Cross-disciplinary advances brought about by new discoveries in chemistry have accelerated innovation in biomedicine, energy and environment research. For the Distinguished Lecture Series on Chemistry of the Hong Kong Institute for Advanced Study (HKIAS) at the City University of Hong Kong (CityU), three world-leading professors have shared their latest research results, attracting an online attendance of more than 1,000 experts and students. The lecture series features the latest significant ideas in chemistry, materials sciences, and other disciplinary advances to reveal understandings about the natural world.