Science Belongs to Humanity

Christian Amatore, a world-renowned French electrochemist, has dedicated decades to expanding the frontiers of scientific knowledge. As a distinguished visiting professor at Xiamen University and a foreign academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, his work has made significant contributions to both fundamental research and practical applications.

Amatore recently told Science and Technology Daily about his passion for advancing chemistry, along with his unwavering commitment to fostering international collaboration.

Never stop asking why

From an early age, Amatore was captivated by the mysteries of the world around him. Growing up in post-war France, he belonged to a generation encouraged to explore science and engineering to help rebuild society. But chemistry was not his first love. "I saw chemistry as a collection of knowledge and facts — sometimes fun, a bit magical, but disconnected from everyday life," said Amatore.

His perception changed dramatically in his sophomore year when a professor demonstrated how chemistry, grounded in mathematics and physics, could unlock a deeper understanding of both the physical and biological worlds. "From then on, I decided to perfect my education in maths and physics, but my main interest was in chemistry," he said. Fifty years later, he still gets the pleasure of "figuring things out," as American theoretical physicist Richard Feynman used to say.

Amatore's lifelong curiosity and dedication to science continue to inspire students and researchers worldwide. "A good scientist must keep their curiosity intact. Science is about questioning the world, striving to understand it better and sharing that knowledge across borders."

Being a pioneer

Amatore is known for his pioneering work in ultramicroelectrodes, a revolutionary advancement in electrochemistry. According to this French scientist, electrochemistry is best represented in our lives today by batteries, which power our cell phones, computers, and electric cars. However, electrochemistry is far more than just energy storage. It is the science of interactions between electrons and molecules. Most of the "life" of molecules, what chemists call "reactions," can ultimately be explained by the exchange of electrons between molecules. The study of these fundamental processes has profound implications in biology, medicine, and materials science. "Our cells get and use their energy through electrochemical processes. When you read these lines, your eyes convert light into electrons that activate neurons in your brain, engaging in electrochemical crosstalk," he said.

Amatore and his collaborator Mark Wightman pioneered the use of ultramicroelectrodes, initially a tenth of a millimeter in size, to record electrochemical currents at the microscopic level. "We and other scientists have now reached nanometric dimensions — a few millionths of a millimeter. These micro-, ultramicro-, and nanoelectrodes have become essential tools in studying the dynamics of chemical and biological phenomena, much like microscopes provide images of the microscopic world."

Global nature of scientific progress

For Amatore, science knows no borders. He has been a passionate advocate for international collaboration, especially between China and France, believing that the fusion of diverse perspectives fuels groundbreaking discoveries.

Shortly after being appointed as a foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, he attended a ceremony celebrating Franco-Chinese scientific cooperation. There, a Chinese physicist posed a thought-provoking question: "What do you think of Chinese science?" Amatore's response was unexpected and momentarily stunned the room. "I cannot answer your question," he said, "because there is no such thing as Chinese science." Then he clarified, "Science, like all the other arts, belongs to humanity. From its earliest development, scientists have understood that local cultural needs drive certain areas of scientific interest, but scientific knowledge itself is universal."

His collaborations have led to more partnerships, including the establishment of the CNRS International Laboratory of Fundamental Electrochemistry at Xiamen University.

In the early 2000s, he visited laboratories across China to identify potential partners. Ultimately, Xiamen University's lab was selected due to its excellence in fundamental electrochemistry, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), and electrochemical catalysis.

The success of this joint laboratory led to the creation of a second international laboratory, NanoBioCatEchem, extending research into neuroscience and oxidative stress. These collaborations advanced scientific research and trained new generations of scientists.

Having visited China for over two decades, Amatore has witnessed firsthand the country's rapid technological growth. One of the most striking developments he has observed is China's progress in AI, quantum computing, and renewable energy. "Every day China brings achievements that I could never have predicted to happen at such a pace. It is leading in many key areas of scientific innovation."

Xiamen University also contributed to this article.

Source: Science and Technology Daily