On April 1, 2026, Academician Tong Zhenhe, a researcher at the Institute of Physics and Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and honorary director of its Academic Committee, visited the Institute of New Concept Sensors and Molecular Materials at Shaanxi Normal University. Accompanied by Prof. Fang Yu, he toured the institute’s exhibition room and learned about its basic profile, development philosophy, research directions, technological strengths, research achievements, and strategic planning.

On the morning of April 2, Tong Zhenhe delivered a report titled “Photochemistry: A Useful Science — Photochemistry in Synthetic Chemistry, Energy Science, Life Sciences, Information Science, Environmental Science, and Public Safety” at the 110th session of SNNU “Qujiang Forum”.

In his report, Tong Zhenhe began with the basic concepts of photochemistry, noting that photochemistry is essentially the chemistry of electronic excited states — a scientific discipline that studies the physical and chemical processes triggered by these states. He then elaborated on the applications of photochemistry in synthetic chemistry, emphasizing that its strong support for green chemistry can be summarized as “three reductions and one increase”: reducing waste generation, reducing energy consumption, reducing the use of hazardous substances, and increasing the utilization of renewable resources. Focusing on the utilization of solar energy, Tong noted that “China is the world’s largest producer and user of solar cells”. He explained artificial photosynthesis through multiple case studies and introduced his team’s significant contributions in this field. Finally, he demonstrated the application of photochemical luminescent sensors in the fields of the environment, health, and public safety, and discussed topics related to atmospheric photochemistry.

The report was organized by the Graduate School of Shaanxi Normal University and anchored by Prof. Fang Yu. More than 400 faculty members and graduate students attended the event.