Registration is Now Open!
Link: https://t.co/06doT1HHIN
The 5th Houk Research Conference!
June 24-26, 2026 | Pittsburgh, PA
The 2026 Houk Research Conference is convened to honor the career of Professor Kendall N. Houk, Distinguished Research Professor at UCLA.
Cu(II)-Catalyzed Hydrofunctionalization of Unactivated Alkynes via π-Lewis Acid Activation | Journal of the American Chemical Society @scrippsresearch@EngleLab https://t.co/S4gNRkgtQq
The final peer-reviewed version of our study on Cu(II) as a π-Lewis acid is online this week in @J_A_C_S. Hats off to @sunjuntao1 and our collaborators in the @pengliu_group!
Already this has opened up many new rxns we are eager to share soon! 🧐
https://t.co/cG1SLV47kR
Peng Liu Group at ACS Fall 2025 🧪
We're excited to highlight our students presenting at the American Chemical Society Fall 2025 Meeting! Check out their talk schedule below.
Now online:
Article by @QiqiangX, Peng Liu, @GuangbinDong & co-workers @GBD_Lab@pengliu_group
Enantioconvergent carbenoid insertion into carbon–boron bonds
https://t.co/mEgMsyA4oh ($)
For years, the origin of homochirality (why life uses D-sugars & L-amino acids) has baffled scientists. Our new paper in @AngewChem reveals how achiral molecules can form the chiral polymers that likely seeded life!
A game-changer for abiogenesis research!
https://t.co/gfQgJi5RTv
Very excited to be part of the team with Bill DeGrado (UCSF) and @yang2biocat where we designed four-helix bundle proteins to catalyze stereoselective alkene cyclopropanation and carbene Si-H insertion reactions. @ScienceMagazine@Pitt_Chemistry
https://t.co/p8NEME5WHr
Excited to share our latest publication in @J_A_C_S We used MD simulations to predict enantioselectivity of dirhodium tetracarboxylate-catalyzed cyclopropanation and the unique HFIP solvent effects. https://t.co/pjeGMsKX3M
Congrats to @0iTurki@khanhbinh183@C_M_Mithun
Excited to introduce our website and preprint about HArD, a database of heteroaryl descriptors. If you ever wondered "what is the Hammett constant for 2-pyridyl?" or any other heteroaryl group, now you can do a simple search at: https://t.co/eOQzyiVfOm
https://t.co/hbjunbajjn
Check out our latest collaboration with Huw Davies and Jamal Musaev @EmoryChem! We used MD and DFT in explicit solvent to show the unique effects of HFIP on enantioinduction of dirhodium tetracarboxylate-catalyzed cyclopropanation @Huw78347000
https://t.co/GdtW5DOHqf
Mithun Madhusudhanan, a PhD student in Prof. Peng Liu’s lab, recently received a PQI fellowship for his work in computational organic chemistry.
Read more about Mithun's experiences at Pitt here: https://t.co/z3tG0rC6jd
https://t.co/lwOhJQ1KCq
Here is our latest paper. Here, we made a bioinspired polymer taking cue from collagen sequence. This polymer can glue hydrophilic surfaces.
Like in 2023, we published 10 papers in 2024 too!
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.- 4
JACS-3
Nat. Commun.-2
ChemPhysChem-1
Our latest paper! In this paper, we report a light induced strengthening of an organogel. A monomer gel upon irradiation undergoes topochemical polymerisation to a semiconducting polymer which makes a stronger gel than the monomer gel. https://t.co/mxrjlWl9kd
It is such a wonderful experience to collaborate on this exciting project with the @HoveydaLab and @filippo_romiti groups! We are excited to apply computational tools to provide insights into enantioselectivity and reactivity.
The 2024 #NobelPrize laureates in chemistry Demis Hassabis and John Jumper have successfully utilised artificial intelligence to predict the structure of almost all known proteins.
In 2020, Hassabis and Jumper presented an AI model called AlphaFold2. With its help, they have been able to predict the structure of virtually all the 200 million proteins that researchers have identified. Since their breakthrough, AlphaFold2 has been used by more than two million people from 190 countries. Among a myriad of scientific applications, researchers can now better understand antibiotic resistance and create images of enzymes that can decompose plastic.
Read more about their story: https://t.co/nWxcZs6wqC
We're holding TWO virtual open houses for our grad program this fall. Interested (or know someone else who might be)? Info below - we look forward to seeing you there!
Join us! Tenure-track assistant professor in organic chem (all areas) in fall '25
Applicants should include a cover letter, CV w/ publication list, research proposals, teaching interests and diversity statement & 3 references by Oct 15, 2024
#chemjobs
https://t.co/MDtDavBGId
Two back-to-back papers in Nature Communications!
In one paper, we report a hierarchical topochemical synthesis of a 2D polymer! A monomer underwent two single-crystal-to-single-crystal polymerizations, first to a 1D polymer and then to a 2D polymer.
https://t.co/3qvw56RT3A