Dagang Yu

Biography

01/2015- Professor, College of Chemistry, Sichuan University 10/2012-12/2014 Postdoc with Humboldt Fellowship, Münster University, Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Frank Glorius 09/2007-07/2012 Ph. D., in Organic Chemistry, Peking University, P. R. China. Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Zhang-Jie Shi, DPhil Thesis Title: “Transition Metal-Catalyzed Inert C-O and C-C Bonds Activation” 09/2003-07/2007 B. S., in Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P. R. China. Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Xiaoming Feng and Prof. Dr. Li-Hua Yuan

Research Interest

Green and Sustainable Organic Synthesis (CO2 Utilization) Novel Transition Metal-Catalysis Carbon dioxide (CO2) is not only a greenhouse gas but also an inexpensive, readily available and renewable carbon resource. It is very important to utilize such a one-carbon (C1) building block in organic synthesis to construct valuable heterocycles. However, it is very challenging due to its thermodynamic and kinetic stability and inertness. Although significant progress has been achieved, there are lots of limitations in reaction system and substrate scope in this field. Our group has developed the direct use of carbon dioxide in the lactamization and lactonization of alkenyl and heteroaryl C─H bonds to synthesize important 2-quinolinones and coumarin derivatives in moderate to excellent yields. Importantly, these transition-metal-free and redox-neutral processes are eco-friendly and desirable for the pharmaceutical industry. Moreover, these reactions feature a broad substrate scope, good functional group tolerance, facile scalability and easy product derivatization.