Education
2009-2014  Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry with Professor Yong-Qiang Tu
College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, China
2005-2009   B.S. in Chemistry
College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Fuzhou University, China

Working Experience
2015-2017  Postdoctoral Researcher with Professor Matthew S. Sigman
Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, USA
2014-2017  Postdoctoral Research Assistant with Professor Yong-Qiang Tu
School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China

Fields of Interests

Asymmetric Catalysis, Chiral Sulfur and Selenide Chemistry, Total Synthesis of Natural Products

Recent Publications  

43. Ze-Long Li, Yu-Xuan Huo, Qi-Sen Gao, Tong-Mei Ding, Zhi-Min Chen*

Dynamic Kinetic Resolution Approach to Chiral Sulfur-Containing Aza-[5]helicenes via Chiral Lewis Base Catalyzed C-H Sulfenylation

Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2025, 64,  DOI: 10.1002/anie.202515017. 

42. Yu-Xuan Huo, Ren-Fei Cao, Jie Huang, Ze-Long Li, Zheng-Wei Wei, Deng Zhu, Zhi-Min Chen*

N-(Acyldithio)saccharin: Design, Synthesis and Applications in Catalytic Enantioselective Disulfuration/Amination of Alkenes

Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2025, 64, e202503815. 

41. Ren-Fei Cao+, Ruirui Su+, Zheng-Wei Wei, Ze-Long Li, Deng Zhu, Yu-Xuan Huo, Xiao-Song Xue*, Zhi-Min Chen*

Chiral Sulfide and Achiral Sulfonic Acid Cocatalyzed Enantioselective Electrophilic Tandem Selenylation Semipinacol Rearrangement of Allenols

Nat. Commun. 2025, 16, 2147. 

40. Ren-Fei Cao+, Zheng-Wei Wei+, Shu-Kun Li, Tong-Mei Ding, Hua Ke*, Zhi-Min Chen*

Organocatalytic Asymmetric Electrophilic Tandem Selenylation Semipinacol Rearrangement of 1-(1-Arylvinyl)cyclobutanols

Chem. Commun., 2025, 61, 8532-8535 (invited submission for 2025 Pioneering Investigators).

39. Qi-Sen Gao‡（本科生）, Zheng-Wei Wei‡ and Zhi-Min Chen*. 

Catalytic enantioselective synthesis of selenium-containing atropisomers via C–Se bond formations.

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2447–2455. (invited submission）

38. Xu-Rui Liu, Wen-Ping Xie, Hong Wang, Tong-Mei Ding, Yong-Qiang Tu, Zhi-Min Chen*

Visible Light-Induced Regioselective Thioesterification/Thiocya nation of Unactivated Alkenes Enabled by Spiro-NHC-Ir(III) Catalysis

Org. Lett. 2025, 10.1021/acs.orglett.5c04252.

37. Jie Huang,+ Ruirui Su,+ Xin-Yu Zhang,+ Zheng-Wei Wei, Xiao-Song Xue,* Zhi-Min Chen*

Stereoselective Sulfenylative N-Glycosylation of Glycals Enabled by Hexafluoroisopropanol

Chem. Eur. J. 2025, 10.1002/chem.202502992.

36. Xin-Yu Zhang+, Deng Zhu+, Ren-Fei Cao, Yu-Xuan Huo, Tong-Mei Ding, Zhi-Min Chen*

Enantioselective Synthesis of Inherently Chiral Sulfur-Containing Calix[4]arenes via Chiral Sulfide Catalyzed Desymmetrizing Aromatic Sulfenylation

Nat. Commun. 2024, 15, 9929. 

35. Yu-Hang Zhao (本科生), Deng Zhu,  Zhi-Min Chen*

Enantioselective Construction of Planar-Chiral Molecules by Catalytic Asymmetric Late-Stage Functionalizations. (invited submission)

ChemCatChem 2024, 16, e202401312.

