Lu Jiaxi (; 26 October 1915 – 4 June 2001), or Chia-Si Lu, was a Chinese

physical chemist Physical chemistry is the study of macroscopic and microscopic phenomena in chemical systems in terms of the principles, practices, and concepts of physics such as motion, energy, force, time, thermodynamics, quantum chemistry, statistical me ...

who is considered a founder of the discipline in China. He served as President of the

Chinese Academy of Sciences The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); ), known by Academia Sinica in English until the 1980s, is the national academy of the People's Republic of China for natural sciences. It has historical origins in the Academia Sinica during the Republ ...

, Founding Director of Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter (FJIRSM), and Founding President of

Fuzhou University Fuzhou University (FZU ) is a university located in Fuzhou, Fujian, China. Split into two campuses by the Min River, Fuzhou University's Old Campus is located on the north bank of the river in the western part of Fuzhou City, while the New Campu ...

, as well as high-ranking political positions including Chairman of the

Chinese Peasants' and Workers' Democratic Party The Chinese Peasants' and Workers' Democratic Party (CPWDP), also abbreviated in Chinese as Nonggongdang ( zh, s=农工党), t=, is one of the eight legally recognized political parties in the People's Republic of China under the direction of ...

, Vice Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), and

Vice Chairman of the National People's Congress The Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress () is a political office in China. According to the Constitution of the People's Republic of China, Vice Chairmen are responsible for assisting the Chairman of the Nation ...

Biography

On 26 October 1915, Lu Jiaxi was born to a scholarly family in

Xiamen Xiamen ( , ; ), also known as Amoy (, from Hokkien pronunciation ), is a sub-provincial city in southeastern Fujian, People's Republic of China, beside the Taiwan Strait. It is divided into six districts: Huli, Siming, Jimei, Tong'an, ...

(Amoy),

Fujian Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capi ...

, China. A child prodigy, he finished elementary school in a single year, before spending another year and a half in junior high school. Before turning 13, he passed the entrance examination to a preparatory class for

Xiamen University Xiamen University (; Southern Min: ''Ē-mn̂g-toā-o̍h''), colloquially known as Xia Da (; Southern Min: ''Hā-tāi''), is a national public research university in Xiamen, Fujian, China. Founded in 1921 by Tan Kah Kee, a Chinese patriotic exp ...

. He received the

Tan Kah Kee Tan Kah Kee (; 21 October 1874 – 12 August 1961) was a Chinese businessman, investor, and philanthropist active in Singapore and the Chinese cities of Hong Kong, Shanghai, Xiamen, and Guangzhou. A prominent figure in the overseas Chinese c ...

scholarship for four years and graduated from Xiamen University in 1934 with a degree in chemistry. He then taught at the university for three years. In 1937, Lu passed a competitive examination and received a national postgraduate fellowship to study at

University College London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = ...

, where he studied under

Samuel Sugden Samuel Sugden, FRS was an eminent chemist in the first half of the 20th century. Early life He was born in Leeds on 21 February 1892 and educated at Batley Grammar School and the Royal College of Science. Career After war time service with the ...

and obtained a Ph.D. at the age of 24. With the recommendation of Sugden, he was admitted to the

California Institute of Technology The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech or CIT)The university itself only spells its short form as "Caltech"; the institution considers other spellings such a"Cal Tech" and "CalTech" incorrect. The institute is also occasional ...

in 1939, and studied structural chemistry under

Linus Pauling Linus Carl Pauling (; February 28, 1901August 19, 1994) was an American chemist, biochemist, chemical engineer, peace activist, author, and educator. He published more than 1,200 papers and books, of which about 850 dealt with scientific top ...

, the future Nobel laureate. In 1944, he worked at the Maryland Research Laboratory of the US

National Defense Research Committee The National Defense Research Committee (NDRC) was an organization created "to coordinate, supervise, and conduct scientific research on the problems underlying the development, production, and use of mechanisms and devices of warfare" in the Un ...

(NDRC). His research in the area of combustion and explosion earned him an R&D prize from the NDRC. After the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Lu turned down numerous employment opportunities in the United States, and returned to war-torn China in the winter of 1945. He was appointed professor and dean of the Chemistry Department at Xiamen University. From 1960 to 1981, Lu was director of the Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter (FJIRSM), and vice president of

. He served as President of the

(CAS) from 1981 to 1988, and as a special advisor to the CAS afterwards. He was also Vice President of the

Third World Academy of Sciences The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) is a merit-based science academy established for developing countries, uniting 1,000 scientists in some 70 countries. Its principal aim is to promote scientific capacity and excellence for sustainable devel ...

. His political positions include Chairman of the

(1988–97, Honorary Chairman afterwards), Vice Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (1988–93 and 1998–2003), and

(1993–98). Lu Jiaxi died on 4 June 2001. On 6 April 2002, a bronze statue of him was erected in front of the Chemistry Department of Xiamen University.

Research and honours

Lu Jiaxi's research focus was on physical, structural, nuclear, and materials chemistry. He proposed a structural model of the center of

nitrogenase Nitrogenases are enzymes () that are produced by certain bacteria, such as cyanobacteria (blue-green bacteria) and rhizobacteria. These enzymes are responsible for the Organic redox reaction, reduction of nitrogen (N2) to ammonia (NH3). Nitrog ...

, a key

enzyme Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecules known as products. A ...

used in

biological nitrogen fixation Nitrogen fixation is a chemical process by which molecular nitrogen (), with a strong triple covalent bond, in the Atmosphere of Earth, air is converted into ammonia () or related nitrogenous compounds, typically in soil or aquatic systems but al ...

, and studied the relationship between chemical structure and performance. His work is recognized internationally, and he was elected as a member of the

European Academy of Sciences and Arts The European Academy of Sciences and Arts (EASA, la, Academia Scientiarum et Artium Europaea) is a transnational and interdisciplinary network, connecting about 2,000 recommended scientists and artists worldwide, including 37 Nobel Prize laure ...

and of the

Royal Academies for Science and the Arts of Belgium The Royal Academies for Science and the Arts of Belgium (RASAB) is a non-governmental association which promotes and organises science and the arts in Belgium by coordinating the national and international activities of its constituent academies su ...

. For his contributions to structural chemistry, he was awarded the Scientific Achievement Prize by the

Ho Leung Ho Lee Foundation The Ho Leung Ho Lee Foundation (HLHL, ) is a Hong Kong-based non-government organisation which annually bestows prizes upon Chinese scientists. It was established on 30 March 1994, with funds donated from the charitable foundations of Ho Sin Han ...

. In 1998, the asteroid 3844 Lujiaxi was named in his honour.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lu, Jiaxi 1915 births 2001 deaths Alumni of University College London California Institute of Technology alumni Chemists from Fujian Chinese expatriates in the United Kingdom Chinese expatriates in the United States Chinese Peasants' and Workers' Democratic Party politicians Chinese physical chemists Educators from Fujian Fuzhou University Members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Members of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts People from Xiamen People's Republic of China politicians from Fujian Physicists from Fujian Xiamen University alumni Xiamen University faculty Vice Chairpersons of the National People's Congress Vice Chairpersons of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference