Education:

2007-2012   Ph.D., Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, CAS

                    Advisor: Professor Dawei Ma

2003-2007   B. S., Chemistry, Nanjing University

                    Advisor: Professor Chengjian Zhu and Yixiang Chen

Academic Career:

2020-present  Professor, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, CAS

2015-2020    Assistant Professor, ShanghaiTech University    

2013-2015    Postdoctoral Fellow, Princeton University

                     Advisor: Professor David W. C. MacMillan

Awards & Honors:

2019 Thieme Chemistry Journals Award

2020 ACS Catalysis Early Career Advisory Board

Research Interest:

The Zuo Research Group is interested in addressing long-standing synthetic challenges through the development of innovative catalytic platforms. We are particularly interested in the creative use of light energy and environmentally benign metals to achieve the direct activation of feedstock chemicals, including methane, light alkanes, and commonly occurring starting materials, for the syntheses of value-added products. We have been exploring ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) excitation of in situ formed metal complexes to generate various energetically challenging radicals and have achieved selective transformations of C(sp3)–H and C–C bonds. With powerful tools in organometallic chemistry, photochemistry, and photophysics, as well as flow technology, our group endeavors to develop practical synthetic processes for important basic chemicals and pharmaceuticals.

Selected Publications:

1. “Multiplicative Enhancement of Stereoenrichment by a Single Catalyst for Deracemization of Alcohols”. Lu Wen, Jia Ding, Lingfei Duan, Shun Wang, Qing An, Hexiang Wang, and Zhiwei Zuo* Science. 2023, 10.1126/science.adj0040.

2. “Resurgence and Advancement of Photochemical Hydrogen Atom Transfer Processes in Selective Alkane Functionalizations”. Liang Chang, Shun Wang, Qing An, Linxuan Liu, Hexiang Wang, Yubo Li, Kaixuan Feng and Zhiwei Zuo*  Chem. Sci., 2023, 14, 6841.

3. “Identification of Alkoxy Radicals as Hydrogen Atom Transfer Agents in Ce-Catalyzed C–H Functionalization”. Qing An, Yang-Yang Xing, Ruihua Pu, Menghui Jia, Yuegang Chen, Anhua Hu, Shuo-Qing Zhang, Na Yu, Jianbo Du, Yanxia Zhang, Jinquan Chen*, Weimin Liu*, Xin Hong*, and Zhiwei Zuo* J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2023, 145, 359.

4. “Alkoxy Radicals See the Light: New Paradigms of Photochemical Synthesis”. Liang Chang, Qing An, Lingfei Duan, Kaixuan Feng, and Zhiwei Zuo*, Chem. Rev. 2022, 122, 2429.

5. “Photocatalytic dehydroxymethylative arylation by synergistic cerium and nickel catalysis”. Yuegang Chen, Xin Wang, Xu He, Qing An, and Zhiwei Zuo*, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 4896.

6. “Photocatalytic Aerobic Oxidative Ring Expansion of Cyclic Ketones to Macrolactones by Cerium and Cyanoanthracene Catalysis.” Jianbo Du#; Xiaokun Yang#; Xin Wang; Qing An; Xu He; Hui Pan; Zhiwei Zuo*, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2021, 60, 5370.

7. “Cerium-Catalyzed C-H Functionalizations of Alkanes Utilizing Alcohols as Hydrogen Atom Transfer Agents.” Qing An, Ziyu Wang, Yuegang Chen, Xin Wang, Kaining Zhang, Hui Pan, Weimin Liu,* and Zhiwei Zuo*, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2020, 142, 6216.

8. “Selective C-C Bond Scission of Ketones via Visible-Light-Mediated Cerium Catalysis.” Yilin Chen, Jianbo Du, Zhiwei Zuo*, Chem. 2020, 6, 266.

9. “Dehydroxymethylation of Alcohols Enabled by Cerium Photocatalysis.” Kaining Zhang, Liang Chang, Qing An, Xin Wang, Zhiwei Zuo*, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2019, 141, 10556.

10. “Selective Functionalization of Methane, Ethane, and Higher Alkanes by Cerium Photocatalysis.” Anhua Hu, Jing-Jing Guo, Hui Pan, Zhiwei Zuo*, Science 2018, 361, 668.

11. “Cerium-Catalyzed Formal Cycloaddition of Cycloalkanols with Alkenes through Dual Photoexcitation.” Anhua Hu, Yilin Chen, Jing-Jing Guo, Na Yu, Qing An, and Zhiwei Zuo*, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 13580.

12. “δ-Selective Functionalization of Alkanols Enabled by Visible-light-induced Ligand-to-metal Charge Transfer.” Anhua Hu, Jing-Jing Guo，Hui Pan, Haoming Tang, Zhaobo Gao, Zhiwei Zuo*, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 1612.

13. “Photocatalytic C？C Bond Cleavage and Amination of Cycloalkanols by Cerium(III) Chloride Complex.” Jing-Jing Guo, Anhua Hu, Yiling Chen, Jianfeng Sun, Haoming Tang, Zhiwei Zuo*, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2016, 55, 15319.