34. Qin Yang, Hui-Yun Luo, Deng Zhu, Xin-Yu Zhang, Hua Ke*, Zhi-Min Chen*

Chiral Lewis Base/Achiral Acid Co-Catalyzed Atroposelective Sulfenylation of Pyrrole Derivatives: Construction of C-N Axially Chiral Sulfides

Chin. J. Chem. 2024, 42,  2005-2009.

33. Ling-Ling Chen,† Ren-Fei Cao,† Hua Ke*,  Zhi-Min Chen*

Lewis Base Catalyzed Selenofunctionalization of Alkynes with Acid-controlled Divergent Chemoselectivity

Chin. J. Chem. 2024, 42, 1623-1629. (invited submission for 2024 Emerging Investigator Issue)

32. Deng Zhu, Tong Mu, Ze-Long Li, Hui-Yun Luo, Ren-Fei Cao, Xiao-Song Xue*, Zhi-Min Chen*

Enantioselective Synthesis of Planar-Chiral Sulfur-Containing Cyclophanes by Chiral Sulfide Catalyzed Electrophilic Sulfenylation of Arenes.

Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2024, 63, e202318625. 

31. Deng Zhu+, Lu Yu+, Hui-Yun Luo, Xiao-Song Xue*, Zhi-Min Chen*

Atroposelective Electrophilic Sulfenylation of N-Aryl Aminoquinone Derivatives Catalyzed by Chiral SPINOL-Derived Sulfide

Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2022, 61, e202211782 (Hot Paper). 

30. Hui-Yun Luo, Zi-Hao Li, Deng Zhu, Qin Yang, Ren-Fei Cao, Tong-Mei Ding, Zhi-Min Chen*

Chiral Selenide/Achiral Sulfonic Acid Co-catalyzed Atroposelective Sulfenylation of Biaryl Phenols via a Desymmetrization/Kinetic Resolution Sequence

J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2022, 144, 2943-2952.

29. Xiao-Dong Liu+, Yicong Luo+, Xiaohong, Huo, Hui-Yun Luo, Ren-Fei Cao, Zhi-Min Chen*

Chiral Sulfide/Phosphoric Acid Cocatalyzed Enantioselective Intermolecular Oxysulfenylation of Alkenes with Phenol and Alcohol O-nucleophiles

CCS Chem., 2022, 4, 3342-3354.

28. Yu-Yang Xie, Zhi-Min Chen,* Hui-Yun Luo, Hui Shao, Yong-Qiang Tu,* Xiaoguang Bao,* Ren-Fei Cao, Shu-Yu Zhang, Jin-Miao Tian

Lewis Base/Brønsted Acid Cocatalyzed Enantioselective Sulfenylation/Semipinacol Rearrangement of Di- and Trisubstituted Allylic Alcohols

Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2019, 58, 12491-12496. Featured by Benjamin List, Joyce A. A. Grimm in SYNFACTS 2019, 15, 1175.

27. Xiao-Dong Liu, Ai-Hui Ye, Zhi-Min Chen*

Catalytic Enantioselective Intermolecular Three-Component Sulfenylative Difunctionalizations of 1,3-Dienes

ACS Catal. 2023, 13, 2715-2722.

26. Ren-Fei Cao, Zhi-Min Chen*

Catalytic asymmetric synthesis of sulfur-containing atropisomers by C−S bond formations  

Sci. China Chem. 2023, 66, 3331-3346. (invited submission for 2023 Emerging Investigator Issue)

25. Xin-Yu Zhang+, Deng Zhu+, Yu-Xuan Huo, Ling-Ling Chen, Zhi-Min Chen*

Atroposelective Sulfenylation of Biaryl Anilines Catalyzed by Chiral SPINOL-Derived Selenide  

Org. Lett. 2023, 25, 3445-3450.

