Research Research

最小化 最大化

    Echoed with the pursuit of sustainable chemistry, the field of synthetic organic chemistry faces the challenges to achieve exquisite controls of reactivity and selectivity, to attain rapid constructions of complex molecules of interests and to develop practical and environmental-benign chemical processes. Catalysis is one of the fundamental tools to address these challenges. Accordingly, our primary research goal is to invent and develop novel enantioselective catalysts that enable transformations with fundamental synthetic interests and broad utility. We're particularly interested in the development of viable small molecular catalysts that operate through novel activation modes using bio-inspired principles and strategies.
 
  Asymmetric small molecular Lewis Acid/base catalysts.
    The manipulation of acid/base properties of molecules has largely shaped the field of organocatalysis with far-reaching impacts on related metal and enzyme catalysis. Our research in this area is to develop viable and reliable small molecular Lewis acid/base catalysts with broad synthetic utility. We have developed functionalized chiral ionic liquid catalysts, bioinspired primary amine catalysts and asymmetric binary acid catalysts. Combining supramolecular principles with small molecular catalytic capability, we are also developing asymmetric supramolecular catalysts with biomimetic features.
 
  Enantioselective C-C bond formation via C-C σ bond activation.
    Activation of an otherwise inert bond such as C-H, C-C σ bond has attracted increasing attentions due to its great potentials in the development of efficient and (atom-, step- and redox-) economic transformations. Stereoselective transformations based on C-C bond activation has been scarcely explored and largely remained an elusive goal. We're investigating enantioselective C-C bond formation reactions via C-C σ bond activation by the use of cheap metals.
 
  Total synthesis of natural products.
    Ultimately, our research is to use the established catalytic systems in the asymmetric total synthesis of natural products with interesting biological profiles and unique structural features. As a return, the identified targets as well as the challenges encountered during their synthesis would serve as inspiring sources and driving forces for catalytic methodology development.