We focus on mechanism-driven synthetic methodology within the broad landscape of organic chemistry and its allied fields. Through the design and development of novel reagents, architectures, strategies, and catalytic systems, as well as the integration of cutting-edge approaches including photochemistry, transition-metal catalysis, radical chemistry, and biocatalysis, we aim to identify non-obvious entry points to address long-standing synthetic challenges across various contexts. Our overarching goal is to deliver creative and practical solutions to the real needs of modern synthesis, and we are currently focused on: 1) Undirected inert bond activation and molecular editing; 2) New strategies and Mechanisms in photo- and transition metal catalysis; 3) Practical cross-coupling chemistry and polymer upcycling.

我们课题组的核心方向是机制创新驱动的反应方法开发，并涉及有机化学的关联领域。通过从头设计新结构、新策略、新催化并融合光、金属、自由基、生物等多样前沿手段，我们希望为合成化学在不同场景下的痛难点问题找到“非显然”的切入点，从而创造性地解决合成化学中的“真需求”。课题组目前的核心方向包括：1）无导向惰性键活化与分子编辑（Undirected Inert Bond Activation and Molecular Editing）；2）光致与金属催化中的新机制发现（New Strategies and Mechanisms in Photo- and Transition Metal Catalysis）；3) 实用偶联化学与大分子高值转化（Practical Cross-Coupling Chemistry and Polymer Upcycling）。课题组欢迎优秀同学的加入。

Group Meeting

Time: Every Saturday, 8:30 AM  |  每周六上午8:30

Location: Conference Room CB105 at CCME  |  化学院新楼CB105

Open to all interested participants  |  欢迎参加！

Academic Appointments

08/2021- present Assistant Professor & Principal Investigator, Department of Chemistry, Peking University

Courses

Organic Chemistry (II) （有机化学<二> ）, Fall Semester, Department of Chemistry, Peking University

Comprehensive Organic Chemistry（中级有机化学）, Fall Semester, Department of Chemistry, Peking University

Education & Research Experience

09/2018-06/2021 Postdoc Research Fellow, California Institute of Technology

Advisor: Professor Robert H. Grubbs

09/2013-08/2018 Ph.D. in Chemistry, the University of Chicago

Advisor: Professor Guangbin Dong

09/2009-06/2013 B.S. in Chemistry, Peking University

Advisor: Professor Jianbo Wang

Service & Involvement

Early Career Advisory Board, Organic Chemistry Frontiers, 2024

Selected Awards: 

Chinese Chemical Society Young Investigator Award (中国化学会青年化学奖), 2025

Chinese Chemical Society New Investigator Award in Physical Organic Chemistry(中国化学会物理有机新人奖), 2025 

Thieme Chemistry Journals Award, 2024

Ng Teng Fong / Sino Group Emerging Distinguished Scholar Award(黄廷方/信和杰出青年学者奖), 2023

NSFC Outstanding Youth Science Fund (Overseas) (国家自然科学基金委优秀青年科学基金（海外））, 2021

Reaxys PhD Prize, finalist, 2019

Bristol-Myers Squibb Graduate Fellowship in Synthetic Organic Chemistry, 2017-2018 

The William Rainey Harper Dissertation Fellowship, 2017-2018

Genentech Graduate Student Symposium in Chemical Research Award, 2017

The Charles H. Viol Chemistry Fellowship, 2017

The International Precious Metals Institute Student Award, honorable mention, 2017

Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-Financed Students Abroad, 2016

Top 10 Selected Publications:

1. "Carbonyl Swapping Converts Cyclic Ketones to Saturated Heterocycles"
   Xue, Zisheng^†; Lou, Zhengzhao^†; Lou, Xiang; He, Peimiao; Wang, Jianbo and Xu, Yan*
   Nature 2026, doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10508-5. [doi]

   
   

2. "Functional Group Translocation of Cyano Groups by Reversible C–H Sampling"
   Chen, Ken; Zeng, Qingrui; Xie, Longhuan; Xue, Zisheng; Wang, Jianbo and Xu, Yan*
   Nature 2023, 620, 1007–1012. [doi]

   
   

3. "Deacylative transformations of ketones via aromatization-promoted C–C bond activation"
   Xu, Yan; Qi, Xiaotian; Zheng, Pengfei; Berti, Carlo C.; Liu, Peng* and Dong, Guangbin*
   Nature 2019, 567, 373-378. [doi]

   
   

4. "Redox-Neutral Ketone-Olefin Coupling Enabled by Mild Ketone-to-Ketyl-Type Radical Conversion" 

   Xu, Yang; Liu, Zhiyang; Chen, Lei; Wang, Yisong; Chen, Xiuan; Wang, Jianbo and Xu, Yan*

   Nat. Chem. 2026, accepted in principle.

   
   

5. "1,2-Migration of Oxamoyl-Protected Alcohols via Reversible C–H Sampling"
   Su, Yinyan; Wang, Duoqing; Chen, Ken and Xu, Yan*
   Chemrxiv, doi:10.26434/chemrxiv.15001327/v1. [doi]

   
   

6. "1,2-Boryl/Hydrogen Transposition via Reversible C–H Sampling"
   Xie, Longhuan^†; Luo, Peijie^†; Lu, Tao^†; Zheng, Weipeng^†; Su, Yinyan; Wang, Jianbo; Qi, Xiaotian* and Xu, Yan*
   Chem 2026, 12, 102961. [doi]

   
   

7. "cis-Selective Acyclic Diene Metathesis Polymerization using Bulky Cyclometalated Ruthenium Carbene Catalysts"  Wang, Yisong; Zhang, Zepeng and Xu, Yan*
   Macromolecules 2023, 56, 9138–9145. [doi]

   
   

8. "Deacylation-aided C–H alkylative annulation through C–C cleavage of unstrained ketones"
   Zhou, Xukai.; Xu, Yan* and Dong, Guangbin*
   Nat. Catal. 2021, 4, 703-710. [doi]

   
   

9. "Olefination via Cu-Mediated Dehydroacylation of Unstrained Ketones"
   Zhou, Xukai; Xu, Yan* and Dong, Guangbin*
   J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 20042–20048. [doi]

   
   

10. "Diverse sp³ C−H Functionalization Through Alcohol β-Sulfonyloxylation"
    Xu, Yan; Yan, Guobing; Ren, Zhi and Dong, Guangbin*
    Nat. Chem. 2015, 7, 829-834. [doi]