24. Hui-Yun Luo, Yu-Yang Xie, Xu-Feng Song, Jia-Wei Dong, Deng Zhu, Zhi-Min Chen*

Lewis base-catalyzed asymmetric sulfenylation of alkenes: construction of sulfenylated lactones and application to the formal syntheses of (-)-nicotlactone B and (-)-galbacin

Chem. Commun., 2019, 55, 9367-9370.

23. Hui-Yun Luo, Jia-Wei Dong, Yu-Yang Xie, Xu-Feng Song, Deng Zhu, Tongmei Ding, Yuanyuan Liu,* Zhi-Min Chen*

Lewis Base/Brønsted Acid Co-catalyzed Asymmetric Thiolation of Alkenes with Acid-Controlled Divergent Regioselectivity

Chem. Eur. J. 2019, 25, 15411-15418.

22. Ren-Fei Cao+, Lu Yu+, Yu-Xuan Huo, Yao Li, Xiao-Song Xue, Zhi-Min Chen*

Chiral Lewis Base Catalyzed Enantioselective Selenocyclization of 1,1-Disubstituted Alkenes: Asymmetric Synthesis of Selenium-Containing 4H-3,1-Benzoxazines

Org. Lett. 2022, 24, 4093-4098.

21. Deng Zhu, Zhi-Min Chen*

Application of Chiral Lewis Base/Brønsted Acid Synergistic Catalysis Strategy in Enantioselective Synthesis of Organic Sulfides 

Chin. J. Org. Chem. 2022, 42, 3015-3032. (invited submission)

20. Deng Zhu, Ai-Hui Ye, Zhi-Min Chen*

N-Selenocyanato-dibenzenesulfonimide: a new electrophilic selenocyanation reagent (Feature Article, invited submission)

Synthesis 2021, 53, 3744-3750.

19. Ai-Hui Ye, Ye Zhang, Yu-Yang Xie, Hui-Yun Luo, Jia-Wei Dong, Xiao-Dong Liu, Xu-Feng Song, Tongmei Ding, Zhi-Min Chen*

TMSCl-Catalyzed Electrophilic Thiocyano Oxyfunctionalization of Alkenes Using N-Thiocyano-dibenzenesulfonimide

Org. Lett., 2019, 21, 5106-5110.

18. Xu-Feng Song,† Ai-Hui Ye,† Yu-Yang Xie, Jia-Wei Dong, Chao Chen, Ye Zhang,* Zhi-Min Chen* (†equal contribution)

Lewis Acid Mediated Thiocyano Semipinacol Rearrangement of Allylic Alcohols for the Construction of α-Quaternary Center β-Thiocyano Carbonyls

Org. Lett., 2019, 21, 9550-9554.

17. Ai‐Hui Ye, Xu-Feng Song, Zhi‐Min Chen*

Electrophilic Thiocyanation of Tryptamine Derivatives: Divergent Synthesis of SCN-Containing Indole Compounds

Chem. Asian J. 2022, 17, e202200802 (10.1002/asia.202200802).

16. Ai‐Hui Ye, Zi-Hao Li, Tong-Mei Ding, Hua Ke*, Zhi‐Min Chen*

Phosphoric Acid Catalyzed Electrophilic Thiocyanation of Indoles: Access to SCN-Containing Aryl-Indole Compounds

Chem. Asian J. 2022, 17,  e202200256, (DOI: 10.1002/asia.202200256).

15. Kai Ji, Ka Lu, Jie Huang, Zi-Hao Li, Tong-Mei Ding, Zhi-Min Chen*

Brønsted Acid-Catalyzed Solvent-Controlled Regioselective Hydrothiolation and Diastereoselective Cascade Cyclization of Dienes

Chem. Commun., 2021, 57, 12639-12642.

14. Kai Ji, Ka Lu, Jie Huang, Zi-Hao Li, Hua Ke*, Zhi-Min Chen*

Brønsted Acid-Catalyzed Regioselective Hydrothiolation of Dienes: Solvent-Controlled Divergent Synthesis of Sulfides

Org. Lett. 2021, 23, 8028-8032.

