CURRENT POSITION

Professor (2018, 02 --- )

Department of Chemistry and Shenzhen Grubbs Institute, Southern University of Science and Technology

EDUCATION

RESEARCH INTERESTS

• Organic asymmetric synthesis, chiral drugs

• Design and synthesis of new chiral ligands/catalysts and their applications in asymmetric reactions

• Efficient strategies and methodologies for the synthesis of physiologically active organic molecules, natural product molecules and pharmaceutical intermediates

• Research and discovery of small molecule chemicals for the treatment of important diseases such as Alzheimer, COPD and diabetes mellitus

RESEARCH PROJECTS

1. 2014.7-2017.6, Project Leader, Shanghai Excellent Academic Leader Program, Biological Activity-Oriented Design, Synthesis and Discovery of Several Important Molecular Skeletons

2. 2014.1-2017.12, Project Leader, National Outstanding Youth Fund, Asymmetric Synthesis and Chiral Drugs

3. 2009.1-2013.12, Backbone members, Foundation Committee Group Project, New Targets for Drug Action, New Mechanisms and New Molecular Entity Discovery Methods and Applications

4. 2009.1-2013.12, Project leader, Foundation project, new chiral diene, phosphene ligand and asymmetric catalysis research

5. 2008.7-2010.7, Project leader, Shanghai Qiming Tracking Project, based on the study of new asymmetric reaction methods for some important organic molecules and intermediates in drug synthesis

AWARDS/HONOURS

2014 Shanghai Excellent Academic Leader

2013 Excellent Graduate Guiding Teachers of the Chinese Academy of Sciences2013 National Science Fund for Distinguished Youth Scholars2013 Visiting Professor of Chemistry Center of Taiwan National Science Association

2012 Excellent Teachers Award of Chinese Academy of Sciences2012 Report of the 13th Organic Synthesis Conference (BOSS XIII) of Belgium (Plenary lecturer) 2011 Invited Professor, University of Strasbourg, France

2010 Asia Core Program Lectureship Award (Korea)

2009 Asia Core Program Lectureship Awards (Taiwan and Thailand)

2008 Asian Core Program Lectureship Award (Singapore)

2008 Shanghai Youth Star of Science and Technology2008 Nomination Award for Outstanding Young Scientific and Technological Innovative Talents of Shanghai Branch of Chinese Academy of Sciences

2007 JSPS Asian Core Program Lectureship Award (Japan)

2007 Invitation for the Journal of the American Chemical Society JACS Reviewer Expertise

2007 Third Prize of the First Yao Ming Kant Life Chemistry Research Award

2006 JAPS Asian Core Program Lectureship Award (Japan)

2006 Invitation for the Journal of the American Chemical Society OL & JOC Reviewer Expertise

2005 Young Chemistry Award of China Chemical Society 2005 Shanghai Youth Star of Science and Technology

PUBLICATIONS

• Yi Li, Bo Liu, and Ming-Hua Xu*, Rhodium-Catalyzed Enantioselective Alkenylation of Cyclic Ketimines: Practical Synthesis of Multifunctional Chiral α,α-Disubstituted Allylic Amine Derivatives”, Org. Lett. 2018, 20, 2306-2310. (Highlighted by Synfacts, 2018, 14(6), 0596)

•  Chun-Yan Wu, Yu-Fang Zhang, and Ming-Hua Xu*, “Ligand-Controlled Rhodium-Catalyzed Site-Selective Asymmetric Addition of Arylboronic Acids to α,b-Unsaturated Cyclic N-Sulfonyl Ketimines”, Org. Lett. 2018, 20, 1789-1793. (Highlighted by Synfacts, 2018, 14(6), 0597)

• Zong-Fen Zhang, Dong-Xing Zhu, Wen-Wen Chen, Bin Xu* and Ming-Hua Xu*, “Enantioselective Synthesis of gem-Diaryl Benzofuran-3(2H)-ones via One-Pot Asymmetric Rhodium/Palladium Relay Catalysis”, Org. Lett. 2017, 19, 2726-2729. (Highlighted by Synfacts, 2017, 13(8), 0838, Abstracted by Organic Chemistry Portal)

• Tao Jiang, Wen-Wen Chen, and Ming-Hua Xu*, “Highly Enantioselective Arylation of N,N-Dimethylsulfamoyl-Protected Aldimines Using Simple Sulfur–Olefin Ligands: Access to Solifenacin and (S)-(+)-Cryptostyline II”, Org. Lett. 2017, 19, 2138-2141. (Highlighted by Synfacts, 2017, 13(7), 0720)

• Chun-Yan Wu, Yue-Na Yu, and Ming-Hua Xu*, “Construction of Chiral Tricyclic Indoles through a Rhodium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Arylation Protocol”, Org. Lett. 2017, 19, 384-387. (Highlighted by Synfacts, 2017, 13(3), 0298)

