Postgraduate students from Professor Yang Yong’s team won the championship in the “Challenge Cup” Jiebang Gua Shuai (Challenge-the-Task) competition

        From October 10th to 12th, the main stage of the 19th "Challenge Cup" 2025 China Youth Science and Technology Innovation Jiebang Gua Shuai (Challenge-the-Task) competition in the field of new materials was held in Longyan. The event was jointly organized by the Communist Youth League Central Committee, the China Association for Science and Technology, the Ministry of Education, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and the All-China Students' Federation. Over 400 students and young scientific and technological talents from 110 competing teams participated in the competition. After intense competition, the " Neutron–Fiber Dual-Modality: Non-Destructive Diagnostics of Lithium-Battery Electrolytes under Multidimensional Operating Conditions." project of the "Double-Jing Probing Microcosm" team, led by Professor Yang Yong, won the first place in the group and claimed the title of "Leader" along with a 100,000-yuan prize. This is the first time that Xiamen University has won the title of "Leader" in this competition.

        The team comprises seven undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students: Hu Yonggang (team leader; direct-track Ph.D. candidate in Energy Chemistry, the 2020 grade), Xia Meng (Ph.D. candidate, the 2023 grade), Liu Xinyang, Tao Yuanzhe, Ding Meifang, Hu Zheng, and Cui Xiuqi. Professor Yang Yong—Chair of the International Battery Materials Society, recipient of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, and professor at Xiamen University—serves as the lead advisor. Professor Yang emphasizes translating scientific advances and supporting national key R&D programs, collaborating with leading experts, guiding students in tackling research challenges, and offering on-site support during the competition. Additional advisors include Associate Professor Jin Yanting (Xiamen University) and Dr. Chen Jie (Special Research Fellow, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences).

        In this tournament, 13 project topics were released covering fields such as new lithium battery materials, new fluorine-containing materials, semiconductor materials, and high-performance metal materials. Among them, our team selected the competition topic entitled "Research on On-line/Non-destructive Electrolyte Characterization Technology for Energy Storage Batteries". The team integrated the dual modes of neutron imaging technology and integrated optical fiber gas sensing technology. This technology enables non-destructive monitoring of the total amount and components of electrolytes under operating conditions, and boasts significant advantages in in-situ monitoring.