Li Deng

Our research program focuses on the discovery of powerful and practical chiral organic catalysts promoting novel and highly selective reactions. Our group pioneered the development and application of general base catalysis as general means for the development of new reactions. We also established that the general base catalysis could be coupled with electrophile-activating catalysis such general acid catalysis and iminium catalysis to form powerful bifunctional catalysis for asymmetric reaction development. These concepts have been successfully applied to the development of a wide range of novel and highly efficient organic transformations of general scopes. Many of these reactions have already found wide applications in target- and diversity-oriented synthesis in academia and industry. Our reactions have also been developed into viable tools for industrial manufacturing of chiral compounds.