【Haichuan. Pioneers of the Chemical Industry】Wang Baoren—One of the Pioneers of Organic Chemistry in China

Research: One of the pioneers of organic chemistry in China. In 1926, Wang Baoren, who was under 20 years old at the time, graduated from the Department of Chemistry at Southeast University and stayed there as an assistant instructor. He often read foreign literature, and whenever he got an inspiration, he would conduct experiments to verify it, thus beginning his research career. At that time, there were very few people in the country engaged in organic chemistry research, and Wang Baoren worked on cutting-edge topics in organic synthesis at that time—such as the synthesis of nitromethane, Grignard reaction chemistry, and the synthesis of cyclohexane spirylactone. In 1929, he published his first research paper in English. Wang Baoren believes that, in the development of organic chemistry, the growth of the coking industry and the demands of the dye industry contributed significantly to the advancement of aromatic chemistry within organic chemistry, leading to the emergence of dye chemistry ； And the extensive research on heterocyclic compounds has further developed pharmacology. In the 1940s, Wang Baoren shifted his research focus to synthetic dyes and pharmaceuticals, while also continuing with theoretical research. At Zhejiang University in Meitan, he supervised students in the preparation of Haichang Blue, DDT, monosodium glutamate, as well as in the research on the traditional Chinese medicine Yadanzi and new derivatives of sulfonamides, with the aim of finding sulfonamide drugs that are more effective while having fewer side effects. At a time when sulfonamides were popular but no new sulfonamide derivatives had yet been discovered, this concept demonstrated Wang Baoren’s foresight; unfortunately, due to limitations in reagents and pharmacological knowledge at that time, no practical applications could be achieved.

Wang Baoren believes that the needs of the calcium carbide industry have driven the development of alkyne chemistry. After the 1950s, olefin chemistry based on petrochemicals made petrochemical industry the star of economic development, and chemistry added a special touch to people’s clothing, food, housing, and transportation. He said, \"The progression in organic chemistry, from aromatic hydrocarbons to alkynes and then to alkenes, led me to think about alkanes.\" ”At the same time, he believes that the wax content in our country’s oil is high, which allows for controlled selective reactions of alkanes. Since 1978, Wang Baoren has supervised research on alkane chemistry, focusing on substitution reactions of alkanes by radicals such as chlorine, nitroso, and sulfonic acid groups, as well as insertion reactions of alkane compounds by reactive intermediates such as carbenes. Through systematic research, several patterns of substitution group orientation were summarized, methods for preparing two types of chloroalkanes were identified, and the idea that simple alkane radicals can undergo 12-rearrangement was proposed. After the paper was published, it attracted the attention of peers both at home and abroad.

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Career change: Pioneering polymer research in China \"In the history of 20th-century science, the emergence, establishment, and development of polymer science were among the most notable major events.\" It was not until the 1930s that people learned what polymers were. By the 1940s, tremendous progress had been made not only in science but also in applications and industrial production; within the field of chemistry, research on polymers became widespread around the world. This rapid advancement in science and technology fully demonstrates the immense power of science and technology in the evolution and development of human society. The progress in polymer science over just a few decades and the social impact it has had confirm this assertion. ”Hu Yadong described the role and significance of polymers in this way; he was one of the first students in China to take courses at a university specializing in polymers. “In 1951, at the invitation of Director Zhuang Changgong, Mr. Wang was transferred from Zhejiang University to the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to assist in the establishment of the institute and take charge of its operations. In 1953, as the country entered a period of intensive construction under the First Five-Year Plan following a 3-year economic recovery phase, Mr. Wang, while continuing his research in organic chemistry, chose polymer chemistry – a field that was then unfamiliar and still in its early stages of development – as his main focus for research. He set out to work on the production of polymethyl methacrylate (also known as plexiglass) and polycaprolactam (also known as nylon) as his research tasks. ”Wang Youhuai, a researcher at the Institute of Chemistry, recalled that at that time Wang Baoren directly supervised three research teams, “with Sun Shumen, Yang Chengshu, and I serving as team leaders respectively.” “The sir always goes to the front line of research and insists on giving weekly work reports. He focuses the project leader on the research approach, key issues, and progress, while being lenient regarding specific assignments and details, which facilitates the project leader in playing an active role and showing enthusiasm. ”Yang Chengshu, a researcher at the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, once wrote an article recalling her colleague Mr. Wang Baoren. “He led the Polymer Group at the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, to build the team from scratch and grow it over time; by working while learning*, they swiftly completed two military-related tasks related to the development and industrial production of plexiglass and nylon. They were the first in China to produce the first piece of plexiglass and the first strands of Nylon 6 synthetic fiber. Subsequently, production was moved to the Shenyang Research Institute of Chemical Technology and the Jinxi Chemical Plant, where these products became some of the earliest polymer-based industrial products in China. ”Wang Youhuai said.

