Liu Yang-Zi is a "Shuanglong Scholar" Distinguished Professor, Associate Professor, and Master's Supervisor at Zhejiang Normal University. He received his Ph.D. from East China University of Science and Technology in December 2019, under the supervision of Professor Deng Wei-Ping. From January 2020 to December 2021, he conducted postdoctoral research at the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, under the mentorship of Researcher You Shu-Li. In January 2022, he joined the "Green Synthesis of Chiral Drugs" team at the College of Chemistry and Materials Science of Zhejiang Normal University as a "Shuanglong Scholar" Distinguished Professor.

His primary research focuses on the catalytic asymmetric synthesis of chiral medium-sized rings based on novel concepts, reagents, and reactions; the catalytic asymmetric construction of heteroatom and non-classical chiral elements; and the development of green synthetic processes for (chiral) pharmaceuticals. To date, he has published 15 papers as first author or corresponding author in internationally renowned journals such as Nature Synthesis, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, ACS Catalysis, and Chemical Science.

Representative Papers:

2025

15. Wenqi Liu, Zhijie Ling, Yang-Zi Liu*, Wei-Ping Deng*. Catalytic Asymmetric Construction of Remote P or Other Heteroatom (Si/S) Stereogenic Axially Chiral Scaffolds. Chem. Sci. 2025, DOI: 10.1039/D5SC08143B. (2025 Chemical Science HOT Article)

14. Na Lin, Jun-Tao Chen, Yang-Zi Liu*, Wei-Ping Deng*. Vinylarylcyclopropanes (VACPs): All-carbon dipole precursors for controlling linear regioselectivity in cycloaddition reactions. ACS Catal. 2025, 15, 11587-11593. (封面文章)

13. Linli Xu, Zhijie Ling, Xinhao Lu, Yang-Zi Liu*, Wei-Ping Deng*. Single-step assembly of azabicyclo[3.3.0]octance systems via palladium-photoredox domino cycloaddition/transannular cascades. Sci. China Chem. 2025, doi.org/10.1007/s11426-025-2747-x.

12. Shuixiu Su, Ying Chen, Qiyu Wang, Jian Zhang, Yang-Zi Liu*, Wei-Ping Deng*. Enantioselective Construction of Spirooxindole-γ-butyrolactones via NHC-Bound Isobenzofulvene [10π+2π] Cycloaddition. Chin. J. Chem. 2025, 43, 1983-1987. (封面文章)

11. Xiaochun Liu, Xiang-Feng Ding, Yang-Zi Liu*, Wei-Ping Deng*. Enantioselective Construction of Tetrahydro-α-Carbolines via Organocatalytic Friedel-Crafts Alkylation/N-Hemiacetalization of 2-Aminoindoles with Enals. Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2025, 28, e202401431.

2022-2024

10. Yang-Zi Liu, Chao Zheng, Shu-Li You*. Synthesis of Medium-Sized Rings by Z-Retentive Asymmetric Allylic Substitution-Enabled Intermolecular Cascade Cyclization under Iridium/Cinchona Catalysis. ACS Catal. 2024, 14, 15743-15750.

9. Xinhao Lu, Yi Wang, Chenghan He, Yang-Zi Liu*, Wei-Ping Deng*. Synthesis of Indole-Fused Eight-Membered Oxa-Ringsvia Palladium-Catalyzed Asymmetric [4+4] Cycloadditionof Indole-2,3-Quinodimethanes with 2-AlkylidenetrimethyleneCarbonates. Chin. J. Chem. 2024, 42, 3393-3398.

8. Jun-Tao Chen, Na Lin, Linli Xu, Yi Wang, Xiaoyan Luo, Yang-Zi Liu*, Wei-Ping Deng*. Palladium-catalyzed [6 + 4] cycloaddition with π-allyl all-carbon 1,6-dipole for the synthesis of ten-membered heterocycles. Org. Chem. Front. 2024, 11, 1299-1304.

7. Wenqi Liu‡, Meng Zang‡, Jian Zhang, Quannan Wang, Yang-Zi Liu*, Wei-Ping Deng*. Pd-Catalyzed exclusively regioselective [5+4] cycloaddition for the construction of 1,5-di/ox-azonanes. Org. Chem. Front. 2023, 10, 1680-1685.

6. Jian Zhang, Ying Chen, Quannan Wang, Jiahuan Shen, Yang-Zi Liu*, Wei-Ping Deng*. Transition Metal-Catalyzed Asymmetric Cyclizations Involving Allyl or Propargyl Heteroatom-Dipole Precursors. Chin. J. Org. Chem. 2022, 42, 3051-3101. (Review)

before ZJNU

5. Yang-Zi Liu, Hao Song, Chao Zheng, Shu-Li You*. Cascade asymmetric dearomative cyclization reactions via transition-metal-catalysis. Nature Synthesis 2022, 1, 203-216. (Invited review)

4. Yang-Zi Liu*‡, Zhongao Wang‡, Zesheng Huang, Wu-Lin Yang, Wei-Ping Deng*. Sulfone as a Transient Activating Group in the Palladium-Catalyzed Asymmetric [4+3] Cycloaddition of Trimethylenemethane Enabling the Enantioselective Synthesis of Fused Azepines. Org. Lett. 2021, 23, 948-952.

3. Yang-Zi Liu, Zhongao Wang, Zesheng Huang, Xing Zheng, Wu-Lin Yang*, Wei-Ping Deng*. Palladium-Catalyzed Asymmetric [4+3] Cyclization of Trimethylenemethane: Regio-, Diastereo-, and Enantioselective Construction of Benzofuro[3,2-b]azepine Skeletons. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2020, 59, 1238-1242.

2. Yang-Zi Liu, Shao-Jing Shang, Jing-Yan Zhu, Wu-Lin Yang*, Wei-Ping Deng*. Regioselective and Stereoselective [3+3] Annulation of Ketones Derived Azomethine Ylides with 2-Indolylethylenes: Direct Access to Highly Substituted Tetrahydro-γ-Carbolines. Adv. Synth. Catal. 2018, 360, 2191-2203.

1. Yang-Zi Liu‡, Shao-Jing Shang‡, Wu-Lin Yang, Xiaoyan Luo*, Wei-Ping Deng*. Stereoselective Synthesis of Pyrrolidines Containing a 3-Fluoro Quaternary Stereocenter via Copper(I)-Catalyzed Asymmetric 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition. J. Org. Chem. 2017, 82, 11141-11149.