Research Projects
Asymmetric Catalysis
Synthetic Methodology
Chinese Medicine
Cosmeceuticals
Chiral phosphine ligand design and application in asymmetric catalysis
Asymmetric catalysis is a very broad and exciting field. In spite of hundreds of chiral ligands developed, phosphine ligands are keeping their prestigious role as the most powerful and frequently-used ligands. With the exceptionally high demand of chiral phosphine ligand, it is significant to develop efficient methods for construction these chiral organophosphorus compounds. Transition metal-catalyzed asymmetric hydrophosphination is the most direct pathway for the synthesis of chiral phosphine compounds. Recently, our group developed asymmetric hydrophosphination of alkenes, alkynes, allenes and cyclopropenes...... These approaches allowed concise, direct, modular and unprecedented accesses to potentially valuable chiral phosphorus compounds.
Facile access of chiral flavanoids via asymmetric catalysis
Flavonoids are privileged structural motifs in numerous natural products and pharmaceutical molecules, which show rich biological activities such as antitumor, antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. There are many subgroups of the general structure of a 15-carbon skeleton. Among them, chiral flavonoids, which feature at least one chiral, represent the important and special subclasss of flavonoids. Given the interesting and extensive bioactivity of chiral flavonoids, as well as the difficulties and tediousness in isolating them in pure form from natural plants, effective asymmetric synthesis strategy to obtain flavan-3-ols is highly desirable. In particular, asymmetric catalysis allows easy manipulation of the stereo-configuration of a library of chiral flavanoids for biological investigations.
Structural modification and bioactivity study of small molecules in cosmeceuticals
Structural modification and bioactivity study of small molecules in cosmeceuticals is a crucial area of research in the development of effective and safe cosmetic products. Small molecules, such as antioxidants, vitamins, and peptides, are commonly used in cosmeceuticals due to their ability to improve skin health and appearance.
Structural modification of small molecules involves altering their chemical structure to enhance their bioactivity or stability. This can be achieved by introducing functional groups or changing the stereochemistry of the molecule. The modified small molecules can then be tested for their bioactivity in various in vitro and in vivo models to evaluate their efficacy and safety.
Bioactivity study of small molecules in cosmeceuticals involves investigating their effects on the skin, such as their ability to reduce wrinkles, improve skin texture and colour. These studies can involve the use of cell cultures and animal models to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the modified small molecules.