LI, Jianbin

Assistant Professor

Presidential Young Fellow
Education Background

Ph.D. (McGill University, 2016-2021)

Bachelor: (Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 2014-2016 & Sun Yat-sen University, 2012-2014)

Research Field
Organic chemistry, photocatalysis and biocatalysis
Class
Chemistry, New Energy Science and Engineering
Email
jianbinli@cuhk.edu.cn
Biography

Prof. Jianbin LI obtained his Bachelor's degree from a joint program between Sun Yat-sen University and Hong Kong Polytechnic University (with Prof. Wing-Yiu Yu). In 2016, he started his graduate study under the mentorship of Prof. Chao-Jun Li at McGill University, concluding in 2021. From 2022 to 2024, he joined Prof. Jared Lewis's group as a postdoctoral fellow at Indiana University Bloomington.

Prof. Li received research training from the organic chemistry and biochemistry background. He is passionate about the design of innovative reagents and (bio)catalysts and leveraging their methodologies to strategize important challenges in the fields. He has published >30 papers in top-tier international journals, including Chem, J. Am. Chem. Soc., Nat. Commun., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., ACS Catal. and The Innovation etc., and he was awarded the IUPAC-Zhejiang NHU International Award for Advancements in Green Chemistry (2025), IUPAC-Solvay International Award for Young Chemists (2022) and the Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-financed Students Abroad (2021).

His current research interest focuses on photocatalysis and biocatalysis, understanding their mechanisms and expanding their synthetic reach for diverse synthetic purposes, including valorizing readily available feedstock chemicals to value-added products and enabling challenging native and non-native chemical transformations.

The JBLi group is recruiting two postdoctoral researchers and research assistants. Doctoral, master and undergraduate students are always welcome. Please contact me directly ^o^

Academic Publications

After joining CUHK-Shenzhen

  1. Li, J.*; Zhang, D.; Hu, Z. Ligand-enabled “two-in-one” metallaphotocatalytic cross couplings. ACS Catal. 2025, 15 (3), 1635-1654.
  2. Liang, W.#; Li, J.#; Li, J.#; Wu, C.; Tu, Z.; Mu, B.-S.; Xu, Y.; Song, L.; Xu, M.; Cui, X.-Y.; Li, C.-J.*; Liu, Z.* Oxidant-free cross-dehydrogenative oxyalkylation enables late-stage functionalization of drugs. The Innovation 2025, 6 (4), 100809.
  3. Li, J.*; Zhang, D.; Tan, L.; Li, C.-J., Direct excitation strategy for deacylative couplings of ketones. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2024, 63(42), e202410363.
  4. Li, J.*, Illuminating cobalt co-catalysis. Trends. Chem. 2024, 6(4), 161-163.

 

Prior to joining CUHK-Shenzhen

  1. Li, J.; Kumar, A.; Lewis, J. C.*, Non-native intramolecular radical cyclization enabled by a B12-dependent enzyme, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2023, 62(51), e202312893.
  2. Li, J.#; Huang C.-Y.#; Li, C.-J.*, Two-in-one metallaphotoredox cross-coupling enabled by a photoactive ligand. Chem 2022, 8(9), 2419-2431.
  3. Li, J. ; Huang C.-Y.; Li, C.-J.*, Cross-dehydrogenative coupling of unactivated alkanes. Trends Chem. 2022, 4(6), 479-494.
  4. Huang, C.-Y.#; Li, J. #; Li, C.-J.*, Photocatalytic C(sp3) radicals generation via C-H, C-C and C-X bond cleavage. Chem. Sci. 2022, 13(19), 5465-5455.
  5. Li, J.*, Direct deoxygenative borylation. Pure Appl. Chem. 2022, 94(11-12), 1209-1224.
  6. Li, J.#; Huang, C.-Y.#; Li, C.-J.*, Development of novel quinolinium/cobaltoxime dual photocatalytic system for oxidative C-C cross-coupling via H2 release. ACS Catal. 2021, 11(22), 14148-14158.
  7. Li, J.#; Huang, C.-Y.#; Ataya, M#; Khaliullin, R. Z.*; Li, C.-J.*, Direct deoxygenative borylation of carboxylic acids. Nat. Commun. 2021, 12(1), 4970-4798.
  8. Li, J.#; Huang, C.-Y.#; Li, C.-J.*, Deoxygenative functionalizations of aldehydes, ketones and carboxylic acids. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2021, 61, e202112770.
  9. Huang, C.-Y.#; Li, J.#; Li, C.-J.*, A dehydrogenative C(sp3)-H heteroarylation via photo-induced catalytic chlorine radical generation. Nat. Commun. 2021, 12(1), 4010-4018.
  10. Li, J.; Wang, H.; Qiu, Z.; Huang, C.-Y.; Li, C.-J.*, Metal-free direct deoxygenative borylation of aldehydes and ketones. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2020, 142(30), 13011-13020.
  11. Liu, W.#; Li, J.#; Li, C.-J.*, Aromatic chemistry in excited states: Facilitating metal-free substitution and cross-coupling. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2020, 59(5), 1786-1796.
  12. Huang, C.-Y.#; Li, J.#; Liu, W.; Li, C.-J.*, Diacetyl as a "traceless" visible light photosensitizer in metal-free cross-dehydrogenative-coupling reaction. Chem. Sci. 2019, 10(19), 5018-5024.
  13. Li, J.#; Zhu, D.#; Lv, L.; Li, C.-J.*, Radical difluoromethylthiolation of aromatics enabled by visible light. Chem. Sci. 2018, 9(26), 5781-5786.