Warm Congratulations to Chemical Synthesis Guest Editor Professor Tao Zhang of the Chinese Academy of Sciences on Receiving the Prestigious Clarivate Citation Laureates Award

On the afternoon of September 25 (Beijing time), Clarivate Analytics announced the winners of the 2025 "Citation Laureates," an award widely regarded as a leading indicator of the Nobel Prize. A total of 22 distinguished scientists from eight countries were honored: 10 from the United States, 3 from France, 2 each from Germany, Japan, and Switzerland, and 1 each from Canada, the Netherlands, and China. Notably, Professor Tao Zhang is the first scholar from mainland China to be selected.

This year's award marks the return of recognition for a Chinese scientist after several years. Academician Tao Zhang, of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, was honored in the field of chemistry for his pioneering work in "single-atom catalysis". He becomes the first Chinese scientist to receive the Citation Laureate Award in Chemistry, and only the second Chinese scholar to be recognized overall, following Academician Yumin Lu in 2016.

Professor Zhang has long been devoted to the study of industrial catalysis, with research spanning the catalytic decomposition of non-toxic aerospace propellants, environmental catalysis, and the development of novel catalytic materials. He has made a series of landmark contributions in these areas, earning wide recognition both in China and internationally. He was elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2013, a fellow of the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) in 2018, and an international fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering in 2020. His honors include three National Technology Invention Awards, the Ho Leung Ho Lee Science and Technology Progress Award, and the Asia-Pacific Catalysis Achievement Award. In 2024, he received three prestigious prizes in succession: the Future Science Prize (often referred to as the "Chinese Nobel Prize"), the inaugural Tang Ao-ling Chemistry Award, and the Jingbo Science and Technology Excellence Award.

In addition, Professor Zhang serves as a Guest Editor for Chemical Synthesis (CS). In this role, he remains deeply engaged at the forefront of scientific research, actively fostering academic exchange and research innovation. He has published numerous highly influential papers, participated extensively in international collaborations, and devoted himself to mentoring young researchers. As Guest Editor, he plays a key role in manuscript review, academic oversight, and the planning of special issues, contributing significantly to the journal's internationalization and high-quality development. This latest honor not only highlights his outstanding scientific achievements but also underscores his broad influence and leadership within the global scientific community.

The Special Issue organized by Professors Tao Zhang and Yuen Wu, "Preparation, Characterization and Application of Single-Atom Catalysts," is dedicated to advancing research on single-atom catalysts (SACs) across theoretical, experimental, and applied dimensions. SACs have recently demonstrated tremendous potential in diverse catalytic fields owing to their maximum atomic efficiency and controllable coordination environments. Their unique geometric and electronic structures, distinct from bulk metals, result in catalytic properties of exceptional specificity and activity. Furthermore, the catalytic performance of SACs can be finely tuned through composition and coordination regulation, offering vast opportunities for innovation and practical application. This Special Issue welcomes Original Research Articles, Reviews, Perspectives, and Highlights on topics ranging from the design and development of novel SACs, to advanced characterization techniques, catalytic mechanisms, theoretical predictions, and emerging applications.

Once again, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to Professor Tao Zhang on receiving the 2025 Clarivate Citation Laureates honor. We look forward to seeing CS reach new milestones under his academic leadership and vision!

Editor: Yuan Gao
Language Editor: Emma Chen
Production Editor: Ting Xu
Respectfully Submitted by the Editorial Office of Chemical Synthesis