Best Engineering Thesis Award for Chongnan Ye

The University of Groningen's Groningen Engineering Center has named Dr. Chongnan Ye as the recipient of this year's Best Engineering Thesis Award. Dr. Ye's thesis, " Design of sustainable polymer networks for advanced applications based on dynamic covalent bonds ", was chosen for its exceptional qualities in scientific impact, long-term societal relevance, and interdisciplinary connections.

The award committee found, that the thesis showcased high scientific quality through the design, synthesis, and meticulous characterization of polymeric materials. It was also published in top peer-reviewed journals, gaining recognition within the scientific community.

Chongnan’s research focused on environmentally sustainable materials. By designing and synthesizing materials from base chemicals, he explored applications such as sensors, membranes, and energy-harvesting materials. These materials demonstrated properties like stretchability, transparency, recyclability, and self-healing capabilities. His work embraced an interdisciplinary approach, combining synthetic organic chemistry, polymer design, synthesis, materials engineering, and application testing. The thesis's comprehensive scope, from molecular design to advanced applications, showcased effective interdisciplinary collaboration.

Chongnan conducted his research within the Hybrid research group Biopolymer and Recycling Innovations (HyBRIt) formed by the University of Groningen and the NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences. He defended his thesis May 17, 2022 as the first PhD student of the University of the North.

Following a short postdoctoral research at the University of Groningen, Chongnan has embarked on a postdoctoral fellowship at École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and was also just awarded a prestigious two-year SNSF Swiss Postdoctoral Fellowship for his future work on dynamic adaptive network for sustainable energy.

Part of the research of Chongnan was chosen as the Best Tech Idea by the science magazine KIJK. For more information, please see: Recyclebare membraan van bioplastic haalt olie uit water

Please also refer to a recent interview .