Research Interests: Synthetic organic and bioorganic chemistry

Dai's research focuses on two directions: chirality & catalysis, and synthesis of bioactive molecules including diverted total synthesis of natural products.

Our contributions to chirality & catalysis include: (1) development of indole-containing chiral molecules from abrine for enantioselective alkylation of aldehydes with diethylzinc; (2) asymmetric Wittig-type olefinations of chiral arsonium ylides with 4-substituted cyclohexanones and N,N-dialkyl 2-formyl-1-naphthamides; (3) remote axial-to-central chirality transfer in SmI2-mediated enantioselective reductive coupling of 1-naphthamide-derived axially chiral crotonates with aliphatic aldehydes; (4) Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation (AAA), asymmetric Heck reaction, and asymmetric Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reaction using novel atropisomeric amide-derived phosphanes (A²phos), C2-symmetric chiral arsines, and P-chiral secondary phosphane oxides; (5) generation of aromatic amide-derived phosphane (Aphos) ligands via “Self-Assisted Molecular Editing” (SAME) protocol for room temperature Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling of unactivated and sterically hindered aryl chlorides under mild basic conditions; and (6) development of Pd(OAc)2–Aphos-Y catalyst system for B-alkyl Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling of alkenyl halides as an alternative to Pd(dppf)Cl2–AsPh3 commonly used in total synthesis; (7) demonstration of an integrative approach of microwave-assisted solid-phase organic synthesis (MASPOS) with encoded split-pool combinatorial synthesis (ESPCS) as illustrated in Cu-mediated heteroannulation for synthesis of indoles; and (8) the first introduction of the cat·linker concept for promoting on-resin metal-catalyzed reactions.

Our accomplishments in synthesis of bioactive molecules cover: (1) total synthesis of amphidinolide X and Y via a ring-closing metathesis (RCM) approach toward formation of the (E)-trisubstituted alkene; (2) diverted total synthesis of amphidinolide T1–T5 and amphidinin B via a RCM–asymmetric dihydroxylation (RCM–AD) sequence starting from an advanced common intermediate which was designed according to a complexity-based planning strategy; (3) total synthesis of 24-demethylbafilomycins using a novel diester-tethered 1,3-diene–ene RCM; (4) diverted total synthesis and stereochemistry determination of marine butenolides using a three-module assembly approach; (5) diverted total synthesis of diastereoisomers of iriomoteolide-1a and -1b using a four-module assembly approach; (6) total synthesis of the fully functionalized mycolactone core via a relay RCM (RRCM) strategy and total synthesis of mycolactone E; (7) diverted total synthesis of (−)-palmyrolide A and its 5,7-epimer using Pd(OAc)2–Aphos-Y-catalyzed "9-MeO-9-BBN variant" of B-alkyl Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling and RCM–alkene isomerization as the key step; (8) diverted total synthesis of all four diastereoisomers of laingolide A and four out of eight diastereoisomers of laingolide using a multimodule assembly (MMA) approach, and determination of their relative configuration possessing a 7,9-syn-Me/t-Bu subunit for the first time among the known natural products; (9) total synthesis and determination of absolute configuration of laingolide B via RCM–alkene isomerization approach; (10) total synthesis of diastereomers of amphidinolactone B and amphidinolide B4 using a multimodule assembly (MMA) approach; (11) total synthesis of the proposed structure of iriomoteolide-13a; (12) total synthesis of maltepolide E and its congeners via 1,3-diene–ene RCM as the key step; (13) establishment of an allylic rearrangement strategy for in situ formation of 10-membered ring enediynes with promising DNA cleavage and anticancer activity; and (14) development of a number of synthetic methodologies for diversity-oriented synthesis of privileged heterocyclic scaffolds via microwave-assisted multicomponent reactions and post annulation.

Selected Ongoing Projects:

• Total synthesis and diverted total synthesis of macrolides (maltepolides and iriomoteolide-13a) and other bioactive natural products and analogues;
• Diversity-oriented synthesis of privileged heterocyclic scaffolds;
• Microwave-assisted organic synthesis (MAOS) & microwave-assisted solid-phase organic synthesis (MASPOS);
• Development of novel atropisomeric amide-derived phosphanes (A²phos) for enantioselective catalysis;
• Design and synthesis of enantiomeric non-biaryl atropisomers for asymmetric synthesis.

