论文发表
11. Man Zhao, Wen-Jun Xie, Shan-Shan Chen, Hong-Ru Li, Liang-Nian He*. Rationally designed aluminum-supported g-C3N4: An efficient and halogen-free catalyst for CO2-epoxide cycloaddition. J Environ Chem Eng 2026, 14, 124372.[Link]
Abstract: The cycloaddition of CO2 with epoxides offers an atom-economical pathway to produce cyclic carbonates, wherein the catalyst plays a pivotal role in determining reaction efficiency. In this work, aluminum-supported g-C3N4 (Al@g-C3N4) was prepared via a facile impregnation method. This catalyst exhibited superior activity in the cycloaddition of epoxides and CO2 in the absence of any external nucleophilic co-catalyst, delivering excellent yields under optimized conditions (150 °C, 5atm CO2, 8h), with pronounced reactivity observed for monosubstituted epoxides. Moreover, the catalyst exhibited good recyclability, retaining its structural integrity and consistent activity over five consecutive cycles without discernible metal leaching. Structural characterization revealed that aluminum ions were stabilized through coordination with nitrogen atoms in the g-C3N4 matrix, thereby constructing surface acid-base pairs analogous to frustrated Lewis pairs. These adjacent acid-base sites can synergistically activate the epoxide and CO2, facilitating the cycloaddition reaction under halogen-free conditions. This work presents a promising strategy for engineering high-performance catalysts via metal ion coordination on g-C3N4, underscoring a sustainable pathway for CO2 valorization.
10. Xin-Yi Yang , An-Guo Wu , Fang-Yu Yu , Li-Feng Xu , Guang-Rui Liu , Hong-Ru Li , Liang-Nian He*. Industrial solid waste-based sorbents for high-temperature CO2 capture and conversion. Green Chem. Eng.,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gce.2026.08.002.
Abstract：In this work, a “CO2 capture and ex situ utilization” strategy was proposed by combining calcium looping and a subsequent cycloaddition reaction. In the calcium looping step, the CaO-based sorbent was prepared from bulk industrial solid waste, i.e., carbide slag as the calcium source and blast-furnace slag as the dopant. Both wet mixing and sol-gel methods were explored in this study. Among them, the sorbent synthesized via the sol-gel route with sucrose as a complexing agent showed improved cyclic performance. This improvement is presumably attributable to the sol-gel method's ability to enhance the distribution of blast furnace slag and optimize the sorbent's pore structure. By further regulating sorbent preparation parameters such as the mass ratio of carbide slag to blast furnace slag, the sucrose amount, and the calcination temperature and time, the optimal sorbent was obtained with an initial CO2 uptake of 0.552 g CO2/g sorbent at 740 oC. Furthermore, the CO2 uptake was still retained at 92% even after 10 cycles. The CO2 released from Ca-looping ex situ reacted with propylene oxide (PO) to afford a 91% yield of propylene carbonate catalyzed by graphene oxide (GO) and tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB), avoiding conventional CO2 compression and transportation. As expected, this study represents a potential large-scale application of integrating industrial solid waste management, carbon capture, and valorization to value-added chemicals and materials.
