The Y11th Symposium of the Xiangshan Science Conference on "Key Scientific and Technological Challenges in Transformative Smart Optical, Electrical, and Thermal Functional Materials" was successfully held from May 28th to 29th at the Fragrant Hill Hotel in Beijing. Applied and organized by the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (SICCAS), the forum convened over 40 distinguished experts and rising young scholars from more than 20 leading institutions, including Tsinghua University, Peking University, and Zhejiang University.

Professors Xun Cao (SICCAS), YanZhong Pei (Tongji University), and Guangming Tao (Central China Normal University) served as the executive chairs of this symposium. The conference received strong support from the Xiangshan Science Conference Office.

Executive chairs (from left): Prof. YanZhong Pei, Prof. Xun Cao, Prof. Guangming Tao chairing the conference sessions.

Driven by the new global wave of technological revolution and China's "dual carbon" target, smart optical/electrical/thermal functional materials are pivotal for overcoming traditional technological bottlenecks and enabling information-function integration. Their ability to achieve efficient energy conversion and integrate environmental sensing functions offers innovative breakthroughs for smart sensing, thermal management, and energy-saving systems. However, key challenges like the lack of cross-scale design theories and inefficient dynamic energy control hinder application. This conference specifically aimed to address these frontier issues, promote the deepening of applications in scenarios such as thermal control in extreme space environments and intelligent flexible electronics, and achieve paradigm shifts in scientific and technological innovation. The discussions were organized around three critical themes to ensure focused and in-depth exchanges:

1. Multiscale design, computation, and performance optimization principles of smart optical/electrical functional materials.
2. Smart photothermal control materials and cross-scale energy management and transformative new technologies.
3. Applications and multidisciplinary integration of novel smart optical/electrical/thermal devices.

Participants reached significant consensus on future directions. Future smart materials will constitute disruptive, foundationally new materials built on novel principles, featuring: precision design capability, controllable spatiotemporal structures, transformative/extreme performance, and environmental sustainability. Three key trends were identified:

1. AI-Driven Material Genomics: Leveraging vast databases and reinforcement learning for rapid inverse design, drastically shortening R&D cycles.
2. Atom Manufacturing & Cross-Scale Integration: Utilizing techniques like molecular beam epitaxy and in-situ monitoring to enable breakthroughs in extreme-dimension growth theory and technology.
3. Multidisciplinary Symbiosis & Ecosystem Restructuring: Developing holistic lifecycle assessment theories and circular manufacturing technologies. Applications in zero-carbon buildings and deep-space exploration necessitate multi-field coupling and materials designed for complex environments, driving revolutionary paradigm shifts in system design.

Participants strongly advocated for continued deep exploration of new technologies and methods in this field to enhance energy conversion efficiency, powering the next generation of intelligent, integrated applications, and advancing towards China's "dual carbon" target.

[https://xssc.ac.cn/waiwangNew/index.html#/xsscNew/detailsNew/687951600ed8880e72fe6b922f7479ac]

Background on Xiangshan Science Conferences:

Founded in 1993, the prestigious Xiangshan Science Conference series has held nearly 800 sessions to date. Renowned for fostering high-level, cross-disciplinary dialogue among small groups of experts, it prioritizes exploring scientific frontiers, discussing breakthrough progress, exchanging innovative ideas, and identifying emerging interdisciplinary fields. These conferences have significantly supported China's major scientific and technological planning decisions. The Youth Symposium, initiated in 2018, specifically spotlight the contributions of emerging scientific leaders.

Group photo of participants