13. Deng Zhu, Hui-Yun Luo, Zhi-Min Chen*

Selenium-Catalyzed Trifluoromethylsulfinylation/Rearrangement of Allylic and Propargylic Alcohols: Access to Allylic and Allenic Triflones

Org. Lett. 2021, 23, 1044-1048.

12. Deng Zhu, Tong-Mei Ding, Hui-Yun Luo, Hua Ke, Zhi-Min Chen*

Divergent Synthesis of Trifluoromethyl Sulfoxides and β-SCF3 Carbonyl Compounds by Tandem Trifluoromethylthiolation/Rearrangement of Allylic and Propargylic Alcohols

Org. Lett. 2020, 22, 7699-7703.

11. Xu-Feng Song, Tong-Mei Ding, Deng Zhu, Jie Huang, Zhi-Min Chen*

Lewis-Acid-Mediated Intramolecular Trifluoromethylthiolation of Alkenes with Phenols: Access to SCF3‑Containing Chromane and Dihydrobenzofuran Compounds

Org. Lett. 2020, 22, 7052-7056.

10. Chao-Chao Xi, Zhi-Min Chen*, Shu-Yu Zhang, Yong-Qiang Tu*.

Electrophilic Trifluoromethylthiolation/Semipinacol Rearrangement: Preparation of β-SCF3 Carbonyl Compounds with α-Quaternary Carbon Center.

Org. Lett., 2018, 20, 4227–4230.

9. Kai Ji†, Jie Huang†, Xin-Yu Zhang, Zhi-Min Chen*

Enantioselective 1,1-Diarylation of Allyl Sulfones Catalyzed by Palladium with a Chiral Phosphoric Acid

Chem Synth 2022;2:17. http://dx.doi.org/10.20517/cs.2022.27.

8. Jie Huang,  Zhi-Min Chen*

The alkynylative difunctionalization of alkenes

Chem. Eur. J. 2022, 28, e202201519.

7. Jie Huang, Ling-Ling Chen,  Tong-Mei Ding*, Zhi-Min Chen*

Iron-Catalyzed Hydroarylation of 1,3-Dienes with Indoles

Org. Chem. Front., 2023, 10, 461-466.

6. Jie Huang, Ling-Ling Chen,  Zhi-Min Chen*

Palladium-Catalyzed Three-Component Cross-Coupling of Conjugated Dienes with Indoles Using Ethynylbenziodazolones as Electrophilic Alkynylating Reagents

Org. Lett. 2022, 24, 5777-5781.

5. Chao Chen, Jun-Chen Kang, Chen Mao, Jia-Wei Dong, Yu-Yang Xie, Tong-Mei Ding, Yong-Qiang Tu, Zhi-Min Chen*, Shu-Yu Zhang*

Electrochemical Halogenation/Semi-pinacol Rearrangement of Allylic Alcohols Using Inorganic Halide Salt: An Eco-friendly Route to Synthesis of β-halocarbonyls

Green Chem., 2019, 21, 4014-4019 (Inside front cover).

4. Jun-Chen Kang, Yong-Qiang Tu, Jia-Wei Dong, Chao Chen, Jia Zhou, Tong-Mei Ding, Jian-Tao Zai, Zhi-Min Chen*, Shu-Yu Zhang*.

Electrochemical semipinacol rearrangements of allylic alcohols: construction of all-carbon quaternary stereocenters.

Org. Lett., 2019, 21, 2536–2540 (Most downloaded).

3. Yu-Yang Xie, Yun-Peng Wang, Xiao-Jing Zhao, Ai-Fang Wang,  Zhi-Min Chen*, Yong-Qiang Tu*.

Oxyallyl Cation Promoted Dearomative Semipinacol Rearrangement: Facile Stereodivergent Synthesis of Spiro-indolines with Contiguous Quaternary Centers

Chem. Commun., 2021, 57, 6632-6635.