9. Xiao-Rong Wen, Xin-Yi Chen, Shan-Shan Chen, Chao-Yang Jing, Wen-Jun Xie, Hong-Ru Li, Liang-Nian He*. Modulation of Local Electronic Structure in Double-Shell Hollow Cu2O via Pyridyl Ligands for Efficient CO2-to-Ethylene Conversion. Chem. Eur. J.,2026; 32, e71617. [Link]
Abstract：The electrochemical reduction of CO2 to ethylene (C2H4) offers an attractive route for carbon valorization to bulk chemicals by using sustainable energy. However, its practical application is hindered by sluggish C─C coupling kinetics and poor C2H4 selectivity at high current densities. While hollow-structured Cu2O can enrich *CO intermediates, further enhancing C─C coupling on such structures remains challenging. In this context, we developed a ligand modulation strategy to tailor the catalytic properties of double-shell hollow Cu2O by anchoring π-conjugated 1,4-bis(4-pyridyl)benzene (BPB) onto the Cu2O surface via Cu─N coordination bonds. Concentration‑dependent studies identify 10 mM BPB as the optimal balance between electronic modulation and surface accessibility. In situ ATR‑SEIRAS and density functional theory calculations collectively demonstrate that the electron donation from pyridinic N donors to Cu+ sites promotes CO2 activation and *COOH formation, while the strengthened *CO adsorption is expected to facilitate C─C coupling. As a result, the optimized Cu2O-BPB-10 catalyst delivered a C2H4 Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 61.6% and a total C2+ FE of 85.1% at a current density of 600 mA cm−2. This work provides a facile and versatile ligand engineering strategy for designing high-performance Cu-based catalysts for practical electrochemical CO2 reduction under industrially relevant conditions.
8. Si-Shun Yan, Chaorong Qi, Yong-Yuan Gui, Hong-Ru Li, Yanwei Wang, Wei Zhang, Lei Song, Wenfang Xiong, Jian-Heng Ye*, Youai Qiu*, Wenzhen Zhang*, Huanfeng Jiang*, Xiao-Bing Lu*, Liang-Nian He* & Da-Gang Yu*. Recent advances in organic synthesis with CO2. Sci China Chem, 2026, 69, 4151–4222. [Link]
Abstract: As an abundant and renewable C1 source, CO2-involved organic synthesis stands for green and sustainable chemical transformations, which have been well developed in the past decades. Diverse reactions are realized via C–X (X=C, N, O) bond formation, providing various organic compounds with high selectivity and efficiency. In recent years, a variety of novel organic transformations with CO2 have emerged under different reaction systems, especially with the renaissance of photochemistry and electrochemistry. This review will summarize the advances in CO2-involved organic synthesis in the past five years. The content is organized based on the chemical bond formation in the organic transformation with CO2, mainly including C–C bond, C–N bond, and C–O bond formation.
7. Guan-Huan Liu, Guang-Rui Liu, Hong-Ru Li*, Liang-Nian He. Progress on heterogeneous catalysis for reductive functionalization of CO2 with amines/aromatics and H2. Clean Coal Technology，2026, 32, 120−136. [Link]
Abstract：The reductive functionalization of CO2 couples CO2 reduction with C—X bond formation，incorporating CO2 into organic molecules as formyl，methylene，hydroxymethyl，or methyl groups，thereby significantly expanding the product scope of CO2 conversion. Particularly，the heterogeneous catalyzed reductive functionalization of CO2 with amines/aromatics using H2 as reductant shows great potential for industrial-scale production of valuable chemicals such as formamides， methylamines， and methylated aromatics， which makes it a research hotspot. In the reductive functionalization of CO2 with amines，supported metal nanomaterials （e.g.，Pd，Au，Pt，Ru， Re，Ir，Cu，and Co） are widely used. Strategies such as support selection and surface modification，decoration of metal nanoparticles with organic ligands or metal oxides， and alloy formation have been utilized to tune the electronic structure of active metal centers and introduce multiple active sites on the support. These strategies can promote H2 activation at the metal centers and enhance the adsorption and activation of CO2，amine substrates，and the corresponding intermediates on the catalyst. Consequently，the catalytic activity，cyclic stability and the selectivity to N-formylation or N-methylation product can be improved. In the methylation reactions of aromatics with CO2 and H2，dual-functional catalysts composed of mixed metal oxides （or Re/TiO2） and zeolites are employed. In the reaction，the mixed metal oxides （or Re/TiO2） reduce CO2 to methanol while the acidic sites of the zeolite activate methanol and aromatics to promote C—C coupling and thus produce methylated products. By tailoring the composition of the mixed metal mixed oxide and the acidic sites （type，density，and distribution） of the zeolite，as well as optimizing the mixing ratio and mode of these two components， the efficiency of CO2 hydrogenation and aromatics methylation can be significantly improved and the methanol generation，migration， and consumption rates are balanced，thereby enhancing both feedstock conversion and target product selectivity. By far，the CO2 and aromatics conversion rates can exceed 30% with product selectivity surpassing 90%. Currently，systematic research achievements have been obtained for CO2 reductive functionalization in the heterogeneous catalyst design and product regulation，laying a solid foundation for subsequent technological innovation and applications.
