Research Interests

• Inert system activation and nitrogen fixation

Academic Appointments

• Editorial board member of Organic Chemistry Frontiers

• Editorial board member of Science China Chemistry

• Editorial board member of Acta Chimica Sinica

• Editorial board member of Chinese Chemical Letters

Prizes and awards

• 2016, Selected as “National High-level personnel of special support program”

• 2016, Highly Cited Researchers by Thomson Reuters

• 2015, Baogang Teaching Award

• 2015, Roche Innovative Chemistry Award

• 2015, Bayer Investigator Award

• 2015, Highly Cited Researchers by Thomson Reuters

• 2014, National Excellent Contributor in Science and Technology

• 2014, HLHL Innovative Award of Science and Technology

• 2014, Mr. and Mrs. Sun Chan Memorial Award

• 2014, Highly Cited Researchers by Thomson Reuters

• 2013, The Second Rank Award of National Natural Sciences

• 2013, Mao Yisheng Young Investigator Award of Science of Technology of Beijing City

• 2013, OMCOS Award

Biography

• 1992.9-1996.6         BSc, Department of Chemistry, East China Normal University

• 1996.9-2001.6         PhD, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, CAS (Mentor: Professor Shengming Ma)

• 2001.9-2002.10        Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard University (Mentor: Professor Gregory L Verdine)

• 2002.10-2004.9        Research Associate, The University of Chicago (Mentor: Professor Chuan He)

• 2004.10-2008.8        Associate Professor, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University

• 2008.8-2017.2         Professor, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University

• 2017.2              Professor, Department of Chemistry, Fudan University

Key Publications

1. X. S. Zhang, Y. F. Zhang, Z. W. Li, Z. J. Shi. Synthesis of Dibenzo[c,e]oxepin-5(7H)-ones from Benzyl Thioethers and Carboxylic Acids: Rhodium-Catalyzed Double C-H Activation Controlled by Different Directing Groups. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 54, 5478-5482 (2015).

2. M. Y. Yang, B. Su, Y. Wang, K. Chen, X. Y. Jiang, Y. F. Zhang, X. S. Zhang, G. H. Chen, Y. Cheng, Z. C. Cao, Q. Y. Guo, L. S. Wang, Z. J. Shi. Silver-catalysed direct amination of unactivated C-H bonds of functionalized molecules. Nat. Commun. 5, 4707-4712 (2014).

3. S. Luo, F. X. Luo, X. S. Zhang, Z. J. Shi. Synthesis of Dibenzopyranones through Palladium-Catalyzed Directed C-H Activation/Carbonylation of 2-Arylphenols. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 58, 10598-10601 (2013).

4. B. J. Li, H. Y. Wang, Q. L. Zhu, Z. J. Shi. Rhodium/Copper-Catalyzed Annulation of Benzimides with Internal Alkynes: Indenone Synthesis through Sequential C-H and C-N Cleavage. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 51, 3948-3952 (2012).

5. Y. Li, B. J. Li, W. H. Wang, W. P. Huang. X. S. Zhang, K. Chen, Z. J. Shi. Rhodium-Catalyzed Direct Addition of Aryl C-H Bonds to N-Sulfonyl Aldimines. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 50, 2115-2119 (2011).

6. C. L. Sun, H. Li, D. G. Yu, M. Yu, X. Zhou, X. Y. Lu, K. Huang, S. F. Zheng, B. J. Li, Z. J. Shi. An efficient organocatalytic method for constructing biaryls through aromatic C-H activation. Nat. Chem. 2, 1044-1049 (2010).

7. Y. Z. Li, B. J. Li, X. Y. Lu, S. Lin, Z. J. Shi. Cross Dehydrogenative Arylation (CDA) of a Benzylic C-H Bond with Arenes by Iron Catalysis. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.48, 3817-3820 (2009).

8. B. J. Li, S. L. Tian, Z. Fang, Z. J. Shi. Multiple C-H activations to construct biologically active molecules in a process completely free of organohalogen and organometallic components. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed

9. S. D. Yang, B. J. Li, X. B. Wan, Z. J. Shi. Ortho arylation of acetanilides via Pd(II)-catalyzed C-H functionalization. J. Am. Chem. Soc.129, 6066-6067 (2007).

10. X. B. Wan, Z. X. Ma, B. J. Li, K. Y. Zhang, S. K. Cao, S.W. Zhang, Z. J. Shi. Highly selective C-H functionalization/halogenation of acetanilide. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 128, 7416-7417 (2006).