• Wen-Wen Chen, and Ming-Hua Xu*, “Rhodium Complex Catalysis in Asymmetric Synthesis of Heterocycles”, Org. Biomol. Chem. 2017, 15, 1029-1050. (Invited Review; Cover Article)

• Xu Zhang, Bin Xu,* and Ming-Hua Xu*, “Rhodium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Arylation of N- and O-Containing Cyclic Aldimines: Facile and Efficient Access to Highly Optically Active 3,4-Dihydrobenzo[1,4]oxazin-2-ones and Dihydroquinoxalinones”, Org. Chem. Front. 2016, 3, 944-948. (Highlighted by Organic Chemistry Portal; Abstracted by ChemInform, 2016, 10.1002/chin.201648022)

• Yu-Fang Zhang, Diao Chen, Wen-Wen Chen, and Ming-Hua Xu*, “Construction of Cyclic Sulfamidates Bearing Two gem-Diaryl Stereocenters through a Rhodium-Catalyzed Stepwise Asymmetric Arylation Protocol”, Org. Lett. 2016, 18, 2726-2729. (Highlighted by Synfacts, 2016, 12(8), 0837; Abstracted by ChemInform, 2016, 10.1002/chin.201644021)

• Diao Chen, Dong-Xing Zhu, and Ming-Hua Xu*, “Rhodium(I)-Catalyzed Highly Enantioselective Insertion of Carbenoid into Si-H: Efficient Access to Functional Chiral Silanes”, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2016, 138, 1498-1501. (Highlighted by Synfacts, 2016, 12(4), 0385; also highlighted atJACS journal homepage; Abstracted by ChemInform, 2016, 10.1002/chin.201630222; Top 1% highly cited paper in the field of Chemistry as of March/April 2017, data from ESI)

• Yi Li, Yue-Na Yu, and Ming-Hua Xu*, “Simple Open-Chain Phosphite-Olefin as Novel Ligand for Rh-Catalyzed Asymmetric Arylation of Cyclic Ketimines: Enantioselective Access to gem-Diaryl α-Amino Acid Derivatives”, ACS Catalysis, 2016, 6, 661-665. (Highlighted at ACS Catalysisjournal homepage)

• Diao Chen, Xu Zhang, Wei-Yi Qi, Bin Xu and Ming-Hua Xu*, “Rhodium(I)-Catalyzed Asymmetric Carbene Insertion into B-H Bonds Using Unprecedented C1-Symmetric Chiral Diene Ligand: Highly Enantioselective Access to Functionalized Organoboranes”, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2015,137, 5268-5271. (Cover Article, Featured in JACS Spotlights; Highlighted by Synfacts, 2015, 11(5), 0502; Abstracted by ChemInform, 2015, 10.1002/chin.201538189)

• Tao Jiang, Zheng Wang and Ming-Hua Xu*, “Rhodium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Arylation of Cyclic N-Sulfonyl Aryl Alkyl Ketimines：Efficient Access to Highly Enantioenriched α-Tertiary Amines”, Org. Lett. 2015, 17, 528-531. (Highlighted by Synfacts, 2015, 11(4), 0367; Abstracted byChemInform, 2015, 10.1002/chin.201525171)

• Yi Li, and Ming-Hua Xu*, “Rhodium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Tandem Cyclization for Efficient and Rapid Access to Underexplored Heterocyclic Tertiary Allylic Alcohols Containing a Tetrasubstituted Olefin”, Org. Lett. 2014, 16, 2712- 2715. (Highlighted by Synfacts, 2014, 10(7), 0680; Abstracted by ChemInform, 2014, 10.1002/chin.201443089)

• Yi Li, and Ming-Hua Xu*, “Simple Sulfur-Olefins as New Promising Chiral Ligands for Asymmetric Catalysis”, Chem. Commun. 2014, 50, 3771- 3782. (Invited Feature Article; Cover Article; Abstracted by ChemInform, 2014, 45, 22-025)

• Yi Li, Dong-Xing Zhu, and Ming-Hua Xu*, “A New Versatile Approach to Enantioenriched 3-Hydroxyoxindoles, 1,3-Dihydroisobenzofuran and 3-Isochromanone Derivatives by Rhodium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Arylation/Cyclization Sequence”, Chem. Commun. 2013, 49, 11659-11661. (Highlighted by Synfacts, 2014, 10(3), 0285; selected as an article of ChemComm Editor’s Choice; Abstracted by ChemInform, 2014, 45, 17-025)

• Hui Wang, Tao Jiang, and Ming-Hua Xu*, “Simple Branched Sulfur-Olefins as Chiral Ligands for Rh-Catalyzed Asymmetric Arylation of Cyclic Ketimines: Highly Enantioselective Construction of Tetrasubstituted Carbon Stereocenters”, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2013, 135, 971-974. (Highlighted by Synfacts, 2013, 9(4), 0416; Abstracted by ChemInform, 2013, 44, 26-123; Top 1% highly cited paper in the field of Chemistry as of March/April 2017, data from ESI)