6.Wei-Jia Wang, Hua-Chang Jiang, Ju Zhu, Liang-Nian He,. Exploration and Practice of Innovative Teaching Models in Organic Chemistry within the Emerging Engineering Education Framework. Univ. Chem. 2026, 41, 288. [Link]
Abstract: In the context of emerging engineering education, traditional organic chemistry instruction faces substantial pedagogical challenges. This study proposes and implements five innovative teaching models: 1) differentiated flipped classroom; 2) authentic project-based learning; 3) competition-based learning; 4) modular teaching; and 5) web-assisted instruction. Through detailed case studies, the paper elucidates implementation strategies while emphasizing transformative innovations in organic chemistry pedagogy. The research objectives focus on effectively stimulating student engagement and developing high-quality interdisciplinary professionals capable of addressing complex engineering problems.
5. Alexander O. Ustyuzhanin, Polina A. Podgornaia, Natalia G. Kolotyrkina, Liang-Nian He, Vera A. Vil’*, Alexander O. Terent’ev* Selective Electrochemical Hydrocarboxylation of Vinyl Phosphonates with CO2 Enabled by Alternating Polarity. Adv. Synth. Catal., 2026, 368, e70559. [Link]
Abstract: Electrochemical hydrocarboxylation of vinyl phosphonates with CO2 to form carboxylic-substituted phosphonates is developed. The alternating polarity affords a boost in Faraday efficiency and enables generalizable catalytic control to provide high product yields over a broad substrate scope by maintaining electrode activity through the regeneration of its surface. The disclosed method provides high selectivity of the target hydrocarboxylation without side transformations of vinyl phosphonates in an undivided cell affording a short way to valuable carboxylic acids featuring a phosphonate fragment. The high selectivity of hydrocarboxylation is achieved through the integration of an alternating polarity strategy with an efficient sequence of one-electron reduction, followed by C-C bond formation, subsequent second one-electron reduction, and protonation. These results establish the utility of the alternating polarity technique and provide a foundation for its adaptation to other electrochemical reactions.
4. Xiao-Rong Wen, Shan-Shan Chen, Wen-Jun Xie, Hong-Ru Li, Liang-Nian He*, Cavity-confined Cu2O nanoreactors for efficient CO2 electroreduction to ethylene. J Catal, 2026, 455, 116710. [Link]
Abstract: Electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction (eCO2R) to ethylene (C2H4) offers a promising pathway toward carbon–neutral cycles and sustainable chemical synthesis. In eCO2R to C2H4, copper-based electrocatalysts, particularly Cu2O, have been widely used. Nevertheless, product selectivity to C2H4 is still quite limited due to the insufficient enrichment of key intermediates and slow C–C coupling kinetics. Herein, the double-shelled hollow mesoporous Cu2O was fabricated through the soft-templating method. And the cavity size and pore architecture of the resulting Cu2O catalysts could be precisely tailored by adjusting the alkyl chain length of the surfactant templates alkyltrimethylammonium bromides. When applied to eCO2R, the as-prepared Cu2O material with tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide (TTAB) as template exhibited a remarkable Faradaic efficiency of 43.3 ± 0.8% for C2H4 at an industrial-level current density of 549.8 mA cm−2. Experimental and theoretical investigations reveal that its high activity and selectivity toward C2H4 stem from the suitable cavity configuration, which enriches key *CO intermediates and promotes their dimerization via a spatial confinement effect. This study provides valuable insights into the architectural design of efficient catalysts for CO2-to-C2H4 conversion.
