✍ Scribed by Jichang XIAO
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Professor Qing-Yun Chen was born in Yuanjiang, Hunan Province in 1929. He graduated from Beijing University and got his Bachelor Degree in chemistry in 1952. Then he served as a research assistant in Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). In 1956, he entered the Institute of Elementoorganic Compounds of the Soviet Academy of Sciences (Moscow) for graduate study. After accomplishing his candidate Ph. D. on chemistry in 1960 under the supervision of Professor I. L. Knynants and Dr. N. Gambaryn, he returned to China and worked as a research associate in the Institute of Chemistry in Beijing of CAS. In 1963, he moved to Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry of CAS, where he was promoted to associate professor in 1979 and to full professor in 1986. He was elected as the member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1993.
Professor Chen engaged himself in the study of organofluorine chemistry when he was in Soviet Union. While working with Professor Xikui Jiang from 1960 to 1965, Professor Chen took part in the research on fluorinated alkenes. His work imposes an enormous influence on the development of the fluoride material industry in China. During this period, he studied the reaction of perfluoro-tert-butyl iodide and found for the first time the halophilic reaction. After the interruption of "Cultural Revolution", Professor Chen made a fresh start in organofluorine chemistry research. In order to meet the demands of the country, Professor Chen devoted to the development of chromic acid mist suppressant (F-53). After three years of hard work, he and his colleagues synthesized potassium oxaperfluoroalkanesulfonate and found it to be a highly efficient suppressant of chromic acid mist. Now it is widely used in more than 1000 electroplating factories in our country, which won the Third Class Award of National Innovation in 1982. Based on the development of F-53, Professor Chen studied systematically the single electron-transfer reaction of fluoroalkyl halides. He discovered many metal-catalyzed initiation systems for fluoroalkylation of unsaturated compounds and modified the well known sulfinatodehalogenation system for the activation of fluoroalkylchlorides. These results promoted the development of Organofluorine Chemistry. Derived from the preparation of F-53, Professor Chen studied the synthesis and reactions of perfluoroalkanesulfonic esters and developed 18 new precursors of difluorocarbene. For the first time he found that difluorocarbene can be produced under strongly acidic reaction conditions. In addition, Professor Chen and his students developed 8 new trifluoromethylation reagents, among which methyl fluorosulfonyldifluoroacetate has been widely used in both academia and industry for many years. At the end of 1980s, Professor Chen started the research on the preparation of substitutes for ozone depleting substances (ODS). His distinguished work on the elucidation of the role of supercritical water laid a foundation for the industrial production of HFC-134a by liquid phase method. Recently, Professor Chen extended his interests to the synthesis and application of fluorinated porphyrins. He developed three practical methods for the preparation of various fluoroalkylated porphyrins and for the first time successfully synthesized the 20 π-electron nonaromatic isophlorin which was referred to by Woodward about half a century ago.
In the past decades, Professor Chen published more than 220 research papers, reviews and monographs. He has supervised more than 40 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. As an internationally recognized scientist, Professor Chen was the China representative of the IUPAC Organic Chemistry Nomenclature Committees (1991)(1992)(1993)(1994)(1995)(1996)(1997)(1998). He has served as a member of Editorial Board of MOLECULES from 1997 and the editor-in-chief of the CHINESE JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY from1993.
Professor Chen has received many honors and awards, which include Prizes of Shanghai City for significant fruits of scientific research (first class, third class), the National Innovation Award (third class), the National Natural Science Award (second class, third class), CAS Science & Technology Progress Award (second class, third class) and Ho Leung Ho Lee Prize for Science and Technology in 2004 (Hong Kong).
For the celebration of Professor Chen's 80th birthday and in deep acknowledgement of his great scientific contributions, the editorial board, in conjunction with his colleagues, friends and students, dedicate this special issue to him and wish him the very best in his life and happiness.
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