Peking University, November 11, 2020: To commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of Xu Guangxian, an exhibition featuring Xu and his wife Gao Xiaoxia was held at Peking University on November 6.

Xu Guangxian (1920-2015), a member of Chinese Academy of Sciences, was a renowned chemist and professor of the College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering at Peking University. Known as "The Father of Chinese Rare Earths Chemistry", Xu received multiple awards, including the State Preeminent Science and Technology Award which is China’s top scientific honor. Xu was long engaged in the teaching and research of physical chemistry and inorganic chemistry. He established a basic law that the rare earth solvent extraction system has a "constant mixture ratio", and a universal theory of cascade extraction in the 1970s.

Gao Xiaoxia (1919-1998), Xu’s wife, was also a renowned chemist and a member of Chinese Academy of Sciences. Gao’s research focus was analytical chemistry. Her contributions to the field, particularly the development of microanalytical techniques in polarography, were instrumental in supporting the research and production of rare earths.

Written by: Shi Zhenyu

Edited by: Fan Xueyuan

Source: PKU News (Chinese)