• Shen-Shuang Jin, Hui Wang, Ting-Shun Zhu, and Ming-Hua Xu*, “Design of N-Cinnamyl Sulfinamides as New Sulfur-Containing Olefin Ligands for Asymmetric Catalysis: Achieving Structural Simplicity with a Categorical Linear Framework”, Org. Biomol. Chem. 2012, 10, 1764-1768. (Cover Article, highlighted on the OBC blog and also by Synfacts, 2012, 8(6), 0651; Abstracted by ChemInform, 2012, 43, 29-095; Featured in the top 10% of the most highly cited OBC articles published in the latest Impact Factor window (2011-2012))

• Ting-Shun Zhu, Shen-Shuang Jin, and Ming-Hua Xu*, “Rhodium-Catalyzed Highly Enantioselective 1,2-Addition of Arylboronic Acids to α-Ketoesters and α-Diketones Using Simple Chiral Sulfur-Olefin Ligands”, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2012, 51, 780-783. (Highlighted by Synfacts,2012, 8(4), 0422; Abstracted by ChemInform, 2012, 43, 23-023).

• Shen-Shuang Jin, Hui Wang, and Ming-Hua Xu*, “Design of N-Sulfinyl Homoallylic Amines as Novel Sulfinamide-Olefin Hybrid Ligands for Asymmetric Catalysis: Application in Rh-Catalyzed Enantioselective 1,4-Additions”, Chem. Commun. 2011, 47, 7230-7232. (Highlighted bySynfacts, 2011, 9, 0985; Abstracted by ChemInform, 2011, 42, 44-025)

• Zhi-Qian Wang, Chen-Guo Feng, Shu-Sheng Zhang, Ming-Hua Xu* and Guo-Qiang Lin*, “Rhodium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Conjugate Addition of Organoboronic Acids to Nitroalkenes Using Chiral Bicyclo[3.3.0] Diene Ligands”, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2010, 49, 5780-5783. (Highlighted by Synfacts, 2010, 11, 1275 and Organic Chemistry Portal, 2011, July, 18; Abstracted by ChemInform, 2010, 41, 50-068)

• Guo-Qiang Lin,* Ming-Hua Xu, Yu-Wu Zhong and Xing-Wen Sun, “An Advance on Exploring N-tert-Butanesulfinyl -imines in Asymmetric Synthesis of Chiral Amines”, Acc. Chem. Res. 2008, 41, 831-840. (Abstracted by ChemInform, 2008, 39, 45-237; Top 1% highly cited paper in the field of Chemistry as of March/April 2017, data from ESI)

• Zhi-Qian Wang, Chen-Guo Feng, Ming-Hua Xu*, and Guo-Qiang Lin*, “Design of C₂-Symmetric Tetrahydropentalenes as New Chiral Diene Ligands for Highly Enantioselective Rh-Catalyzed Arylation of N-Tosylarylimines with Arylboronic Acids”, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, 129, 5336-5337. (Highlighted by Synfacts, 2007, 08, 0847 and Organic Chemistry Portal; Abstracted by ChemInform, 2007, 38, 37-073; Top 1% highly cited paper in the field of Chemistry as of March/April 2017, data from ESI).

• Xing-Wen Sun, Ming-Hua Xu* and Guo-Qiang Lin*, “Room-Temperature Highly Diastereoselective Zn-Mediated Allylation of Chiral N-tert-Butanesulfinyl Imines: Remarkable Reaction Condition Controlled Stereoselectivity Reversal”, Organic Letters 2006, 8, 4979-4982. (Highlighted by Chemistry.Org of the American Chemical Society as a “Heart Cut” (Dec 4, 2006); also highlighted by Synfacts, 2006, 12, 1266; Abstracted by ChemInform, 2007, 38, 10-029).

• Yu-Wu Zhong, Yi-Zhou Dong, Kai Fang, Kenji Izumi, Ming-Hua Xu* and Guo-Qiang Lin*, “A Highly Efficient and Direct Approach for Synthesis of Enantiopure α-Amino Alcohols by Reductive Cross-Coupling of Chiral N-tert-Butanesulfinyl Imines with Aldehydes”, J. Am. Chem. Soc.2005, 127, 11956-11957. (Highlighted by Synfacts, 2005, 3, 0331 and Organic Chemistry Portal; Abstracted by ChemInform, 2005, 37, 01-088).

• Yu-Wu Zhong, Ming-Hua Xu* and Guo-Qiang Lin, Samarium Diiodide-Induced Asymmetric Synthesis of Optically Pure Unsymmetrical Vicinal Diamines by Reductive Cross-Coupling of Nitrones with N-tert-Butanesulfinyl Imines. Organic Letters 2004, 6, 3953-3956. (Highlighted by Chemistry.Org of the American Chemical Society as a “Heart Cut” (Nov 15, 2004); also highlighted by Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2005, 44, 7833; Abstracted by ChemInform, 2005, 36, 06-080)