Educational Background
1994-1998 B.Sc. in Chemistry with first-class honors at the National University of Singapore
1998-2000 M.Sc. in Chemistry at the National University of Singapore. Supervisor: Teck-Peng Loh (now at Nanyang Technological University)
2000-2005 Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Supervisor: Gregory C. Fu (now at Caltech)
Work Experience
2005-2008 Postdoctoral researcher, Yale University & University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Supervisor: John F. Hartwig (now at the University of California, Berkeley)
2008-2019 Nanyang Assistant Professor, Senior Research Scientist, Nanyang Technological University
2008-2013 Singapore National Research Foundation Fellow (joint appointment)
Since Apr 2019 Associate Professor (tenure-track), Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School
Since Aug 2024 Associate Professor (tenured), Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School
Service：
2015-2019 Member of international advisory board of Organic Process Research and Development, an ACS journal
2026 Member of Editorial Board of Processes, an MDPI journal
2021 Associate Editor in Organic Chemistry, Frontiers in Chemistry, a Frontiers journal
2025 Member of the Editorial Board of Scientific Reports, Nature portfolio
2025 Member of Advisory Board of Asymmetry, ELS Publishing
2025 Member of Advisory Editors of Chiral Chemistry, Sciexplor Publishing
Awards and Honors
2008 Singapore National Research Foundation fellowship
2011-14 Asian Core Program Lectureship Awards, the Asian Cutting-Edge Organic Chemistry program.
(2011 in Malaysia; 2012 in Taiwan; 2013 in Japan; 2014 in China)
2012 Thieme Chemistry Journals Award
2013 GSK-EDB Green and Sustainable Manufacturing Award, Singapore
2017 GSK-EDB Green and Sustainable Manufacturing Award, Singapore
2019 Bayer Investigator Award
2021 Pengcheng Kongque Program Professor of Shenzhen 深圳市鹏城孔雀计划特聘教授
Research Interests
My research focuses on the forefront of transition-metal-catalyzed reactions that construct pharmaceutically useful scaffolds. In collaboration with in-depth DFT calculations, we conduct mechanistic investigations using isolated organometallic complexes to understand and improve catalytic processes and to discover new guiding principles in transition metal catalysis. Ongoing research programs in my group include: (i) nickel- and cobalt-catalyzed asymmetric reductive arylation and alkenylation using organic halides, (ii) stereoselective Heck reactions, and (iii) nickel-catalyzed transfer hydrogenation and borrowing hydrogen reactions.
Introduction of research results
I have authored more than 100 peer-reviewed papers, including 50 papers in JACS, Angew Chem, and ACS Catal. as (co)corresponding author. H-index 50 and 7500 citations (Google Scholar in Sept 2026). Since 2023, I was ranked in the top 2% scientists in Stanford’s global citation database (both career and single-year lists), and also listed in Global Scholar Academic Impact Rankings (Lifetime).
Representative Achievements(Last 5 Years)
A. Selected papers
1. Catalytic Enantioselective Addition of Aryl, Heteroaryl and Alkenyl Halides to Aliphatic Aldehydes. Lantian Sun, Bo Xiao, Shuai Huang, Chi-Sing Lee and Jianrong Steve Zhou* Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2026, 65, e1980531.
2. Cobalt-Catalyzed Enantioselective Reductive Arylation, Heteroarylation and Alkenylation of Michael Acceptors via an Elemen tary Mechanism of 1,4-Addition. Mengxin Zhao, Wenqiang Xu, Yun-Dong Wu, Xiuying Yang, Jianchun Wang, and Jianrong Steve Zhou* J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024, 146, 20477–20493.
3. Nickel-Catalyzed Enantioselective Reductive Arylation of Common Ketones. Huang Shuai and Jianrong Steve Zhou* J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024. 146, 12895–12900.
4. Cobalt-Catalyzed Enantioselective Cross-Electrophile Couplings: Stereoselective Syntheses of 5-7 Membered Azacycles. Zhaoming Ma, Wenqiang Xu, Yun-Dong Wu, and Jianrong Steve Zhou* J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2023, 145, 16464–16473.
5. Nickel-Catalyzed Enantioselective Reductive Arylation and Heteroarylation of Aldimines via an Elementary 1,4-Addition.Luoqiang Zhang, Xiuhua Wang, Maoping Pu, Peng Yang, Yun-Dong Wu, Yonggui Robin Chi and Jianrong Steve Zhou* J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2023, 145, 8498–8509.
6. Nickel-Catalyzed Enantioselective Reductive Conjugate Arylation and Heteroarylation via an Elementary Mechanism of 1,4-Addition. Luoqiang Zhang, Mengxin Zhao, Maoping Pu, Zhaoming Ma, Jingsong Zhou, Caiyou Chen, Yun-Dong Wu, Yonggui Robin Chi, Jianrong Steve Zhou* J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2022, 144, 20249–20257.
B. Reviews
1. New Reactivity of Late 3d Metal Complexes in Catalytic Reactions of Alkynes.Shenghan Teng,* Peiyao Liang, Jianrong Steve Zhou* Chem. Soc. Rev. 2025, 54, 2664 – 2692. Published on Feb 19, 2025. DOI: 10.1039/D4CS01130A
2. Metal-catalyzed asymmetric heteroarylation of alkenes: diverse activation mechanisms.Shenghan Teng, Jianrong Steve Zhou* Chem. Soc. Rev. 2022, 51, 1592-1607. DOI: 10.1039/D1CS00426C published on 15 Feb 2022
C. Book chapters
1. Teng, Jianrong Steve Zhou, “Olefin difunctionalization with two different atoms; 1,2-carboetherification (alcoxylation) of olefins” in Comprehensive Chirality II. Editor in Chief: Janine Cossy. Session editor: Emmanuelle Schulz, Olivier Riant. Elsevier. 1 Mar 2023.https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-32-390644-9.00052-4
2. Shenghan Teng, Jianrong Steve Zhou, “C-C bond formation through Heck-like reactions” in Comprehensive Organometallic Chemistry IV; Editors in Chief: Karsten Meyer, Dermot O’Hare and Gerard Parkin; Session editor: Ian Tonks; Elsevier, 25 Jan 2022.https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-820206-7.00156-6
3. Jianrong Steve Zhou, “Phosphorus Ligands” in Comprehensive Coordination Chemistry III; Editors in Chief: Edwin Constable, Gerard Parkin, Lawrence Que, Session editor: Joshua Figueroa; Vol. 1, Elsevier, 20 July 2021; pp 32-59. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-102688-5.00095-7
