Jianchun Wang, PhD. is a tenure-track associate professor in the Grubbs Institute, SUSTech. He obtained B.S. in chemistry from Peking University in 2014. After that, he went to the U.S. for graduate school. Under the supervision of Prof. Guangbin Dong, he obtained PhD in chemistry from the University of Chicago. One of the major contributions of his research is designing several families of norbornene co-catalysts to solve many major challenges in the Pd/NBE catalysis field. During 2019 – 2021, he became postdoctoral researcher at Caltech with Bob Grubbs, where he majorly focused on electrochemical CO2 reduction as well as olefin metathesis. He joined SUSTech in Oct 2021.

The Wang group at SUSTech is focused on organic synthesis (transition metal catalysis and electrocatalysis) Especially, we are interested in borrowing new concepts from the field of electrochemical materials, so that we can design novel new electrocatalysts and explore novel and simple solutions for challenges in organic chemistry.

Rewards:

2020, Reaxys PhD Prize, winner, Elsevier

2018, Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self Financed Students Abroad, China Scholarship Council

2018, William Rainey Harper Dissertation Completion Fellowship Award, University of Chicago

2018, George Van Dyke Tiers Graduate Fellowship, University of Chicago

2017, Everett E. Gilbert Memorial Prize for the Best Third Year Experimentalist in Organic Chemistry, University of Chicago

2013, Kwang-Hua Scholarship, Peking University

2012, Pangu Scholarship, Peking University

2011 Wusi Scholarship, Peking University

Publications:

1. Wang, J.; Cheng, T.; Fenwick, A. Q.; Baroud, T. N.; Rosas-Hernández, A.; Ko‬, J. H.; Gan, Q.; Goddard, W. A.*; Grubbs R. H.* “Selective CO2 Electrochemical Reduction Enabled by a Tricomponent Copolymer Modifier on a Copper Surface” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 2857–2865.

2. Wang, J. #; Zhou, Y. #; Xu, X.; Liu, P.; Dong, G.* “Entry to 1,2,3,4-Tetrasubstituted Arenes through Addressing the “Meta Constraint” in the Palladium/Norbornene Catalysis” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2020, 142, 3050–3059.

3. Wang, J.; Dong, Z.; Yang, C.; Dong, G.* “Modular and Regioselective Synthesis of All-carbon Tetrasubstituted Olefins Enabled by An Alkenyl Catellani Reaction” Nat. Chem. 2019, 11, 1106–1112.

4. Wang, J.; Dong, G.* “Palladium/Norbornene Cooperative Catalysis” Chem. Rev. 2019, 119, 7478–7528.

5. Wang, J.; Li, R.; Dong, Z.; Liu, P.; Dong, G.* “Complementary Site-selectivity in Arene Functionalization Enabled by Overcoming the “Ortho Constraint” in the Palladium/Norbornene Catalysis” Nat. Chem. 2018, 10, 866–872.

6. Wang, J.#; Zhang, L.#; Dong, Z.; Dong, G.* “Reagent-Enabled ortho-Alkoxycarbonylation of Aryl Iodides via Palladium/Norbornene Catalysis” Chem 2016, 1, 581–591.

7. Liu, X.; Wang, J.*; Dong, G.* “Modular Entry to Functionalized Tetrahydrobenzo[b]azepines via the Palladium/Norbornene Cooperative Catalysis Enabled by a C7-Modified Norbornene” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 9991–10004. 

8. Liu, F.; Dong, Z.; Wang, J.*; Dong, G.* “Palladium/Norbornene-Catalyzed Indenone Synthesis from Simple Aryl Iodides: Concise Syntheses of Pauciflorol F and Acredinone A” Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2019, 58, 2144–2148.

9. Jin, L.#; Wang, J.#; Dong, G* “Palladium-Catalyzed γ-C(sp3)−H Arylation of Thiols via a Detachable Protecting/Directing Group” Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2018, 57, 12352–12355.

10. Dong, Z.#; Wang, J.#; Ren, Z.; Dong, G.* “Ortho C−H Acylation of Aryl Iodides by Palladium/Norbornene Catalysis” Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2015, 54, 12664–12668.

11. Wang, J.#; Yao, E.#; Chen, Z.; Ma, Y.* “Fluorinated Nickel(II) Phenoxyiminato Catalysts: Exploring the Role of Fluorine Atoms in Controlling Polyethylene Productivities and Microstructures” Macromolecules 2015, 48, 5504–5510.