2. Chao-Chao Xi, Xiao-Jing Zhao, Jin-Miao Tian*, Zhi-Min Chen*, Kun Zhang, Fu-Min Zhang, Yong-Qiang Tu*, and Jia-Wei Dong

Atroposelective Synthesis of Axially Chiral 3-Arylindoles by Copper-Catalyzed Asymmetric Cross-Coupling of Indoles with Quinones and Naphthoquinones

Org. Lett. 2020, 22, 4995-5000.

1. Jia‐Wei Dong, Tongmei Ding, Shu‐Yu Zhang*, Zhi‐Min Chen*, Yong‐Qiang Tu*.

A Facile Approach to Oximes and Ethers by a Tandem NO+‐Initiated Semipinacol Rearrangement and H‐Elimination.

Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2018, 57, 13192-13196.

Prior to SJTU:

8. Zhi-Min Chen†, Jianbo Liu†, Jing-Yao Guo, Maximilian Loch, Ryan Deluca, Matthew S. Sigman* (†equal contribution)

Palladium-catalyzed enantioselective alkenylation of alkenylbenzene derivatives

Chem. Sci., 2019, 10, 7246-7250.

7. Zhi-Min Chen, Christine S. Nervig, Ryan J. DeLuca, and Matthew S. Sigman*. Palladium-catalyzed enantioselective redox-relay Heck alkynylation of alkenols to access propargylic stereocenters

Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2017, 56, 6651-6654.

6. Zhi-Min Chen, Margaret J. Hilton, and Matthew S. Sigman*.

Palladium-catalyzed enantioselective redox-relay Heck arylation of 1,1-disubstituted homoallylic alcohols 

J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2016, 138, 11461-11464.

5. Zhi-Min Chen,† Xiao-Ming Zhang†, and Yong-Qiang Tu* (†equal contribution). Radical aryl migration reactions and synthetic applications

Chem. Soc. Rev. 2015, 44, 5220-5245.

4. Zhi-Min Chen, Zhen Zhang, Yong-Qiang Tu,* Ming-Hui Xu, Fu-Min Zhang, Chen-Chen Li, and Shao-Hua Wang*.

A Mn(III)/TEMPO-co-mediated tandem azidation/1,2-carbon migration reaction of allylic silyl ethers 

Chem. Commun. 2014, 50, 10805-10808.

3. Zhi-Min Chen, Wei Bai, Shao-Hua Wang, Bin-Miao Yang, Yong-Qiang Tu,* and Fu-Min Zhang.

Copper-catalyzed tandem trifluoromethylation/semipinacol rearrangement of allylic alcohols

Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2013, 52, 9781-9785.

2. Zhi-Min Chen, Bin-Miao Yang, Zhi-Hua Chen, Qing-Wei Zhang, Min Wang, and Yong-Qiang Tu*.

Organocatalytic asymmetric fluorination/semipinacol rearrangement: An efficient approach to chiral β-fluoroketones 

Chem. Eur. J. 2012, 18, 12950-12954.

1. Zhi-Min Chen, Qing-Wei Zhang, Zhi-Hua Chen, Hui Li, Yong-Qiang Tu,* Fu-Min Zhang, and Jin-Miao Tian.

Organocatalytic asymmetric halogenation/semipinacol rearrangement: highly efficient synthesis of chiral α-oxa-quaternary β-haloketones

J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2011, 133, 8818-8821.

本科生：《大学化学》《有机化学实验》

研究生：《现代有机合成》

授权中国发明专利4项。

Honors & Awards
1. Postdoctoral Fellowship from Shanghai Jiao Tong University (2015-2017)
2. National Scholarship for Graduate Students, China (2013)
3. National Scholarship for Graduate Students, China (2012)
4. “Tang Au-Chin” Chemistry Scholarship (2012)
5. The 5th “Hanyu Scholarship” for Graduate Students (2012)
6. Outstanding Undergraduate Graduation Thesis, Fuzhou University, China (2009)