"Innovation comes from not only intelligence, but also dreams and passion. Westlake University is the place where people seek to turn dreams into reality."
Biography
Professor Li Deng received his B.S. degree from Tsinghua University (1987), M.S. degree from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (1990), and Ph.D. degree from Harvard University (1995). He carried out his postdoctoral studies at Harvard with Professors George Whitesides and Gregory Verdine as an American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellow. He joined Brandeis University as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry in 1998. He was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in 2003, to Full Professor and was named the Orrie Friedman Distinguished Professor of Chemistry in 2005. He served as the Chair of the Chemistry Department at Brandies University from 2011 to 2014. He joined Westlake University in July of 2018, and is currently the Xu Yiming Endowed Chair Professor, the Vice President of Westlake University, the Executive Dean of the School of Science and Chair of the University Academic Committee.
Research
Professor Deng is widely recognized as a pioneer and leader in the field of organocatalysis. His research focuses on the invention and the development of new catalytic reactions of importance in synthetic organic chemistry. His studies have established new concepts and strategies for weak bonding organocatalysis that are utilized by laboratories around the world for the successful development of numerous new catalysts and reactions. A broad range of reactions invented in his own laboratories have been successfully applied in academic and industrial laboratories. Several of his catalysts have been licensed to pharmaceutical and chemical companies.
Professor Deng serves as consultants for pharmaceutical and chemical companies and as panel members for public and private funding agencies. He has been recognized by several honors and awards, including Research Innovation Award from Research Corporation, New Investigator Award from the Medical Foundation, the Sloan Research Fellowship, Japan Society for the Promotion of Sciences (JSPS) Fellowship, the Chan Memorial Award in Organic Chemistry, and the Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award from American Chemical Society.
Representative Publications
1. Liu, X.-Y.; D, K.; Luo, J.; Deng, L.* "Chiral Betaines Mediated Asymmetric Peroxidation-Kinetic Resolution Cascade for the Synthesis of Optically Pure Peroxides". CCS Chem. 2023，DOI: 10.31635/ccschem.023.20230275
2. Dongshun Ni, ;Sai Hu, ;Xiangyu Tan, ;Yang Yu, ;Zhenghua Li,; and Li Deng. "Intermolecular Formal Cycloaddition of Indoles with Bicyclo[1.1.0]butanes by Lewis Acid Catalysis ". Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2023, 62, e202308606.
3. Wang, L.; Yu, Y.; Deng, L.; Du, K.* "Photochemical and Atom-Economical Sulfonylimination of Alkenes with Bifunctional N-Sulfonyl Ketimine" Org. Lett. 2023, 25, 13, 2349–2354
4. Han, X.-L.; Hu, B.; Fei, C.; Li, Z.; Yu, Y.; Cheng C.; Foxman, B.; Luo, J.; Deng, L.* "Catalytic Asymmetric Imine Cross-coupling Reaction" J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2023, 145, 4400–4407.
5. Luo, J.*; Deng, Y.; Deng, T.; Deng, L.* "Catalytic Enantioconvergent Conjugate Addition of Organosilanes via a Strategy of Fluorodesilylation" J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2022, 144, 23264–23270.
6. Deng, Y.; Shi, X.; Shi, G.; Lu, X.; Luo, J.*; Deng, L.* "One-step Asymmetric Construction of 1,4-Stereocenters via Tandem Mannich-Isomerization Reactions Mediated by a Dual-functional Betaine Catalyst" JACS Au. 2022, 2, 2678–2685.
7. Li, Z.; Hu, B.; Wu, Y.; Fei, C.; Deng, L.* "Control of Chemoselectivity in Asymmetric Tandem Reactions: Direct Synthesis of Chiral Amines Bearing Non-adjacent Stereocenters" PNAS, 2018, 115, 1730–1735.
8. Zhou, X.; Wu, Y.; Deng, L.* "Cinchonium Betaines as Efficient Catalysts for Asymmetric Proton Transfer Catalysis: The Development of a Practical Enantioselective Isomerization of Trifluoromethyl Imines" J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2016, 138, 12297–12302.
9. Wu. Y.; Hu, L.; Li, Z.; Deng, L.* "Catalytic Asymmetric Umpolung Reactions of Imines" Nature 2015, 523, 445–450.
10. Wu Y.; Deng, L.* "Asymmetric Synthesis of Trifluoromethylated Amines via Catalytic Enantioselective Isomerization of Imines" J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2012, 134, 14334–14337.
