Shanghai Jiao Tong University(SJTU)officially announced the list of recipients for the 2024 Outstanding Doctoral Dissertations and Nomination Awards, among which two students are from the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering.Dr.Luoxing XIANG(supervisor: Prof. Yiyong MAI) was awarded the title ofOutstanding Doctoral Dissertation.Dr.Panpan LI(supervisors: Prof. Wanbin ZHANGand Prof. Xiaohong HUO) received theNomination Award for Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation.

SJTUOutstanding Doctoral Dissertation

Luoxing XIANG, enrolled in2019,was awarded a Ph.D. degree in Chemistry in September 2024 under the supervision of Prof.Yiyong MAI. During his doctoral studies, he published four first-author papers in prestigious journals, includingNature Water,Journal of the American Chemical Society,Angewandte Chemie International Edition, andAdvanced Materials. He was a two-time recipient of the National Scholarship for Doctoral Students and was honored asthe"Star of Academic Excellence" at the 8th SJTUAcademic Awards, as well as "Shanghai Outstanding Graduate." He is currently a postdoctoral researcher at Duke University in the United States.

Doctoral Dissertation Title:Construction of Porous Electrodes with Schwarz P Bicontinuous Structures for Sodium-Based Electrochemical Energy Storage.

In recent years, the development of key materials for energy storage and conversion has attracted significant attention. Traditional electrode materials often suffer from low material utilization and sluggish electron/ion transport kinetics. In contrast, bicontinuous porous materials, characterized by three-dimensionally interconnected channels and uniquely saddle-shaped negatively curved surfaces, not only enhance internal material utilization but also enable rapid mass and charge transport, while inducing strong localized electric fields on the material surface. This distinctive topology offers new perspectives for understanding electrochemical energy storage and conversion mechanisms and shows promising application potential in the energy sector. However, prior to this study, the fabrication of nanostructured bicontinuous materials remained a major challenge, and the structure–performance relationship between such architectures and energy device performance had not been systematically explored.

To address these issues, this dissertation developed two general fabrication strategies for bicontinuous porous materials based on block copolymer solution self-assembly, enabling the construction of a variety of porous functional materials featuring single primitive bicontinuous structures. By systematically investigating the effects of channel frameworks and curved surface architectures on sodium-ion storage performance, this work elucidated the mechanism by which saddle-shaped curvature induces strong localized electric fields, as well as the resulting high utilization of internal active sites and enhanced electron/ion transport kinetics. These findings provide a new structural model and theoretical foundation for the development of high-performance sodium-ion storage materials.

Nomination forSJTUOutstanding Doctoral Dissertation

Panpan LI,enrolled in2020, was awarded a Ph.D. degree in Chemistry in September 2024 under the supervision of Prof.Wanbin ZHANGandProf.Xiaohong HUO.Hisresearch focuses on stereodivergent synthesis via dual-chiral metal cooperative catalysis. Duringthedoctoral studies, he published three first-author papers in prestigious journals, includingScience,Angewandte Chemie International Edition, andOrganic Letters.LI’sresearch achievements have been highlighted by nearly 30 organizations and media outlets, including the National Natural Science Foundation of China andChina Science Daily.Heis currently a postdoctoral researcher atSCCE.

Doctoral Dissertation Title:Development of a New Asymmetric Tandem Heck/Tsuji–Trost Reaction via Palladium/Copper Bimetallic Cooperative Catalysis.

In nature, the origin and evolution of life rely on twenty naturally occurring amino acids. However, the types of functional groups available in these natural amino acids (such as thiol and hydroxyl groups) are limited and cannot fully meet the demands of modern chemical and biological research. Therefore, the rapid and diversified synthesis of optically active non-natural α-amino acids holds significant research importance.

Asymmetric catalysis represents a frontier in fundamental research in organic synthesis and is regarded as an ideal, efficient, and green approach for the preparation of chiral compounds. Therefore, the development of novel and efficient asymmetric catalytic systems that enable precise control over chemoselectivity, regioselectivity, and stereoselectivity, while maintaining high atom economy and step economy, has become a key objective for synthetic chemists.In this dissertation, three new asymmetric tandem Heck/Tsuji–Trost reactions were developed, revealing a unique cooperative effect within dual-chiral-metal catalytic systems. For the first time, stereodivergent synthesis of both alkene (Z/E) configurations and central chirality (R/S) [(E,R), (Z,R), (E,S), and (Z,S)] was achieved, addressing the longstanding challenge of constructing remote 1,5/1,7-nonconsecutive chiral centers with precision. This work overcomes major limitations in traditional syntheses of non-natural α-methyltryptophans, such as lengthy synthetic routes, harsh conditions, and low yields. Furthermore, a highly efficient and modular synthesis of a broad library of structurally novel and functionally diverse non-natural chiral α-amino acids (>240 compounds) was accomplished. This research holds significant theoretical importance for the advancement of chemistry and life sciences and offers valuable applications in the development of pharmaceuticals and functional materials.

Translator: Chenyun SUN

Reviser: Xiaoke HU