Selected Journal Publications:    [see more entries]

New Developments in Natural Product Chemistry: Special Memorial Issue for Professor Wei-Shan Zhou, Edited by Wei-Min Dai, Ran Hong, Tetrahedron Vol. 75, No. 12, 22 March 2019. [link]

• Preface, Special memorial issue for Professor Wei-Shan Zhou: Wei-Min Dai, Ran Hong, Tetrahedron 2019, 75, 1573–1575. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tet.2019.02.044] [download]
• In memory of Professor Wei-Shan Zhou: Guo-Qiang Lin, Tetrahedron 2019, 75, 1576–1577. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tet.2019.02.045]

Chirality & Catalysis [Hemilabile Aphos Ligands]:

• An efficient and reliable catalyst system using hemilabile Aphos for B-alkyl Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reaction with alkenyl halides: Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2013, 831–835. [Cover Picture] [DOI: 10.1002/ejoc.201201602]
• Determination of absolute configuration of 2-methyl-1-(o-tolyl)naphthalene and the related axially chiral biaryls: Tetrahedron 2011, 67, 9072–9079. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tet.2011.09.107]
• In(OTf)3-catalyzed highly chemo- and regioselective head-to-tail heterodimerization of vinylarenes with 1,1-diarylethenes: Chem. Eur. J. 2011, 17, 8290–8293. [DOI: 10.1002/chem.201101190]
• Generation of an aromatic amide-derived phosphane (Aphos) library by self-assisted molecular editing and applications of Aphos in room-temperature Suzuki–Miyaura reactions: Chem. Eur. J. 2008, 14, 5538–5554. [DOI: 10.1002/chem.200800318]
• Efficient remote axial-to-central chirality transfer in enantioselective SmI2-mediated reductive coupling of aldehydes with crotonates of atropisomeric 1-naphthamides: J. Org. Chem. 2006, 71, 2445–2455. [DOI: 10.1021/jo0526486]
• A novel class of nonbiaryl atropisomeric P,O-ligands for palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation: Org. Lett. 2002, 4, 1615–1618. [DOI: 10.1021/ol0258233]

Total Synthesis and Diverted Total Synthesis:

