On the afternoon of April 2, 2025, at the invitation of the School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Professor Peng Wang from the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry delivered an academic lecture titled "Olefin Transformation Chemistry Based on Dynamic Regulation of Catalytic Species" through an offline conference (Room 302, Huayu Building). Faculty members, graduate students, and undergraduates from the School of Chemistry attended this seminar.

Professor Wang Peng obtained his Bachelor of Science degree from Tianjin University in 2007 and his Ph.D. in Science from Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry in 2013 under the supervision of Researcher Yong Tang. He subsequently conducted postdoctoral research at the Scripps Research Institute in the United States under the guidance of Professor Jinquan Yu. Since early 2018, he has been working at the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences. His primary research focuses on transition-metal catalysis and main-group element chemistry. Professor Wang was selected for the Chinese Academy of Sciences' "Hundred Talents Program" in 2017, the National High-Level Talent Recruitment Program in 2018, received funding from the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission's "Rising Star Program" in 2020, and was recognized as an "Outstanding Academic/Technical Leader" in Shanghai in 2023. As a corresponding author, he has published over 50 papers in prestigious international journals including J. Am. Chem. Soc., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., Chem, and Nat. Commun., with citations exceeding 3,500. He has filed 11 Chinese invention patents, 9 of which have been authorized. His honors include the Thieme Chemistry Journals Award (2020) and the Shanghai Science and Technology System "May Fourth Youth Medal" (2022). He currently serves as an international editorial board member for Eur. J. Org. Chem. (2023-present), a youth editorial board member for National Science Open Chemistry Section (2024-2025), and a youth editorial board member for Acta Chimica Sinica (2024-2026).

The efficient and selective transformation of olefins remains a frontier in synthetic chemistry. Continuous research in catalytic transformations has revolutionized traditional synthetic paradigms, giving rise to transformative technologies such as olefin polymerization, hydroformylation, and Wacker oxidation. However, significant challenges persist in the conversion of low-activity olefins, particularly multi-substituted and alkyl-substituted olefins, which exhibit poor conversion efficiency and unsatisfactory regio-/stereoselectivity. Addressing these challenges, our group proposed a "dynamic regulation of catalytic species" strategy. By leveraging the dynamic transition between neutral and anionic coordination modes of bidentate anionic ligands, we achieved real-time modulation of metal catalytic species. This approach enables in situ generation of metal cations to enhance olefin coordination and migratory insertion capabilities, while dynamically switching to anionic coordination to stabilize high-activity intermediates (e.g., functionalized metal species, alkyl-metal complexes), thereby improving overall reaction efficiency. Implementing this strategy, we accomplished dual breakthroughs in substrate scope (non-directed olefins) and activation modes (carbon-metal species initiation), developing a series of highly efficient and selective hydrofunctionalization, difunctionalization, and migratory cyclization reactions.

Following the presentation, Professor Wang engaged in in-depth discussions with faculty and students, addressing questions raised by the audience in detail. The seminar concluded successfully, providing valuable insights to all participants.