The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) has announced the 2025 recipients of its Distinguished Women in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering Award, with Lin Zhang from Central South University in Changsha, Hunan province, among the 12 global honorees. The prestigious award recognizes outstanding female scientists and engineers who have made significant contributions to the fields of chemistry and chemical engineering.

Lin is a leading figure in environmental science and engineering at CSU and serves as the executive deputy director of the Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Control & Treatment of Heavy Metal Pollution. Her pioneering work focuses on the chemistry of heavy metal pollution control and addressing the challenges in environmental engineering.

Breaking away from traditional theories that view heavy metals as existing only in free or mineral forms, she discovered how heavy metals behave at a microscopic level in the environment. This breakthrough led to her innovative research on the interfacial characteristics and regulatory behaviors of heavy metal particles at the micro-nano scale, revolutionizing risk assessment and precision control of heavy metal pollution.

Her groundbreaking theories have been validated in over 40 engineering projects, demonstrating their universal applicability. She has also developed a key phase mineralization technology for the resource-based treatment of heavy metal solid waste, earning 176 authorized patents, including 14 international Patent Cooperation Treaties.

IUPAC, the world’s largest and most authoritative chemical organization, established the Distinguished Women in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering Award in 2011 to celebrate women’s achievements in these fields. The award is granted biennially to 12 exceptional individuals and recognizes groundbreaking research, educational excellence or leadership.

Over the years, it has gained international recognition and played a pivotal role in promoting the influence of women in science.