Xu Renkou

Xu Renkou serves as Director of the Soil Chemistry and Environmental Protection Laboratory at the Nanjing Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Head of the Soil Interface Processes and Effects Team at the State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture. He holds doctoral supervisor status and serves as Deputy Director of the Soil Chemistry Committee of the Chinese Society of Soil Science while acting as Scientific Advisor to the International Foundation for Science (IFS).

His research focuses on surface electrochemical properties of variable-charge soils, soil acidification mechanisms, aluminum chemistry, and heavy metal behavior at soil/water interfaces. Current investigations examine interactions between charged surfaces in soil (colloids, organic matter, microorganisms, plant roots), clay mineral evolution during soil formation, acidification control methods, and biochar applications for soil improvement. His group actively pursues six major projects including National Natural Science Foundation key projects on root-soil interactions and red soil acidification control.

Xu's publication record includes over 200 Chinese and English papers with more than 80 SCI-indexed articles in top journals like Soil Biology & Biochemistry and Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. His research demonstrates consistent innovation in understanding adsorption mechanisms of organic acids on variable-charge soils, aluminum-organic acid interactions, particle surface diffusion layer effects on acidification, and heavy metal remediation technologies. His work bridges fundamental surface chemistry with practical soil restoration applications.

Scientific recognition includes the 2010 Zhu Liyuehua Outstanding Teacher Award from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. His group has mentored numerous award-winning students including multiple recipients of Chinese Academy of Sciences President Scholarships and Jiangsu Province Outstanding Master's Thesis Awards.

• Key projects include National Natural Science Foundation key projects on root-soil interactions
• 973 Project on red soil acidification control principles
• Academy Knowledge Innovation Project on tropical soil electrochemistry
• Multiple NSFC general projects on nanoparticle interactions and paddy soil evolution

The research team maintains strong international collaborations with scientists in Canada, Australia, Russia, United States, and India, conducting joint research on surface chemistry and soil acidification. Their laboratory develops patented soil remediation technologies including acidic soil green improvers and biochar-based solutions.