At the invitation of the School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University, Professor Zuo Jinglin from Nanjing University delivered an academic report titled “Nitrogen Activation and Transformation by Metal Complexes” on May 13, 2026. The event took place in Conference Room 226, Huaxing Building, Xianlin Campus of Nanjing Normal University. Faculty members and students from relevant disciplines within the School of Chemistry and Materials Science attended the presentation.
Professor Zuo Jinglin is a professor at the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, and serves as the Director of the Inorganic Chemistry Committee of the Chinese Chemical Society. He is a recipient of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, Principal Scientist of a Major National Basic Research Program Project and a National Key Research and Development Program Project, and a Distinguished Professor of the Changjiang Scholars Program of the Ministry of Education. Centered on coordination chemistry, his research has extensively explored the synthesis, properties, and applications of novel charge-transfer metal complexes. He has made significant progress in the study of molecular conductors and semiconductors, multifunctional molecular magnetic materials, and organic electroluminescent materials and devices. He has published over 400 SCI-indexed papers.
Redox-active metal complex materials show promising applications in molecular conductors, catalysis, energy storage devices, and electrochemical sensors. In his report, Professor Zuo systematically introduced the preparation of charge-transfer metal complex materials with novel structures using redox-active ligands such as tetrathiafulvalene derivatives, as well as the conductive, magnetic, photothermal conversion, catalytic, and multifunctional properties of such molecular materials. Professor Zuo’s research group successfully synthesized a charge-transfer metal complex material named NJUZ-1, which features a dinitrogen dianion coordination mode, a zinc(II) central ion, and a stable D–A–D sandwich structure. Photocatalytic nitrogen fixation experiments indicated that this dinitrogen-coordinated polymer exhibits nitrogen fixation capability and can photocatalytically reduce atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia. The catalyst demonstrates good physical properties and structural stability, providing a new avenue for the research and application of complex-type molecular catalysts in artificial photosynthetic nitrogen fixation. Following the report, faculty and students actively posed questions. Professor Zuo patiently and thoughtfully answered each one, leading to a lively discussion at the venue. The event concluded successfully with warm applause.