On September 23, 2025, Zhang Zhen (Class of 2021) and Ren Zhichu (class of 2018), Chemistry graduates of Zhiyuan College, have had published a research paper titled "A multimodal robotic platform for multi-element electrocatalyst discovery" as co-first authors in the top international academic journal Nature. This work has developed a new type of intelligent platform named "CRESt (Copilot for Real-world Experimental Scientists)", which combines multimodal large models with high-throughput automated experiments. By integrating human experiences, literature knowledge and microstructure information, the research and development efficiency of catalysts has been significantly enhanced.

Zhang Zhen and Ren Zhichu, together with members of their research team, have utilized the CRESt platform, took the electrocatalytic oxidation reaction of formic acid as an example and completed the formulation exploration of over 900 catalysts and more than 3,500 electrochemical tests within 3 months, successfully discovering a variety of highly efficient catalysts. The performance of one of the new eight-element alloy catalysts has been improved by 9.3 times compared to the pure palladium benchmark, demonstrating great application potential. This research demonstrates the possibility of integrating "proposing hypotheses, conducting robot experiments, obtaining data, analyzing and learning, and proposing new hypotheses" into a closed-loop exploration process, providing a feasible path for the research and development of "unmanned laboratories" through high-throughput materials in the future.

Zhang Zhen

Ren Zhichu

Zhang Zhen and Ren Zhichu both studied at Zhiyuan College for bachelor degree, and pursued a doctoral degree in the Department of Materials Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology after graduation. At present, Zhang Zhen is in the doctoral stage and has been engaged in cutting-edge scientific research in the field of AI for Science. Ren Zhichu obtained his doctoral degree in 2024, after graduation, he founded a company named LineWise and received investment from Y Combinator, a top incubator in Silicon Valley. LineWise is dedicated to creating an AI assistant for engineers in the manufacturing industry, helping them to accelerate fault detection, root cause location, and reduce unexpected downtime on production lines.

The original link: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09640-5