Natural products have long been a rich source for the discovery of novel therapeutic agents as exemplified by the successful cases of aspirin, penicillin, morphine, taxol, artemisinin and the statins. The structures of these naturally occurring molecules are rich in sp3 carbons and stereogenic centers, and thus represent much broader chemical space than known drugs and libraries of drug-like molecules. Accordingly, the construction of natural products and derived chemical libraries might offer appealing opportunities to address drug targets by providing new pharmacophores and binding geometrics. Research in my laboratory focuses on bioactive natural products, which intend to serve as both the inspiration for the discovery of novel synthetic strategies and a chemical starting point for the discovery of novel therapeutics.

Selected Publications

1. Collective total synthesis of stereoisomeric yohimbine alkaloids. Tang, M.; Lu, H.; Zu, L.* Nat. Commun. 2024, 15, 941.

2. Total synthesis of spiro[cyclohexane-2-indoline] alkaloids: a regio- and diastereoselective spirocyclization approach. Chen, L.; Xie, K.; Zhang, J.; Zu, L.* Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2022, 61, e202212042.

3. Total synthesis of (+)-gilbertine: a cyclopentanone-based approach. Wei, B.*; Cheng, P.; Zu, L.* Org. Lett. 2022, 24, 7320.

4. Natural product total synthesis using rearrangement reactions. Chen, L.; Li, G.*; Zu, L.* Org. Chem. Front. 2022, 9, 5383.

5. Total synthesis and biological evaluation of dracaenins A and B. Zhao, Y.; Xiao, S.; You, Y.; Zhang, Z.*; Zu, L.*; Huang, L*. Chin. Chem. Lett. 2022, 33, 2433.

6. Asymmetric total synthesis of asperversin A. Zhang, Z.; Zu, L.* Org. Lett. 2021, 23, 2222.

7. A local desymmetrization approach to piperidinyl acetic acid γsecretase modulators. Cheng, P.; Lu, H.; Zu, L.* J. Org. Chem. 2021, 86, 15481.

8. Harnessing the chemistry of 4aH-carbazoles: a consecutive rearrangements approach to carbazoles. Wei, B.; Dong, K.; Zhang, J.; Zu, L.* Org. Chem. Front. 2021, 8, 5668.

9. Organocatalytic Hantzsch type reaction using aryl hydrazines, propiolic acid esters and enals: enantioselective synthesis of paroxetine. Chen, L.; Zhang, Z.; Zu, L.* Adv. Synth. Catal. 2020, 362, 5385.

10. Organocatalytic enantioselective direct alkylation of phloroglucinol derivatives: asymmetric total synthesis of (+)-aflatoxin B₂. Wang, Z.; Zu, L.* Chem. Commun. 2019, 55, 5171.

11. Organocatalytic enantioselective cross-vinylogous Rauhut–Currier reaction of methyl coumalate with enals. Liu, Q.; Zu, L.* Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2018, 57, 9505.

12. Divergent coupling of 2‑carbonyl-anilines and diazocyclopentanones: asymmetric total synthesis of (+)-leucomidine A. Yao, X., Shan, X.*; Zu, L.* Org. Lett. 2018, 20, 6498.

13. Catalytic enantioselective aza-pinacol rearrangement. Yu, Y.; Li, J.; Jiang, L.; Zhang, J.-R.;* Zu, L.* Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2017, 56, 9217.

14. Unified total syntheses of structurally diverse akuammiline alkaloids. Xie, X.; Wei, B.; Li, G.; Zu, L.* Org. Lett. 2017, 19, 5430.

15. Bio-inspired fragmentations: rapid assembly of indolones, 2-quinolinones, and (-)-goniomitine. Li, H.; Cheng, P.; Jiang, L.; Yang, J.; Zu, L.* Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2017, 56, 2754.

16. Total synthesis of (±)-grandilodine B. Wang, C.; Wang, Z.; Xie, X.; Yao, X.; Li, G.; Zu, L.* Org. Lett. 2017, 19, 1828.

17. Total synthesis of calophyline A. Li, G.; Xie, X.; Zu, L.* Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2016, 55, 10483. This paper was selected as the back cover: Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2016, 55, 10524.

18. An indoxyl-based strategy for the synthesis of indolines and indolenines. Yu, Y.; Li, G.; Jiang, L.; Zu, L.* Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2015, 54, 12627.