• Multimodule assembly strategy for diverted total synthesis and stereochemical determination of laingolide A and laingolide: ChemRxiv posted on 05.04.2021. [DOI: 10.26434/chemrxiv.14347145.v1]
• Synthesis of the C17–C30 bis-THF fragment of iriomoteolide-13a via intramolecular syn-oxypalladation of 26-ene-17,21,23,28-tetraol: Synthesis 2023, 55, 2602–2608. [DOI: 10.1055/a-2058-0355] Virtual Collection Dedicated to Prof. Guoqiang Lin [link] [new]
• Synthesis of the macrolactone cores of maltepolides via a diene–ene ring-closing metathesis strategy: Org. Lett. 2023, 25, 1633–1637. [Cover Picture] [DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.3c00106] ChemRxiv posted on 28.10.2021. [DOI: 10.33774/chemrxiv-2021-1bk8t] [new]
• Synthesis of the C19–C30 bis-THF fragment of iriomoteolide-13a via stepwise SN2 cyclization and intramolecular syn-oxypalladation: Org. Chem. Front. 2021, 8, 6491–6498. [Cover Picture] [DOI: 10.1039/D1QO01049B] ChemRxiv posted on 31.12.2020. [DOI: 10.26434/chemrxiv.13506678.v1] "Featured in Org. Chem. Highlights: C-O Ring Construction" [link]
• Modular total synthesis of (–)-palmyrolide A and (+)-(5S,7S)-palmyrolide A via ring-closing metathesis and alkene isomerization: Chin. J. Chem. 2021, 39, 69–74. [DOI: 10.1002/cjoc.202000458]
• Intramolecular Diels–Alder cycloaddition approach toward the cis-fused D^5,6-hexahydroisoindol-1-one core of cytochalasins: Org. Lett. 2019, 21, 830–834. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.8b04129]
• Synthesis of the C6–C18 bis-tetrahydrofuran fragment of the proposed structure of iriomoteolide-2a via stepwise double SN2 cyclization reactions: Tetrahedron 2019, 75, 1795–1807. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tet.2018.12.038]
• Total synthesis of laingolide B stereoisomers and assignment of absolute configuration: Org. Lett. 2018, 20, 3358–3361. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.8b01269]
• Synthesis of the C18–C26 tetrahydrofuran-containing fragment of amphidinolide C congeners via tandem asymmetric dihydroxylation and SN2 cyclization: Tetrahedron 2018, 74, 1546–1554. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tet.2018.02.021]
• Synthesis of two diastereomeric C1–C7 acid fragments of amphidinolactone B using B-alkyl Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling as the modular assembly step: ChemistrySelect 2016, 1022–1027.  [DOI: 10.1002/slct.201600315]
• Diastereoselective synthesis of trans-3,5-disubstituted dihydrofuran-2(3H)-ones via SmI2-mediated reductive coupling of 2-alkylacrylates of N,N-diisopropyl-2-hydroxybenzamide with aldehydes: Tetrahedron 2016, 72, 664–673. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tet.2015.12.009]
• A model study on installation of (Z)-g-methylglutaconic acid onto the 3-aminophenol core of divergolide A: Tetrahedron 2015, 71, 4779–4787. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tet.2015.05.052]
• Synthesis of the conjugated tetraene acid side chain of mycolactone E by Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reaction of alkenyl boronates: Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2014, 323–330. [Cover Picture] [DOI: 10.1002/ejoc.201301484]
• Toward a total synthesis of divergolide A; synthesis of the amido hydroquinone core and the C10–C15 fragment: Synlett 2012, 2845–2849. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1317491]
• Concise diverted total synthesis of amphidinolide T1 and T4 from a (12E)-cycloalkene by selective functionalized of the C12–C13 double bond: Synlett 2011, 3036–3040. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0031-1289903]
• Synthesis of two diastereoisomers of iriomoteolide-1a via a tunable four-module coupling approach using ring-closing metathesis as the key step: Synlett 2011, 1774–1778. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1260822]
• Total synthesis of amphidinolide T3 using ring-closing metathesis and asymmetric dihydroxylation strategy: Synlett 2011, 895–898 [DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1259706] [special issue dedicated to Professors Xiyan Lu and Li-Xin Dai].
• A concise total synthesis of amphidinolide T2: Chem. Eur. J. 2010, 16, 11530–11534. [DOI: 10.1002/chem.201001794]
• Total synthesis of amphidinolide Y by formation of trisubstituted (E)-double bond via ring-closing metathesis of densely functionalized alkenes: Org. Lett. 2007, 9, 2585-2588. [DOI: 10.1021/ol0710360]
• Synthesis of C13–C25 fragment of 24-demethylbafilomycin C1 via diastereoselective aldol reactions of a ketone boron enolate as the key step: J. Org. Chem. 2007, 72, 4953–4960. [DOI: 10.1021/jo070624o]

Microwave-Assisted & Diversity-Oriented Organic Synthesis:

