On the afternoon of May 6, the School of Pharmaceutical and Chemical Engineering held two academic lectures in Conference Room B-413, featuring distinguished experts from Shanghai Normal University and Hangzhou Normal University. The session was chaired by Professor Wu Jie and drew a large audience of faculty and students.

Professor Xiao Xiao presenting

Professor Xiao Xiao from Shanghai Normal University presented on “Biomimetic Asymmetric Catalysis Based on Vitamin B6-Dependent Enzymes.” He reported his group’s recent progress in designing and synthesizing bifunctional biomimetic catalysts that mimic the catalytic principles and structural features of vitamin B6. These catalysts successfully emulate threonine aldolase, decarboxylase, and transaminase, enabling the atom-economical and step-economical synthesis of chiral amines—key building blocks in organic and pharmaceutical synthesis. Using a carbonyl catalysis mode, they also achieved direct C–H asymmetric functionalization of primary amines such as substituted glycine esters and allylamines, opening a unique and efficient route to chiral amines.

Professor Yang Limin presenting

Professor Yang Limin from Hangzhou Normal University then spoke on “Mechanistic Studies of Diels-Alder Reactions and Rational Design Driven by Dispersion Forces.” Focusing on asymmetric Diels-Alder reactions, she combined theoretical calculations with synthetic studies, revealing rare dual-mode transition states and stereochemical patterns in tandem reactions. Innovatively, she employed London dispersion interactions as a driving force in ligand design, achieving simultaneous improvements in activity and enantioselectivity for copper-catalyzed IEDDA reactions. This establishes a new “attraction-over-repulsion” paradigm for catalyst design, offering fresh pathways for the efficient synthesis of axially chiral and multi-stereogenic natural product frameworks.

Both lectures were rich in content and forward-looking, blending theoretical innovation with practical application. The lively Q&A sessions witnessed active participation from the audience, with experts providing detailed responses. The event not only offered invaluable face-to-face interaction with leading domestic scholars but also advanced the school’s research in organic synthesis, medicinal chemistry, and catalysis.