Young scientist creates breakthrough in materials for national defense

MSc. Nguyen Ba Manh was honored with the 2025 Golden Globe Award for his work on MOF materials for defense and clean energy applications.

MSc. Nguyen Ba Manh (Institute of Chemistry, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology) has just become one of the 10 faces honored with the 2025 Golden Globe Award in the field of new materials technology with research on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) applied in defense, clean energy and environmental treatment. One of the products has been deployed in practice at Brigade 86, Chemical Corps.

MSc. Nguyen Ba Manh (Institute of Chemistry, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology). Photo: VNA.

Breakthrough in MOF material technology for defense and environment

The research field that MSc. Nguyen Ba Manh pursues is the synthesis technology of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), one of the advanced development directions of materials science today. MOFs are materials with a special crystal structure, bringing the ability to be widely applied in many fields such as defense, security, clean energy, biomedicine and environmental treatment.

Mr. Nguyen Ba Manh (3rd from right) received the VIFOTEC 2024 award.

In particular, the project "Research on technology for manufacturing metal-organic framework materials applied in the fields of national defense, security, clean energy production, environmental treatment and food preservation", chaired by MSc. Nguyen Ba Manh, has excellently won the Vietnam Science and Technology Innovation Award (VIFOTEC) in 2024.

His work and that of his colleagues has revolutionized the technology of producing metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), shortening the synthesis time from 3 days to 30 minutes, opening an era of wide application in defense, clean energy and environmental pollution treatment.

The project is considered by experts to be an important breakthrough, not only of national significance but also opening up opportunities for Vietnam to master MOF material technology, which previously relied heavily on imports.

According to MSc. Nguyen Ba Manh, the research team applied the microwave hydrothermal method in the material synthesis process, helping to shorten the reaction time to only 5-30 minutes, reduce the reaction temperature to 80-100°C, and use environmentally friendly water solvents.

The microwave reactor developed by the team has a simple structure, compact size, easy operation, low investment cost, suitable for flexible deployment in many domestic research and production facilities.

Based on this technology, the group has successfully synthesized 14 material systems from available raw materials in Vietnam. The new materials demonstrate the ability to absorb and rapidly decompose many toxic pollutants, such as microplastics in water, toxic gases such as hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), carbon dioxide (CO₂), and especially compounds that simulate nerve agents, one of the most dangerous pollutants in chemical and biological warfare.

Test results at To Lich River, West Lake, Red River and Hoan Kiem Lake ( Hanoi ) show that the new material can absorb almost all microplastics in just 45 minutes. In the defense field, this material has a speed of processing nerve agent simulants 10 to 120 times faster than imported materials. The technology has been deployed in practice at Brigade 86, Chemical Corps.

In addition, the new MOF material has also proven effective in treating industrial emissions, helping to remove toxic sulfur compounds that are often generated at thermal power plants and chemical facilities. Thanks to that, this technology not only contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving urban air quality, but also opens up a direction for green, sustainable and environmentally friendly industrial development.

The journey from national excellent student to talented scientist

Born in Quynh Luu ( Nghe An ), student Nguyen Ba Manh soon revealed a special love for chemical experiments. Right from his high school years, he won second prize twice in the National Chemistry Olympiad (2016, 2018).

At the age of 23, he graduated from the Faculty of Petroleum, University of Mining and Geology, one year earlier than the regular program. In 2022, Nguyen Ba Manh successfully defended his Master's thesis at Hanoi University of Science and Technology with a near-perfect score of 3.94/4 (equivalent to 9.38/10), and continued to study as a doctoral student at the Academy of Science and Technology.

Since 2018, when he officially became a researcher at the Institute of Chemistry, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, the journey to conquer science of the young man Nguyen Ba Manh really began to open up.

At the age of 30, MSc. Nguyen Ba Manh has 39 international articles, including 22 in Q1 - the world's leading prestigious journal group, as the main author and project manager of the project that won the Vietnam Science and Technology Innovation Award (VIFOTEC) 2024.

MSc. Nguyen Ba Manh believes that the essence of science does not lie in the laboratory, but in the ability to help people live better, where knowledge is spread and serves the community. And to allow scientists to freely contribute and create, policies for scientists are very important.

One of the key factors that helped his research projects to be deployed smoothly and soon step out of the laboratory framework is the support from major policies of the Party and State, especially Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW dated December 22, 2024 of the Politburo on breakthroughs in science and technology development, innovation and national digital transformation.

The State has shown clear priority for the development of science and technology, not only through strategic orientation but also through investment and specific, practical policies. In particular, it encourages the connection between the State - scientists - enterprises. That is opening up great opportunities for young researchers, creating a strong driving force for innovation linked to practical applications.

In addition to the above awards, MSc. Manh also received the Ho Chi Minh City Science Award 2025 and the Creative Labor Badge awarded by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor. Notably, in 2024, he was one of 200 outstanding intellectuals and scientists invited to attend a meeting chaired by General Secretary To Lam.

Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/nha-khoa-hoc-tre-tao-buoc-dot-pha-vat-lieu-phuc-vu-quoc-phong-post2149062381.html