• Microwave-assisted intramolecular Ullmann diaryl etherification as the post-Ugi annulation for generation of dibenz[b,f][1,4]oxazepine scaffold: J. Org. Chem. 2016, 81, 10392–10403. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.6b01398]
• Synthesis of 5-alkyl-5-aryl-1-pyrroline N-oxides from 1-aryl-substituted nitroalkanes and acrolein via Michael addition and nitro reductive cyclization: Tetrahedron 2014, 70, 6384–6391. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tet.2014.07.046] Highlighted in Synfacts 2014, 10, 803. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1378443]
• One-pot synthesis of dibenz[b,f][1,4]oxazepines via Mg(ClO4)2-catalyzed Ugi four-component reaction and microwave-assisted intramolecular SNAr: Diversity Oriented Synthesis 2014, 1, 29–34. [DOI: 10.2478/dos-2014-0001] [full text]
• Synthesis of highly functionalized benzofuran-2-carboxamides by Ugi four-components reaction and microwave-assisted Rap–Stoermer reaction: Synlett 2014, 25, 2019–2024. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1378351]
• Synthesis of 5-alkyl-5-aryl-g-lactams from 1-aryl-substituted nitroalkanes and methyl acrylate via Michael addition and reductive lactamization: Tetrahedron 2014, 70, 3839–3846. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tet.2014.04.074]
• Increasing appendage diversity on 3,4-dihydro-3-oxo-2H-1,4-benzoxazines via Aphos–Pd(OAc)2-catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling of aryl chlorides: Tetrahedron 2013, 69, 10488–10496. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tet.2013.09.057]
• Generation of molecular shape diversity. From privileged scaffolds to diverted total synthesis: Diversity Oriented Synthesis 2012, 1, 11–20. [DOI: 10.2478/dos-2012-0003] [full text]
• Synthesis of anti-microtubule N-(2-arylindol-7-yl)benzenesulfonamide derivatives and their antitumor mechanisms: ChemMedChem, 2010, 5, 1489–1497. [DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201000228]
• Synthesis of N-arylisoindolin-1-ones via Pd-catalyzed intramolecular decarbonylative coupling of N-(2-bromobenzyl)oxanilic acid phenyl esters: Synlett 2010, 1075–1080. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1219580]
• Assembly of 1,3-dihydro-2H-3-benzazepin-2-one conjugates via Ugi four-component reaction and palladium-catalyzed hydroamidation: Synlett 2009, 1162–1166. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0028-1088115]
• Lewis acid-catalyzed formation of Ugi four-component reaction product from Passerini three-component reaction system without an added amine: Tetrahedron 2007, 63, 12866–12876. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tet.2007.10.050]
• Diversity-oriented synthesis and solid-phase organic synthesis under controlled microwave heating: Comb. Chem. High Throughput Screening 2007, 10, 837–856. [DOI: 10.2174/138620707783220338]
• Microwave-assisted one-pot U-4CR and intramolecular O-alkylation toward heterocyclic scaffolds: Tetrahedron 2006, 62, 6774–6781. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tet.2006.05.001]

Microwave-Assisted Solid-Phase Organic Synthesis (MASPOS):

• An engineered linker capable of promoting on-resin reactions for microwave-assisted solid-phase organic synthesis: Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2006, 45, 7255–7258. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.200602523]
• Microwave-assisted solid-phase organic synthesis (MASPOS) as a key step for an indole library construction: Org. Lett. 2003, 5, 2919–2922. [DOI: 10.1021/ol0350543]

Designed Enediyne Prodrugs:

• Natural product inspired design of enediyne prodrugs via rearrangement of an allylic double bond: Curr. Med. Chem. 2003, 10, 2265–2283. [DOI: 10.2174/0929867033456756]
• DNA cleavage potency, cytotoxicity, and mechanism of action of a novel class of enediyne prodrugs: J. Med. Chem. 2002, 45, 758–761. [DOI: 10.1021/jm015588e]
• Synthesis of cis-enediynes from 1,5-diynes by rearrangement of an allylic double bond  Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 1996, 35, 779–781. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.199607791]

Selected Conference Presentations:    [see more entries]

