trump administration’s China Initiative in 2021 – also featured in this year’s Stanford/Elsevier ranking, coming in at 52nd place for career-long impact.
Lieber, former chairman of Harvard University’s chemistry and chemical biology department, was convicted for failing to disclose ties to a Chinese talent recruitment programme. Last month, he said he was exploring opportunities “in Hong Kong, mainland China and elsewhere”.
The China Initiative, which ended in 2022, left a lasting impact on the US research community, particularly on scientists of Chinese origin, and many have chosen to leave the country in its wake.
The fields of nanoscience and nanotechnology are of vital interest to both Beijing and Washington because of their wide applications in energy, medicine and industry, as well as military technology.
Both governments have identified them for research and development funding and the Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems is one of several institutions established over the past decade to help China meet its development goals.
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Wang, who was born in 1961 and graduated from what is now Xidian University in Xian, moved to the US in 1982 when he was selected for the first international student exchange programme after China’s opening up.
He received a PhD from Arizona State University in 1987, as one of more than 900 students to take part in the China-US Physics Examination and Application Programme, initiated by Chinese-American physicist Tsung-Dao Lee.
Wang was attending a conference in China at the end of 2010 when Bai Chunli, then CAS vice-president, asked him if he would be interested in taking the lead on the setting up of an institute focusing on nanoenergy and nanosystems.
According to a China Science Daily report published in 2022, Wang did not hesitate and made a proposal to Georgia Tech soon after his return to the US. After receiving approval to work on the project in China, he began immediately, it said.
Construction started in 2012 and the Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems is now an international leader in its field, with a number of its scientists featured in this year’s Stanford/Elsevier single year ranking alongside Wang.
According to the institute’s website, its total number of people had reached nearly 700 by the end of 2022, with 30 research groups and six major specialised research units established.
Wang mentored a large number of young scientists, many of whom returned to work in China, according to his Georgia Tech profile.
“Among those he has supervised, 10 of them are faculty in US research universities, 10 are faculty in Taiwan, and over 80 are faculty in China, four in Korea and one in Canada, and four in Europe,” it said.
