Members

Chunli Bai currently serves as President of the Greater Bay Area Science Forum, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences. His research focuses on the applications of nanomaterials in biomedicine and energy.

Chunli Bai’s main academic achievements lie in his pioneering contributions to scanning probe microscopy and its cross-disciplinary applications in nanomaterials and biomedicine. He pioneered the development of China’s first computer-controlled STM, AFM, and low-temperature STM systems. His work has enabled key advances in molecular self-assembly, nanodevice fabrication, and surface chemistry, including high-resolution molecular imaging and the construction of functional nanostructures under ambient conditions. By integrating SPM with theoretical modeling, he has provided critical insights into molecular behavior and surface processes.

He has published over 400 research papers in journals such as Nature, Science, PNAS, Science Advances, National Science Review, Angewandte Chemie, and Science Bulletin, and authored more than 10 monographs in Chinese and English. He serves as Editor-in-Chief of National Science Reviewand Nanoscale, and as Co-Editor or Editorial Advisory Board member for several leading international journals in chemistry and nanotechnology.

His pioneering contributions in scanning probe microscopy techniques and instrumentation development have significantly advanced micro- and nanoscale characterization and manipulation, and have brought nanotechnology to broad international attention. As the Chief Scientist of the National Steering Committee for Nanoscience and Related Technologies, he initiated and successfully coordinated multiple national-level key nanotechnology programs. He also served as the founding Director and Chairman of the Board of the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of China, laying a solid foundation for the rapid development of nanoscience and nanotechnology in China.

In 2004, he was appointed the first Chair of the Nanotechnology Special Committee of the China National Accreditation Board, and in the following year, he became Chair of the National Nanotechnology Standardization Committee. In these roles, he was dedicated to enhancing the metrological capabilities of public institutions and nanotechnology research facilities, greatly increasing awareness among both industry and academia of the importance of nanotechnology standardization. His efforts not only promoted the widespread application of nanotechnology across diverse fields, but also strengthened collaboration between academia and industry, accelerating the translation of scientific discoveries into industrial applications.

In recognition of his outstanding contributions and far-reaching impact in the field of nanoscience, he, together with leading Chinese scholars in nanotechnology, successfully promoted the formal inclusion of “Nanoscience and Engineering” as a first-level interdisciplinary discipline under the national academic degree classification system approved by the State Council.

He served as Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) beginning in 1996, became Executive Vice President in 2004, and served as the sixth President of CAS from 2010 to 2020, making significant contributions to the development of CAS and to China’s national science and technology innovation capacity. He also served as President of the Alliance of International Science Organizations (ANSO) and President of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), actively advancing international cooperation in science and technology.

Website: http://mnn.iccas.ac.cn/kydw/yjy/201305/t20130510_650430.html

Jan 2026