Xiao Guangyan

Guangyan Xiao (, sometimes written as Xiao Guangyan or Xiao Guang Yan, – ) was a Chinese petrochemist known for his research on catalysts used in petroleum processing.

Xiao was born in Japan to Chinese parents. He later moved to the United States to pursue his studies, enrolling at Pasadena City College in 1940 before transferring to Pomona College, where he earned a B.A. in chemistry in 1942. He subsequently obtained a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Chicago.

Following the establishment of the People's Republic of China, Xiao returned to China in 1951. He became a pioneering figure in petrochemical research, focusing on catalysts for hydrocracking, hydroisomerization, and other petroleum processing techniques.

During the Cultural Revolution, Yan fell out of favor and, in 1968, died by suicide along with his wife and daughter. He was posthumously rehabilitated in 1972.

Biography

Early life and years in the United States Xiao Guangyan was born on September 15, 1920, in Tokyo Prefecture, Empire of Japan. His father, Xiao Quanxuan, was a military attaché at the Embassy of the Republic of China in Japan and later served as a minister in the Wang Jingwei regime.

From 1928 to 1937, Xiao attended Shanghai Nanyang Model Middle and Primary School. In February 1937, he moved to the United States, where he enrolled at Pasadena City College. He completed high school in 1938 and finished his freshman and sophomore courses with honors in 1940. He then transferred to the Department of Chemistry at Pomona College, where he completed his senior year and graduated in 1942. After living in Beijing for some time, he moved to Dalian, where he joined the Dalian branch of the Northeast Institute of Science (later the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics).

Following these proceedings, Xiao Guangyan was fully rehabilitated in the People's Republic of China.