3. Li-Feng Xu, Wen-Jun Xie, Shan-Shan Chen, Alexander O. Terent'ev,c Hong-Ru Li* and Liang-Nian He*. Direct synthesis of cyclic carbonates from olefins and CO2 via ionic liquid catalysis with mutually promoting bifunctional groups. Green Chem.,2026, DOI: 10.1039/D5GC06239J. [Link]
Abstract: The oxidative carboxylation of olefins is a thermodynamically and economically favorable strategy for the synthesis of cyclic carbonates. As a common oxidant, aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution serves as a cost-effective and green chemical. Herein, we develop a bifunctional ionic liquid, which has both the trifluoroacetyl group as the epoxidation reactive site and quaternary ammonium salt for promoting the cycloaddition reaction. The two active sites work synergistically through the electronic effect, thereby rendering two subsequent steps compatible and allowing the target reaction to proceed efficiently and selectively accordingly. The introduction of quaternary ammonium salt enhances the selectivity of epoxides at 80 °C. The trifluoroacetyl group augments the activating capability of the quaternary ammonium site toward epoxides and ultimately allows the cycloaddition reaction to proceed efficiently at a lower temperature. With hydrogen peroxide as the oxidant, the bifunctional ionic liquid catalyst facilitates a two-step process for the synthesis of cyclic carbonates from olefins and CO2 in high yield, reaching up to 90%, in the absence of any transition metal. This work provides a novel, green, and sustainable strategy for the oxidative carboxylation of alkenes to synthesize cyclic carbonates.
2. Lada A. Zaikina, Mikhail M. Doronin, Oleg O. Segida, Olga M. Mulina, Igor B. Krylov, Liang-Nian He and Alexander O. Terent'ev*.Synthesis of thiazoles from vinyl azides and xanthates under the action of an Mn(III)-oxidant. Org. Biomol. Chem., 2026, 24, 136. [Link]
Abstract: Reaction of xanthates and vinyl azides under the action of Mn(OAc)3 results in the formation of alkoxy thiazoles. In this transformation, potassium xanthate undergoes Mn-mediated oxidation, generating the corresponding xanthyl radical. The latter interacts with the double bond of the vinyl azide, and after N2 elimination, a β-xanthylated iminyl radical is formed. The quenching of the iminyl radical by an Mn(II)-ion with subsequent cyclization into a 5-membered ring, an unexpected elimination of a sulfur-containing fragment and aromatization lead to thiazoles. It is important to mention that cyclization with the formation of a 6-membered ring is not observed in the disclosed process. The obtained thiazoles demonstrate antifungal activity surpassing that of commercially available fungicides.
1. Valerio D’ Elia*, Pichaya Pattanasattayavong, Liang-Nian He*. 4-Aminopyridines as Versatile “Noninterfering” Allies for CO2 Fixation. ChemCatChem 2026, 18, e01150. [Link]
Abstract: Organic superbases are a family of compounds endowed with high nucleophilicity and basicity. Several powerful nucleophiles such as DBU (1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene), TBD (1,5,7-triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec-5-ene), or DMAP (4-dimethylaminopyridine) are involved in CO2 conversion but their catalytic roles may differ from a mechanistic standpoint. In this work, we show the versatile application of 4-aminopyridines in CO2 fixation leading to products of CO2 reduction as well as cyclic carbonates and fine chemicals. In such cases, 4-aminopyridines serve not just as organocatalysts, but as recurring motifs performing as bases, structural components, ligands for electronic modulation of metals and full-fledged catalytic components. Such roles are highlighted herein with an eye to the understanding of mechanistic aspects and the interaction between 4-aminopyridines and CO2 through the discussion of several catalytic studies.
专利申请和授权
1. 陈珊珊，许立锋，李红茹，何良年，一种双功能离子液体催化烯烃氧化羧化合成环状碳酸酯的方法 ，专利号：ZL 2025 1 1707838.9