From October 12 to 15, China International College Students' Innovation Competition 2024 was held at Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU). A total of 20.836 million participants from 5.14 million projects across 5,406 institutions in 153 countries and regions registered for the event. After intense competition, students from the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (SCCE), SJTU, won a Gold Award in the Undergraduate-Idea Stage, a Gold Award in the Industry-Challenge Stage, and a Silver Award in the Postgraduate-Idea Stage (International Projects, recommended by SJTU).

Gold Award in the Undergraduate-Idea Stage

Project Name: PolyVision Technology — Advanced Manufacturing with 3D-Formable Polyimide Special Materials

Team Leader: Yunhao WEI

Team Member: Jingxuan SUN, Yigui LIU, Yisheng ZHU, Yiwen CHEN, Yanxi LIU, Xuefei HU,

Supervisor: Qinghua LU, Xuemin LU

Project Overview: In advanced manufacturing, breakthroughs in material innovation drive industry growth. Polyimide, known for its exceptional properties, sits at the pinnacle of polymer materials, with new processing methods being essential for expanding its applications. However, producing photosensitive polyimide (PSPI) resins is challenging, leading to high rates of defective products that are costly and environmentally burdensome to manage. The PolyVision Technology team has pioneered a high-performance, 3D-formable polyimide ink, overcoming issues of volume shrinkage and structural distortion in 3D processing. This innovation not only repurposes waste photosensitive resins into high-value applications but also enables the production of high-precision, complex 3D structures in high-temperature-resistant materials for fields such as microelectronics, offering a groundbreaking technological solution for the advanced manufacturing sector.

Gold Award in the Industry-Challenge Stage

Project Name: Development and Distributed Applications of Low-Cost Flexible Thin-Film Photovoltaics

Team Leader: Xingyu GAO

Team Member: Boxue YANG, Rui ZENG, Minfan QIAN, Fei HAN, Jiaxin ZHUANG, Tianyu GAO, Xuyang XIE, Kai YANG, Jiawei DENG, Senke TAN, Zhilong HE, Zhizheng CHEN

Supervisor: Feng LIU, Lei ZHU, Jingnan SONG, Ming ZHANG, Shengjie XU, Jie ZHOU, Yongming ZHANG

Project Overview: The project team has long been dedicated to advancing next-generation photovoltaic technology—flexible organic solar cells—and bringing it to industrial scale. These paper-thin, flexible cells are easy to install and generate power even on cloudy days, making them highly adaptable for application on virtually any surface in everyday environments. The team has broken the world record for organic photovoltaic efficiency three times, securing three world record points on the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory's prestigious Best Research-Cell Efficiency Chart. Their cells were awarded the title of "China's Highest Efficiency" in 2023 by the Chinese Photovoltaic Association. In August of this year, they achieved a fourth breakthrough, shattering the 20% efficiency barrier for organic photovoltaics with a new record efficiency of nearly 21% (laboratory-tested at 20.8%), establishing a globally leading standard.

Silver Award in the Postgraduate-Idea Stage (International Projects, recommended by SJTU)

Project Name: In-situ H₂O₂ Generation for Oxime Production

Team Member: Alex Stenner (Leader)、Fenglou Ni

Supervisor: Graham Hutchings, Liwei CHEN, Richard Lewis, Xi LIU, Pengtao XU

Project Overview: The project focuses on achieving green synthesis of nylon monomers through in-situ H₂O₂ production, eliminating the high costs, transportation hazards, and environmental issues associated with using large quantities of external hydrogen peroxide in traditional processes. Compared to conventional methods, this technology significantly reduces production costs and enhances process safety, meeting the current market's strong demand for eco-friendly and cost-effective solutions. The project’s core innovation lies in its unique in-situ synthesis technique, which breaks away from the traditional high-pollution, high-cost production model. This approach offers an effective solution for the green transformation of the nylon industry, holds substantial industrial application potential, and supports the sector’s transition toward a low-carbon, sustainable future.

Translator: Chenyun SUN

Reviser：Xiaoke HU