• Invited Talk. "基于共同高级中间体仿生全合成Maltepolides家族大环内酯 (Biomimetic total synthesis of maltepolides family of macrolides based on a common advanced intermediate)", The 16th SINO–US Chemistry Professors Conference and Synthetic Chemistry Future Forum, Shenzhen, China, 23–25 June 2023. [new]
• Invited Talk. "Diene−ene ring-closing metathesis strategy for synthesis of side chain-depleted maltepolides", CCS 11th National Organic Chemistry Conference, Shanghai, China, 31 August−3 September 2019.  
• Invited Talk. "Study on total synthesis of marine macrolide iriomoteolide-13a", 11th International Symposium for Chinese Medicinal Chemists, Zhengzhou, China, 24−26 August, 2018.
• Invited Talk. "Synthesis of cis-fused hexahydroisoindol-1-one core of cytochalasins", Chinese Chemical Society 12th National Symposium on Natural Organic Chemistry, Kunming, China, 28–31 July 2018.
• Invited Talk. "Diverted total synthesis and stereochemical assignment of laingolides", The 31st Academic Annual Conference of the Chinese Chemical Society, Hangzhou, China, 5–8 May 2018.
• Invited Talk. "Synthesis of the core structures of maltepolides", The 13th SINO–US Chemistry Professors Conference, Nantong, China, 17–20 June 2017.
• Invited Talk. "Multimodule assembly strategy toward total synthesis of amphidinolactone B", The 11th International Conference on Cutting-Edge Organic Chemistry in Asia/The 2nd Advanced Research Network on Cutting-Edge Organic Chemistry in Asia (ICCEOCA-11/ARNCEOCA-2), Daejeon, Korea, 27–30 October, 2016.
• Invited Talk. "Total synthesis of amphidinolactone B via multimodule assembly strategy", Chinese Chemical Society 11th National Symposium on Natural Organic Chemistry, Shanghai, China, 25–28 September, 2016.
• Invited Talk. "Multimodule assembly strategy toward laingolides", The 12th SINO–US Chemistry Professors Conference, Guangzhou, China, 23–26 June 2016.
• Invited Talk. "Multimodule assembly strategy toward diverted total synthesis of laingolides", Southern China Forum on Frontiers of Synthetic Chemistry, Shenzhen, China, 16–17 October, 2015.
• Invited Talk. "Study on multimodule total synthesis of amphidinolactone B", The 9th Chinese Chemical Society National Organic Chemistry Conference, Changchun, China, 28–31 July, 2015.
• Invited Talk. "Diverted total synthesis of macrolides", The 11th SINO–US Chemistry Professors Conference, Suzhou, China, 21–23 June 2015.
• Invited Talk. "Diverted total synthesis for decoding structure of iriomoteolide-1a", Chinese Chemical Society 10th National Symposium on Natural Organic Chemistry, Guangzhou, China, 21–23 November, 2014.
• Invited Talk. "Diverted total synthesis and determination of stereochemistry of laingolide A", Fourth International Conference on Vibrational Optical Activity (VOA-4), Baoding, China, 26–29 October, 2014.
• Invited Talk. "Total synthesis of neuroactive palmyrolide A and structurally related laingolide A", The Third SINO–French Symposium on Medicinal Chemistry and the Development of Industrialization for Innovative Medicines, Guiyang, China, 20–23 August, 2014.
• Invited Talk. "A multimodule total synthesis of neuroprotective palmyrolide A", 9th International Symposium for Chinese Medicinal Chemists, Shenyang, China, 17–20 August, 2014.
• Invited Talk. "Total synthesis of mycolactone E", The 8th Chinese Chemical Society National Organic Chemistry Conference & The 1st Chongqing International Symposium on Organic Chemistry, Chongqing, China, 17–20 October, 2013.
• Invited Talk. "Multimodule synthesis approach toward macrolides for tackling structural mystery and reaction selectivity", The 15th Asian Chemical Congress, Singapore, 19–23 August, 2013.
• Invited Talk. "A complexity-based planning strategy for efficient diverted total synthesis of macrolides and analogues", 9th IUPAC International Symposium on Biomolecular Chemistry & 8th International Symposium for Chinese Medicinal Chemists, Beijing, China, 25–29 August, 2012.
• Invited Talk. "Total synthesis of mycolactone core via relay ring-closing metathesis", 2011 Chinese Medicinal Chemistry Symposium & China–UK Symposium on Medicinal Chemistry, Guangzhou, China, 17–20 November 2011.
• Invited Talk. "Microwave-assisted post-Ugi annulations for creation of heterocycle skeleton diversity", Diversity-Oriented Synthesis (#32), Pacifichem 2010, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, 19 December 2010.
• Invited Talk. "Total synthesis of amphidinolide T2 and butenolides", 12th International Symposium on Natural Product Chemistry (ISNPC-12), Karachi, Pakistan, 22–25 November 2010.
• Invited Talk. "Total synthesis of anticancer plecomacrolide, 24-demethylbafilomycin C1 via ring-closing metathesis of the grafted substrates", Asian Federation for Pharmaceutical Sciences 2009 (AFPS2009), Fukuoka, Japan, 15–18 October 2009.
• Invited Talk. "Building molecular shape diversity via post-Ugi annulations", IV International Conference on Multicomponent Reactions and Related Chemistry (MCR2009), Ekaterinburg, Russia, 24–28 May 2009.

