Professor Xiangfeng Duan has been selected to receive the 2026 Nano Research Award in recognition of his pioneering contributions to the synthesis, integration, and discovery of novel properties in low-dimensional materials, including two-dimensional (2D) materials, heterostructures, and superlattices.
Presented annually by the journal Nano Research and sponsored by Tsinghua University Press, the Nano Research Award honors scientists who have made outstanding contributions to nanoscience and nanotechnology. This year’s award is shared by Duan and Professor Akira Fujishima of the Institute of Photochemistry and Photofunctional Materials at the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology.
Duan is the Raymond A. and Dorothy A. Wilson Endowed Chair and Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UCLA, with an appointment in the California NanoSystems Institute.
Over the past two decades, Duan has made foundational contributions to nanoscale materials and devices, pioneering advances in van der Waals integration, the scalable synthesis of two-dimensional materials and heterostructures, and porous graphene architectures for advanced energy storage. His research has helped transform the fields of nanomaterials and nanoelectronics, enabling advances in next-generation electronics, energy storage technologies, and quantum materials.
More recently, Duan introduced molecularly programmable layered hybrid superlattices, establishing a new approach to designing materials with precisely controlled electronic, optical, magnetic, and quantum properties. By integrating molecular building blocks into layered superlattices, his research bridges molecular chemistry and condensed matter physics, creating new opportunities for the development of future quantum technologies.
Duan is a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Royal Society of Chemistry. His previous honors include the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the Materials Research Society Mid-Career Researcher Award, the IEEE Nanotechnology Pioneer Award, and the Royal Society of Chemistry Faraday Horizon Prize.
Established in 2013 by Nano Research, Tsinghua University Press, and Springer Nature, the Nano Research Award recognizes individuals whose research has had a significant impact on the field of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Previous recipients include many of the world’s leading nanoscientists, including Charles M. Lieber, Paul Alivisatos, Peidong Yang, Chad Mirkin, Omar M. Yaghi, John A. Rogers, Hongjie Dai, Yi Cui, Robert Langer, Louis E. Brus, Moungi Bawendi, and Zhenan Bao.
Penny Jennings, UCLA Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, penjen@g.ucla.edu.