11. Wu, Y.; Singh, R.; Deng, L.* "Asymmetric Olefin Isomerization via Proton Transfer Catalysis with an Organic Molecule" J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2011, 133, 12458–12461.
12. Lu, X.; Liu, Y.; Sun, B.; Cindric, B.; Deng, L.* "Catalytic Enantioselective Peroxidation of -Unsaturated Ketones" J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2008, 130, 8134–8135 (Selected by editors for a "JACS Select collection" focused on organocatalysis).
13. Wang, Y.; Li, H.; Wang, Y.-Q.; Liu, Y.; Foxman, B. M.; Deng, L.* "Asymmetric Diels-Alder Reactions of 2-Pyrones with Bifunctional Organic Catalysts" J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, 129, 6364–6365.
14. Wang, B.; Wu, F.; Wang, Y.; Liu, X.; Deng, L.* "Control of Diastereoselectivity in Tandem Asymmetric Reactions Generating Nonadjacent Stereocenters with Bifunctional Catalysis by Cinchona Alkaloids" J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, 129, 768–769.
15. Song, J.; Wang, Y.; Deng, L.* "The Mannich Reaction of Malonates with Simple Imines Catalyzed by Bifunctional Cinchona Alkaloids: Enantioselective Synthesis of β-Amino Acids" J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2006, 128, 6048–6049.
16. Wu, F.-H.; Li, H.; Hong, R.; Deng, L.* "Construction of Quaternary Stereocenters via Efficient and Practical Conjugate Additions to α,β-Unsaturated Ketones with a Chiral Organic Catalyst" Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2006, 45, 947–950.
17. Wang, Y.; Liu, X.; Deng, L.* "Dual-Function Cinchona Alkaloid Catalysis: Catalytic Asymmetric Tandem Conjugate Addition-Protonation for the Direct Creation of Nonadjacent Stereocenters" J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2006, 128, 3928–3930.
18. Li, H.; Wang, B.; Deng, L.* "Enantioselective Nitroaldol Reaction of α-Ketoesters Catalyzed by Cinchona Alkaloids" J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2005, 128, 732–733.
19. Li, H.; Song, J.; Liu, X.; Deng, L.* "Catalytic Enantioselective Conjugate Additions with Vinyl Sulfones" J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2005, 127, 8948–8949.
20. Li, H.; Wang, Y.; Tang, L.; Wu, F.; Liu, X.; Guo, C.; Foxman, B.; Deng, L.* "Stereocontrolled Creation of Adjacent Quaternary and Tertiary Stereocenters via a Catalytic, Diastereoselective and Enantioselective Conjugate Addition" Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2004, 44, 105–108 (designated as a "Very Important Paper (VIP)" paper).
21. Li, H.; Wang, Y.; Tang, L.; Deng, L.* "Highly Enantioselective Conjugate Addition of Malonate and β-Ketoester to Nitroalkenes: Asymmetric C-C Bond Formation via New Bifunctional Organic Catalysts Based on Cinchona Alkaloids" J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2004, 126, 9906–9907.
22. Tian, S.-K.; Chen, Y.; Hang, J.; Tang, L.; McDaid, P.; Deng, L.* "Asymmetric Organic Catalysis with Modified Cinchona Alkaloids" Acc. Chem. Res. 2004, 37, 621–631 (invited contribution for a special issue of asymmetric organic catalysis).
23. Tian, S.-K.; Hong, R.; Deng, L.* "Catalytic Asymmetric Cyanosilylation of Ketones with Chiral Lewis Base" J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 9900–9901.
24. McDaid, P.; Chen, Y.; Deng, L.* "A Highly Enantioselective and General Conjugate Addition of Thiols to Cyclic Enones with an Organic Catalyst" Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2002, 41, 338–340. (Designated as a "Hot Paper").
25. Tian, S.-K.; Deng, L.* "A Highly Enantioselective Chiral Lewis Base-Catalyzed Asymmetric Cyanation of Ketones" J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2001, 123, 6195–6196.
26. Chen, Y.; Tian, S.-K.; Deng, L.* "A Highly Enantioselective Catalytic Desymmetrization of Cyclic Anhydrides with Modified Cinchona Alkaloids" J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2000, 122, 9542–9543.
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