From August 7 to 9, the Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (TIPC-CAS), successfully hosted the NSFC-RGC Forum for Young Scholars: The Transformative Future of Conjugated Molecules. The forum was organized by the Laboratory of Supramolecular Photochemistry from TIPC and the CAS-HKU Joint Laboratory on New Materials.

Under the theme of "Creation, Characterization, and Function of Conjugated Molecules", the forum brought together more than 70 experts and scholars from over 20 universities and research institutions across mainland China and Hong Kong, as well as scholars from Germany, Singapore, Japan, Poland, and the United Kingdom. They were here for in-depth exchanges and discussions on frontier developments and key scientific questions in the field of conjugated molecules.

The forum featured three thematic sessions: transformative synthetic methodologies, advanced characterization techniques, and functional applications, aimed at promoting cross-disciplinary integration among different research directions and fostering the collision of original ideas and academic collaboration.

Prof. WU Lizhu (CAS Member), Director of the CAS–HKU Joint Laboratory, delivered the opening address. She emphasized that conjugated molecules, with their unique electron-delocalized structures, hold significant scientific value and broad application prospects in fields including information technology, energy, catalysis, and life health. With the continuous emergence of novel conjugated architectures and the rapid advancement of characterization technologies, research on conjugated molecules is progressing toward precision synthesis, precision characterization, and functional regulation. She expressed her expectation that the attending experts would engage in in-depth discussions on key scientific issues in the field, thereby further promoting interdisciplinary collaboration among young researchers.

Subsequently, more than 30 distinguished experts delivered presentations on frontier research directions in conjugated molecules, including Prof. LI Yuliang (CAS Member) from the Institute of Chemistry, CAS, Prof. Harry Anderson from the University of Oxford, Prof. Chunyan Chi from the National University of Singapore, Prof. Max von Delius from Ulm University, Prof. Hiroyuki Isobe from the University of Tokyo, and Prof. Marcin Stępień from the University of Wrocław. They systematically presented the latest advances from their respective groups and shared in-depth insights into the construction strategies, unique physical properties, and potential applications of novel conjugated systems, eliciting enthusiastic questions and discussions from the attendees. Prof. Chen-Ho Tung (CAS Member) from TIPC attended the forum and participated in focused discussions with the experts on future directions in the synthesis, characterization, and function of conjugated molecules.

The forum established a high-level academic platform for young scholars engaged in conjugated molecule research with complementary academic backgrounds. Through open and in-depth discussions, participants exchanged ideas extensively and identified opportunities for collaboration, injecting new vitality into the innovative development of the conjugated molecule field and international academic cooperation.

The forum was co-hosted by the TIPC's Future Youth Forum, the Photochemistry and Photobiology Committee of the Chinese Society for Imaging Science and Technology, the Photochemistry Committee of the Chinese Chemical Society, and the State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry at the University of Hong Kong.