Dr. Faouzi Ben Rebah | Sustainability Strategies | Best Paper Award

🎓Early Academic Pursuits 

Education and Training

Dr. Zhongyi Zeng’s academic journey is deeply rooted in his passion for pharmaceutical engineering and organic chemistry. Born in October 1989 in Hunan, China, Zeng embarked on his scholarly path at Hunan Normal University, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Pharmaceutical Engineering (2008–2012). Guided by Prof. Yulin Zeng, his foundational studies focused on medicinal and organic chemistry, paving the way for his interest in synthetic methodologies and drug design. His pursuit of excellence led him to South China Normal University, where he completed his Master’s degree in Organic Chemistry (2012–2015) under the supervision of Prof. Dingqiao Yang, diving deeper into advanced organic synthesis, catalysis, and molecular reactivity. His academic curiosity and determination brought him to Europe, where he earned his Ph.D. from the Institute of Organic Chemistry at Heidelberg University, Germany (2015–2018). There, he specialized in transition-metal catalysis and C–H functionalization, key techniques in synthetic organic chemistry, under the guidance of distinguished researchers in the field.

💼Professional Endeavors 

Academic Positions

Following his Ph.D., Dr. Zeng broadened his scientific horizons through two postdoctoral research associate positions. From 2018 to 2019, he worked at the University of Zurich’s Department of Chemistry, where he explored electrocatalytic and photocatalytic reactions with high selectivity. This was followed by a position at the Ruhr-University of Bochum’s Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry in Germany (2019–2021), where his multidisciplinary work contributed to advances in redox chemistry, enantioselective transformations, and C–H bond activation using fluorinated π-systems. In December 2021, he returned to China as a Professor and Principal Investigator at the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University. Here, Dr. Zeng leads a dynamic research group focusing on electrochemical synthesis, dearomatization strategies, and transition-metal-catalyzed annulation reactions.

📚Contributions and Research Focus on Synthetic Chemistry

Dr. Zeng’s research lies at the cutting edge of coordination chemistry, green synthesis, and asymmetric catalysis. His work emphasizes sustainable methodologies for complex molecule construction, particularly via C–H activation, annulation, and carboamination reactions. Notably, his group has demonstrated innovative strategies involving electrocatalytic enantioselective tandem reactions, meta-selective functionalization, and photoinduced dearomatization of pyridines. His multidisciplinary approach combines computational chemistry with experimental mechanistic investigations to develop novel catalytic cycles and unravel reactivity patterns. Key publications in high-impact journals such as Nature Communications, ACS Catalysis, Angewandte Chemie, Coordination Chemistry Reviews, and Organic Chemistry Frontiers highlight his significant contributions to fluorinated molecule design, redox-neutral transformations, and atropisomer synthesis.

🏆Accolades and Recognition 

Dr. Zeng’s excellence in multidisciplinary research has been widely recognized. In 2023, he was honored by the Guangdong Zhujiang Talent Program, a prestigious award recognizing scientific innovation and leadership. Earlier in his academic career, he received the Guangzhou Elite Scholarship Council Award in 2015, which enabled his international academic training and research exposure. His achievements reflect a blend of technical prowess, innovation, and mentorship.

🌍 Impact and Influence 

Community Impact

With over a dozen first-author and corresponding-author publications, Dr. Zeng has made a profound impact on the global chemical research community. His findings have contributed to the advancement of green chemistry, drug discovery, and synthetic methodology development. Collaborating with esteemed scientists like Prof. A. Stephen K. Hashmi and Prof. Weiping Yi, he has nurtured a collaborative, interdisciplinary environment that bridges chemistry, pharmaceutical sciences, and materials research. His mentorship has also inspired a new generation of chemists at Guangzhou Medical University, integrating cross-disciplinary learning and real-world problem solving in the fields of medicinal chemistry, electrosynthesis, and organic reaction mechanisms.

🔮Legacy and Future Contributions