The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) and Solvay are pleased to announce the winners of the 2025 IUPAC-Solvay International Award for Young Chemists.
This prestigious award recognizes the best Ph.D. theses in the chemical sciences, as described in 1000-word essays.
2025 Award Winners
Each of the five winners, representing diverse research fields and regions, will receive a cash prize of USD 1000 and travel support to the 2025 IUPAC Congress in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (July 11–18, 2025). Winners will present a poster at the Congress and submit a short critical review on their research for publication in Pure and Applied Chemistry.
Dr. Selen Ayaz (Türkiye) – Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Türkiye
“Development and biotechnological applications of optical and electrochemical sensors/biosensors based on bis-neocuproin copper (II) complex”
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0320-3551 | edu profile
Dr. Sahel Fajal (India) – Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India
“Advanced functional porous materials and their hybrid composites for energy-efficient chemical separation application”
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0546-3018
Dr. Maggie Horst (USA) – Stanford University, USA
“Structure-reactivity relationships in cyclobutane-containing polymers for understanding force-induced reactivity”
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9794-5355 | mechanophore.github.io
Dr. Muhammad Muddasar (Pakistan) – University of Limerick, Ireland
“Lignin-derived materials for energy harvesting and storage devices”
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7923-4499 | linkedin
Dr. Jiarui Yang (China) – Tsinghua University, China
“From single-atom catalysts to organo-electrocatalysts: the new alternatives for electrocatalysts”
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8238-7699 | edu profile
This year’s competition received 49 applications from Ph.D. graduates across 18 countries. The award selection committee was chaired by Professor Javier García Martínez, IUPAC Past President. The awards will be formally presented at the Opening Ceremony of the 2025 IUPAC Congress, where winners of both the 2024 and 2025 competitions will be honored.
Honorable Mentions
In recognition of the high-quality submissions, the selection committee also awarded Honorable Mentions to four outstanding candidates:
Dr. Kangjie Bian (China) – Rice University, USA
Dr. Yahao Dai (China) – University of Chicago, USA
Dr. Mark Robertson (USA) – University of Southern Mississippi, USA
Dr. Yunyan Sun (China) – University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA
2026 Award Applications
The call for applications for the 2026 IUPAC-Solvay International Award for Young Chemists will be announced soon. Eligible candidates must have received a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in 2025 from an institution in a country with an IUPAC National Adhering Organization.
About Solvay
Solvay, a pioneering chemical company with a legacy rooted in founder Ernest Solvay’s pivotal innovations in the soda ash process, is dedicated to delivering essential solutions globally through its workforce of over 9,000 employees. Since 1863, Solvay harnesses the power of chemistry to create innovative, sustainable solutions that answer the world’s most essential needs such as purifying the air we breathe and the water we drink, preserving our food supplies, protecting our health and well-being, creating eco-friendly clothing, making the tires of our cars more sustainable and cleaning and protecting our homes. Solvay’s unwavering commitment drives the transition to a carbon-neutral future by 2050, underscoring its dedication to sustainability and a fair and just transition. As a world-leading company with €4.7 billion in net sales in 2024, Solvay is listed on Euronext Brussels and Paris (SOLB). For more information about Solvay, please visit solvay.com or follow Solvay on Linkedin.
About IUPAC
IUPAC was formed in 1919 by chemists from industry and academia. Since then, the Union has succeeded in fostering worldwide communications in the chemical sciences and in uniting academic, industrial and public sector chemistry in a common language. IUPAC is recognized as the world authority on chemical nomenclature, terminology, standardized methods for measurement, atomic weights and many other critically evaluated data. In more recent years, IUPAC has been pro-active in establishing a wide range of conferences and projects designed to promote and stimulate modern developments in chemistry, and also to assist in aspects of chemical education and the public understanding of chemistry. More information about IUPAC and its activities is available at iupac.org.
Announcement to be published in Chemistry International