Wang Baoren believes that when selecting research topics in polymer chemistry, it is necessary to consider the interests of the nation and its people, while also not neglecting fundamental theoretical research. He argued that research in polymer science must be integrated with the production practices of China’s large-scale petrochemical products, and must serve production; at the same time, applied basic research should also be conducted to guide production. Subsequently, Wang Baoren established two research groups at the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry: one for polymer physical chemistry and another for silicone materials. In this way, the polymer research team in New China was developed, and a group of professionals in the field of polymers were trained for universities and industrial sectors. In 1956, when the State Council formulated a 12-year long-term plan for scientific and technological development, Wang Baoren was in charge of the key project on \"polymer and heavy organic synthesis\" as well as the disciplinary planning for polymer science; he later served as a member of the Chemistry Group of the Science and Technology Committee and as the head of the Polymer Sub-group. In 1962, he participated in the work on the second 10-year plan for the development of science and technology in the country. “At each meeting, Mr. Wang worked tirelessly together with the team members, paying close attention to maintaining the integrity of this young discipline of polymer science, so that it could be classified as a secondary discipline within chemistry, alongside inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, and physical chemistry. The gentleman also suggested on multiple occasions that university chemistry departments make polymer chemistry a required course, giving it the same level of importance as inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, and physical chemistry. In 1958, the University of Science and Technology of China was established, and he played a key role in planning and leading the establishment of the Department of Polymer Chemistry – the first such department in both China and abroad at that time. The early graduates from this department have since become key figures in the field of science and technology. ”Wang Youhuai said. In the same year, the Chinese Academy of Sciences established an Institute of Chemistry in Beijing; he led all the members of the Polymer Research Group from the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry to Beijing, where he served as the deputy director of the Institute of Chemistry, in charge of polymer-related work. “Under his guidance, the Institute of Chemistry, building on the foundations of olefin polymerization, polycondensation reactions, and polymer physicochemistry, further pursued research on new materials such as silicone and organofluorine polymers, as well as ion exchange resins and membranes, making significant contributions to the development of China’s science and industry related to synthetic fibers and plastic resins. ”Hu Yadong said.

Academic exchanges: A social activist who leads by example. “The gentleman places great emphasis on developing and training key professionals through academic presentations, recommending them to give comprehensive speeches at national academic conferences. The professor always carefully reviews the paper reports, asks questions several times, sometimes adds data, and then makes textual revisions – he is extremely responsible. The report recommended by the gentleman not only helped to improve the presenter’s skills but was also well received by the audience. ”Yang Chengshu recalled. In order to share experiences in polymer research and to make research findings available to the world as soon as possible, in 1957 Wang Baoren took charge of establishing China’s first academic journal on polymers, \"Polymer Communications.\" He served as its editor-in-chief throughout his career until his death. Thanks to Wang Baoren’s strictness and dedication, this publication has reached a high standard, earning high praise from the academic community both at home and abroad. Since 1954, Wang Baoren has advocated for the organization of a series of academic conferences on polymers; he has presided over and led more than 10 such conferences, which are held every two years. He took personal charge of everything, planned meticulously, and fostered a positive scientific attitude and academic atmosphere. He insisted that this young discipline should maintain its integrity, and be treated on an equal footing with inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, and physical chemistry within the field of chemistry, as a secondary discipline. His views were supported by the chemical community, and a Polymer Science Committee was established within the Chinese Chemical Society, of which he served as chairman throughout. Under his leadership, this committee has maintained a strong academic atmosphere and a spirit of teamwork, carrying out various academic organizational tasks. Wang Baoren also attached great importance to international academic exchanges; he hosted numerous delegations of polymer experts visiting China, and on many occasions led his own teams on trips to the Soviet Union, Japan, the United States, and other places. There, he promoted the achievements in the field of polymers in our country, kept himself informed about the latest international developments, and established friendly relationships with many internationally renowned scholars.

Lecturing: “Everyone was fully focused, following his train of thought.” If organic chemistry and polymer research are Wang Baoren’s core areas of work, then education—teaching and educational management tasks such as serving as department head—is the other indispensable part of his career. After graduating from Southeast University in 1926, Wang Baoren began working in education ； In 1936, he returned to China from Germany to serve as a professor in the Department of Chemistry at Tongji University, as well as the dean of the Faculty of Science and the head of the Department of Chemistry ； In 1941, at the invitation of Zhu Kezhen, the president of Zhejiang University, he became a professor at Zhejiang University and head of the Department of Chemistry ； In 1951, at the invitation of Director Zhuang Changgong, he was transferred from Zhejiang University to the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to serve as its deputy director ； In 1956, at the invitation of the Institute of Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, he came to Beijing to serve as the deputy director of the institute ； In 1958, he was responsible for establishing the Department of Polymer Chemistry at the University of Science and Technology of China. Wang Baoren’s career in research and education spanned 60 years; as he himself put it, “My life has been dedicated to paving the way for young people to reach the heights of scientific achievement.” Zhu An, a researcher at the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, who took Wang Baoren’s organic chemistry course in his sophomore year, still remembers it vividly: \"In the first class, Mr. Wang made it clear right from the start that ‘when studying my organic chemistry course, 80 points is already considered a high score – there is no such thing as 100 points.’\" Hearing those words, we thought he had high expectations. In fact, Mr. Wang’s message is even more profound: there are tens of millions of synthetic compounds in the world, and the field of organic chemistry is vast and extensive; learning is never complete. One should aim high and think broadly, without being confined to textbooks – which is quite different from some of the short-sighted approaches prevalent in today’s society. These days, the top scorers in the college entrance exams are highly celebrated every year; I believe that those in the fields of science and education should not pursue a score of 100 or being number one, as learning is an endless process. ”

Wang Baoren attaches great importance to basic concepts, believing that fundamental courses are more important than elective courses; it is essential for students to understand these basic concepts and build a solid foundation. Therefore, he always explains things by focusing closely on the basic concepts. He not only discussed the experimental results but also explained, from a molecular structure perspective, why such reactions occur and why substances possess these properties. When discussing the properties of compounds, electron theory is often used to explain them ； When discussing the structure of compounds, they are also adept at using analytical and synthetic methods ； When teaching the course on organic natural products, he focused on introducing methods for determining the molecular structure of compounds using chemical reactions. “We like listening to the teacher’s classes the most. Whenever Mr. Shang’s class is held, the large classroom is always packed to capacity. As soon as he stepped in front of the blackboard, the large classroom fell silent; everyone was fully focused, following his train of thought. With concise language, elegant blackboard writing, and clear explanations, he led us into the ever-changing and mysteriously rich world of organic chemistry. We still remember vividly the gentleman’s voice, expressions, and smile while he was giving the lecture ； The vivid examples the teacher used in his lectures are still firmly remembered by us to this day. ”Yang Yukun, a researcher at the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that from his undergraduate years to his postgraduate studies, he was fortunate enough to listen to Wang Baoren’s teachings for as long as 8 years.

Tang Youqi, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and professor at Peking University, said, “If I were to list the teachers who have had a significant impact on my life, Mr. Wang Baoren would definitely be among the top three.” I studied at the Department of Chemistry at Tongji University, and I plan to pursue research in physical chemistry in the future. Mr. Wang taught us organic chemistry, helping us to master both the theoretical aspects and experimental techniques thoroughly. During the War of Resistance, there were no lecture notes; the notes that Mr. Wang wrote on the blackboard were very logically structured. ” “In 1949, when I was working on my graduation thesis in the Department of Chemistry at Zhejiang University, Mr. Wang, as the department head, had a heavy workload related to teaching, yet he still came to the laboratory several times to guide us through our experiments. I’m not a specialist in organic chemistry either, but Mr. Wang’s organic chemistry courses have benefited me for life. ”Yang Fuyu, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a researcher at the Institute of Biophysics, said that listening to Mr. Wang teach organic chemistry is a true artistic pleasure – his explanations are clear and easy to understand, and it’s not boring at all. When giving lectures, Wang Baoren pays close attention to the latest developments in organic chemistry both at home and abroad. He believes that teaching in a university means giving lectures, and one must never copy from books or read verbatim from them. By reading literature, he stays informed about the latest developments in science, keeping himself at the forefront of contemporary organic chemistry; his lectures often include new content, ensuring they remain fresh and up-to-date. When he used Carrer’s \"Organic Chemistry\" as a textbook, its 1946 edition did not cover L. Pauling (the 1954 Nobel Prize winner). In 1947, Wang Baoren introduced Pauling’s resonance theory to his students, enabling them to stay informed about the latest developments and achievements, which was very well received.