China Vitae

Biography

Cai Qirui, male, Han nationality, is a native of Xiamen City, Fujian Province. He was born in 1914, graduated from Xiamen University in 1937, and received his Ph. D from Ohio State University in 1950.

Cai Qirui is a physical chemist who has systematically elaborated the concept of catalysis by the coordination activation of unsaturated organic molecules. He has put forward cubane-like cluster models of nitrogenase active center and the concept of synergistic effect of multinuclear coordination in lowering the energy-barrier of partially hydrogenated intermediate of dinitrogen and applied a similar concept to elucidate the mechanism of ammonia synthesis on iron catalysts and promoter actions in CO hydrogenation to methanol or ethanol on metal catalysts. Cai also put forward a mechanism of oxygen-assisted activation of alkanes and some ideas about catalyst design, preparation and experimental testing. Cai has published over 70 theses.