To celebrate the 2019 United Nations International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements (IYPT 2019), spread the knowledge of elements and chemistry, and display the demeanor of contemporary young chemists, Chinese Chemical Society selected 118 young chemists as spokespersons for element among its members and created a Periodic Table of Elements of Chinese Young Chemists. Professor Fu Haiyan from the College of Pharmacy was selected as a member in the Periodic Table and the spokesperson for the element of Cadmium.
During the just-past National Science and Technology Week, 118 element spokespersons made appearance at the themed light show of Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxgen, Fluorine, Neon Lighting Up Sanlitun held by Chinese Chemical Society in Taikoo Li, Sanlitun, Beijing. These spokespersons will attend the themed exhibition of the periodic table of elements held in China Science and Technology Museum this summer to introduce the 118 elements to the public. Chinese Chemical Society's official WeChat account will launch the special topic activity of Young Chemists: I Speak for Elements to introduce the stories of the spokespersons and chemical elements.
Spokesperson for Cadmium: Fu Haiyan, Central South University for Nationalities
Professor Fu Haiyan's research direction is the new methods and application of multivariate spectroscopy and sensing analysis. In recent years, she has mainly engaged in the environmental-friendly preparation of nano-sensors based on chemo-metrics and spectroscopy analysis and applied research in food and drug quality control. Through the synthesis of cadmium element into nano-fluorescent cadmium quantum dots with photo-sensitivity and color sensitivity, these quantum dots will show a variety of colors stimulated by light and electricity. The environmental-friendly new nano sensors will be applied to solve many practical problems in food and drug quality and safety control.
Abbreviated as Cd, Cadmium is the 48th element in the periodic table of chemical elements with its English name coming from the Latin word of kadmia meaning soil. The content of cadmium in the earth's crust is 2×10-5%. Cadmium is a kind of toxic and carcinogenic heavy metallic element difficult to be metabolized by human body. Its industrial emissions will cause cadmium pollution. Cadmium can be used in making batteries, pigments, alloys, paints, pesticides, plastics, electronic equipment displays, etc. It plays an important role in people's daily life. Therefore, cadmium can be seen as both a devil and an angel, depending on how people make use of it.