Selected Seminars on Diverted Total Synthesis:

• 2023: Taizhou University, Taizhou (07/04); Eastern Institute for Advanced Study, Ningbo (10/04); Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, CAS, Shanghai (13/07). [new]
• 2019: Lanzhou University, Lanzhou (26/06); Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou (26/06); Northwest University, Xi'an (29/06); Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an (29/06); Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an (30/06), SUSTech, Shenzhen (27/08).
• 2017: Fudan University, Shanghai (19/05); Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, Zhejiang (20/05).
• 2014: Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, CAS, Shanghai (30/06); East China Normal University, Shanghai (01/07); Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai (02/07); Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, CAS, Shanghai (03/07); Kunming Institute of Botany, CAS, Kunming (16/07); Yunnan University, Kunming (16/07); University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei (28/09); Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, CAS, Guangzhou (24/11).
• 2013: Northwest University, Xi’an (16/01); Peking University, Beijing (07/06); Central China Normal University, Wuhan (10/06); Wuhan University, Wuhan (10/06); Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an (31/12).

Recent PhD Theses:    [see more entries]

• Tsz Chun YIP: Total Synthesis of Maltepolide E and Congeners Using Diene–Ene Ring-Closing Metathesis as the Key Step, January 2022, HKUST.
• Haichen MA: Total Synthesis of the Proposed Structure of Iriomoteolide-13a, August 2020, HKUST.
• Nanfeng GAO: Synthesis of Depleted Analogues of Amphidinolide C Congeners, August 2020, HKUST.
• Wen ZHANG: Studies toward Total Synthesis of Iriomoteolide-2a and 4b-Acetoxyprobotryanes, August 2020, HKUST.
• Yongxiang WANG: Total Synthesis of Amphidinolide B4 via B-Alkyl Suzuki Coupling and Ring-Closing Metathesis, July 2018, HKUST.
• Xingbang LIN: Total Synthesis of (2S,6R,9S)- and (2S,6S,9S)-Stereoisomers of Amphidinolactone B, July 2018, HKUST.  
• Man Ki SIT: Synthesis of Maltepolide Cores via Diene–Ene RCM and Study on SmI2-Mediated Reductive Coupling of Methacrylates with Aldehydes, August 2017, HKUST.
• Hui ZHAO: Copper- and Gold-Catalyzed Reactions of Functionalized Internal Alkynes and Synthesis of the C19–C30 Fragment of Iriomoteolide-13a, August 2017, HKUST.
• Ye-Xiang SU: Synthesis of C9–C17 and C18–C26 Fragments of Amphidinolide C Congeners and the Coupling Reactions, January 2017, HKUST.
• Guanglian ZHAO: Study on Total Synthesis of Ansa Macrolide Divergolide A, June 2015, ZJU.
• Yecai LAI: SmI2-Mediated Reductive Couplings of Acrylates/Crotonates for Diverted Total Synthesis of Designed Macrolactones, (−)-Palmyrolide A and Laingolide A, January 2015, HKUST.
• Jingjing XU: Expeditious Synthesis of Nitrogen-Containing 5-Memebered Heterocycles and Construction of the Fused g-Lactam Core of Cytochalasins, September 2014, ZJU.
• Weiwei HAN: Synthesis of Benzofurans by Sequential Ugi and Rap–Stoermer Reactions and Construction of C14–C21 Acid Fragment of Cytochalasin Z8, September 2014, ZJU.
• Yan-Dong WU: Total Synthesis of Marine Butenolides Possessing a Remote Stereogenic Center on the Side Chain, January 2014, HKUST.
• Ning YE: Total Synthesis of Mycolactone E and Iriomoteolide-1b Stereoisomer via Ring-Closing Metathesis Strategies, January 2014, HKUST.
• Yuan WANG: Synthesis of the Side Chain of Mycolactone E and Linear Polyenes Related to Biosynthesis of the C-1027 Enediyne Core, 2013, HKUST.