Chen Zhu

Associate Professor

NSFC Excellent Scientist

chen.zhu@eitech.edu.cn

Background Information: 

Dr. Chen Zhu currently serves as an associate professor and Ph.D. supervisor in the College of Science at Eastern Institute of Technology, Ningbo. He earned his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in 2014, 2017, and 2019, respectively, from the Department of Chemistry at RWTH Aachen University, Germany, under the guidance of Prof. Magnus Rueping. For his exceptional work during his Ph.D., he was awarded the honor degree Summa Cum Laude (with the Highest Honors) and the Borchers-Plakette Medal by RWTH Aachen University in 2019. Subsequently, he held positions as a postdoctoral fellow and research scientist at the Catalysis Center at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). His primary research areas encompass organic photochemistry, electrochemistry, transition metal catalysis, DFT calculation, machine learning, and automation. To date, he has authored 36 academic papers. Out of these, he is the first or corresponding author for 21 papers, which include publications in journals such as 1 Nat. Catal., 1 Nat. Synth., 3 Nat. Commun., 7 Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 1 CCS Chem., 1 JACS Au, and 2 Chem. Sci. Among these publications, five have been recognized as ESI highly cited papers. He boasts over 1500 citations with an H-index of 17.


Research Field:

1. Research in organic chemistry methodology, including organic photocatalysis, organic electrocatalysis, transition metal catalysis, and asymmetric catalysis.

2. Theoretical DFT (Density Functional Theory) calculations research, utilizing DFT to study organic reaction mechanisms.

3. Organic synthesis and catalysis combined with machine learning, theoretical calculations, and high-throughput methods.


Educational Background:

2017-2019: Ph.D. in Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Department of Chemistry, Germany.

2014-2017: Master's in Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Department of Chemistry, Germany.

2010-2014: Bachelor's in Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Department of Chemistry, Germany.


Work Experience:

2023-present: Eastern Institute of Technology, Ningbo, College of Science, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor.

2020-2023: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Catalysis Center, Research Scientist.

2019-2020: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Catalysis Center, Postdoctoral Fellow.


Academic Experience:

2018.01-2018.06:King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Catalysis Center, Exchange Student.

2019.01-2019.06:King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Catalysis Center, Exchange Student.


Awards and Honors:

2019: Ph.D. with the highest honors (Summa Cum Laude).

2019: Borchers-Plakette Medal from RWTH Aachen University.


Representative Works:

General Information

To date, he has authored 36 academic papers. Out of these, he is the first or corresponding author for 21 papers, which include publications in journals such as 1 Nat. Catal., 1 Nat. Synth., 3 Nat. Commun., 7 Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 1 CCS Chem., 1 JACS Au, and 2 Chem. Sci. Among these publications, five have been recognized as ESI highly cited papers. He boasts over 1500 citations with an H-index of 17.


Google Scholar:

https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=qk4aBQkAAAAJ


Scopus:

https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=56412297000


10 representative publications (* indicates corresponding author):

1. C. Zhu#, H. Yue#, B. Maity, I. Atodiresei, L. Cavallo*, M. Rueping*, A Multicomponent Synthesis of Stereodefined Olefins via Nickel Catalysis and Single Electron/Triplet Energy Transfer, Nat. Catal., 2019, 2, 678-687. (IF= 40.7)

2. C. Zhu#, H. Chen#, H. Yue*, M. Rueping*, Electrochemical Chemo- and Regioselective Arylalkylation, Dialkylation, and Hydro(Deutero)alkylation of 1,3-Enynes, Nat. Synth., 2023, 2, DOI: 10.1038/s44160-023-00349-9.

3. H. Chen#, C. Zhu# (co-first author), H. Yue*, M. Rueping*, Group 14 Element Hetero-Difunctionalizations via Electrochemically Ni-Catalyzed Reductive Cross-Coupling, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2023, e202306498. (IF= 17.7)

4. L. Xing#, Q. Yang#, C. Zhu# (co-first author), Y. Bai, Y. Tang, M. Rueping*, Y. Cai*, Poly(heptazine imide) ligand exchange enables remarkable low catalyst loadings in heterogeneous metallaphotocatalysis, Nat. Commun. 2023, 14, 1501. (IF= 17.7)

5. T. Long#, C. Zhu# (co-first author), L. Li, S. Zhu, M. Rueping*, L. Chu*, Ligand-Controlled Stereodivergent Alkenylation of Alkynes to Access Functionalized trans- and cis-1,3-Dienes, Nat. Commun. 2023, 14, 55. (IF= 17.7)

6. Z.-J. Shen#, C. Zhu# (co-first author), X. Zhang, C. Yang, M. Rueping*, L. Guo*, W. Xia*, Organoboron Reagent-Controlled Selective (Deutero)Hydrodefluorination, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2022, e202217244. (IF= 16.8)

7. C. Zhu, S. C. Lee, H. Chen, H. Yue*, M. Rueping*, Reductive cross-coupling of α-oxy halides enabled by thermal catalysis, photocatalysis, electrocatalysis, or mechanochemistry, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2022, e202204212. (Hot Paper) (IF= 16.8)

8. C. Zhu, H. Yue*, M. Rueping*, Nickel catalyzed multicomponent stereodivergent synthesis of olefins enabled by electrochemistry, photocatalysis and photo-electrochemistry, Nat. Commun. 2022, 13, 3240. (IF= 17.7)

9. H. Chen, H. Yue, C. Zhu*, M. Rueping*, Reactivity in Nickel-Catalyzed Multi-component Sequential Reductive Cross-Coupling Reactions, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2022, e202204144. (IF= 16.8)

10. C. Zhu#, H. Yue#, J. Jia, M. Rueping*, Nickel-Catalyzed C-Heteroatom Cross-Coupling Reactions under Mild Conditions via Facilitated Reductive Elimination, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2021, 60, 17810–17831. (IF= 16.8)