A big future hanging by a thread

China is at the forefront of technology development and among the ground-breaking research being undertaken by scientists there, a project looking into applications of carbon nanotubes exemplifies the country's approach

With the likes of Cao Anyuan, a professor in the department of advanced materials and nanotechnology at Peking University, China is moving up the global scientific rankings.

The properties of carbon nanotubes have created quite a buzz among scientists.

These cylindrical forms of carbon can be just a few nanometres wide, yet extend for many centimetres, a reflection of their extraordinary strength. A human hair is between 50,000 and 100,000 nanometres across.

"We are now growing these materials to test their properties and we explore more possible applications," says Cao Anyuan, a professor in the department of advanced materials and nanotechnology at Peking University.

In his laboratory in north-west Beijing, Prof Cao has a furnace that creates carbon nanotubes at temperatures as high as 1,000°C. Other equipment tests the tubes' mechanical and optical properties.

Prof Cao and his fellow researchers are particularly focused on using carbon nanotubes in solar energy technology, trying to find ways of replacing silicon-based cells with cheaper alternatives. Another area of interest is the use of porous nanomaterials to absorb pollutants to clean water.

"We are testing these materials to purify contaminants in water, including organic molecules and heavy metals," he says.

A former visiting scholar at Harvard University, Prof Cao returned to China two years ago after a seven-year stint in the US that included three years as an assistant professor at the University of Hawaii.

With people such as Prof Cao heading up its research groups, it is perhaps no wonder that China is moving up the global scientific rankings at a pace no less rapid than the country's wider economic ascendancy.

A report recently published by The Royal Society in London, titled Knowledge, Networks and Nations, finds China is now second to the US in the number of scientific papers it publishes. The UK is third, followed by Germany and Japan.

Fifteen years ago, the US published more than 10 times as many scientific papers as China, almost 300,000 compared with a little over 25,000. By 2008, the US had increased its tally of peer-reviewed papers slightly, reaching just over 316,000, while China had enjoyed sevenfold growth, with 184,000 papers released.

While science is being rapidly developed in other countries, notably Iran, Turkey, Tunisia and parts of South East Asia, none has equalled China's growth.

The Royal Society says in its report China could overtake the US as the largest generator of scientific papers as soon as 2013.

The report highlights areas such as nanotechnology, in which Prof Cao specialises, as being particular strengths in China.

Between 2006 and last year, China's spending on nanotechnology was more than 5 billion yuan (Dh2.82bn), more than three times the figure for 2000 to 2005. The number of nanotechnology patent applications nearly tripled between 2005 and 2009, increasing from 4,600 to 12,000.

The expansion of China's scientific sector is equalled by growth in industrial research and development. In 2008, two years before China overtook Japan to become the world's second-largest economy, the country became the world's second-highest spender on research and development, again displacing Japan.

It all ties in with the authorities' vision of China's as a high-technology, value-added economy that does not just manufacture cutting-edge products such as computers, solar panels, wind turbines and cars, but also develops them.

"Efforts should be made to boost scientific research and technical innovation, cultivate talent in high-tech fields, and enhance overseas co-operation in both technologies and investment," says Jia Qinglin, the fourth most senior member of China's politburo standing committee, on a visit to high-tech industries in Shenzhen this month. He dropped in on BYD, the car company part-owned by the US investor Warren Buffett and known for its advanced batteries.

While China's spending on research and development was equivalent to 1.44 per cent of GDP in 2007, the state council, the country's cabinet, wants that figure to have reached 2.5 per cent by 2020.

Typical of the Chinese companies working at the leading edge is SuZhou Canfuo Nano Technology, based in Suzhou, west of Shanghai.

The company is, according to Liao Yongzhi, from the marketing section, not only harnessing the latest technological developments, but also making use of the low-cost mass-production techniques, that underpin China's economic miracle.

"We can seize opportunities through our continuous efforts," says Mr Liao.

Computing is another field in which China is determined to challenge established players. Late last year, China took the US's crown as the country with the fastest computer, the Tianhe-1A. Moreover, while the Tianhe 1A uses 1,400 Intel processors, China is developing its own Loongson chip that is designed to challenge the US processor.

Yet behind China's ambition and achievements, concerns remain.

In scientific research, while the country publishes the world's second-largest number of papers, these tend to be cited by other scientists less frequently than those from key players such as the US and the UK.

One problem is the pressure researchers in China face simply to publish, and this can compromise quality. It is an issue Prof Cao is aware of, and he is keen to ensure his laboratory does not fall prey to this problem.

"I think there's a long way for us to go," he says. "We have started to realise we need to do high-quality research, not just to publish more papers.

"In my group, I ask students to do high-level research. We talk about quality rather than numbers."