恭喜, Dr. Chen!

Jinghong Chen, a PhD student under the supervision of Prof. Ruben Martin, has successfully defended her PhD thesis entitled “Synthesis of Advanced Aliphatic Amines via Catalytic C (sp3) – N Bond-Formation or C(sp3)-H Functionalization” publicly on Thursday, December 12^th. The members of the evaluation committee were Prof. Miquel Costas (Universitat de Girona), Prof. Francisco Juliá (Universidad de Murcia) and Prof. Mariola Tortosa (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid).

Jinghong is from Lanzhou, the capital of a western province in China. He completed his Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy and his Master’s degree in Medicinal Chemistry at Lanzhou University. In his free time, he enjoys playing badminton, reading, and watching movies. He has received a China Scholarship Council (CSC) scholarship to support his studies at ICIQ.

Why did you become a scientist?

Have a curiosity about the unknown and a passion for discovery.

What do you want to achieve as a scientist?

To develop novel, yet practical chemistry that can improve the quality of life.

What is your thesis about?

My thesis focuses on developing methodologies to access advanced aliphatic amines via nickel-nitrenoid catalyzed C(sp3)-N bond-formation and C(sp3)-H functionalization of amines.

What triggered your interest for the subject of your thesis?

Amines are among the most crucial functional groups in pharmaceuticals. In fact, 82% of top 200 small molecular drugs by global sales in 2022 contain at least one amine motif or a N-heterocycle.

What applications can your thesis have in the future?

The methodologies developed to access advanced aliphatic amines could be highly valuable in drug development and medicinal chemistry

The thing that I like most about my thesis is…. 

The discovery of novel nickel-nitrenoid catalysis, which enables forging C(sp3)N linkages from ubiquitous C(sp3)-H bonds or alkenes.

What will you miss the most from ICIQ?

The amazing colleagues I met in ICIQ.

What do you wish you had known at the beginning of your PhD?

Not to hesitate, try more of the ideas I could come up with.

What advice do you have for someone who’s starting their PhD now?

Read more, think more, and engage frequently with your supervisor and colleagues.

Have you ever been emotional over an experiment/simulation? Why?

Yes, I often feel emotional about experiments because it’s exciting when results align with or diverge from my designs or inspirations.

Who/What has been your biggest influence/motivation?

My supervisor, Prof. Ruben Martin—a kind, intelligent, and highly efficient person.

Where are you going next? What will you do there?

I will move to Purdue University to start my postdoc research, where I will focus on medicinal chemistry.

Chemistry/Science is fun because…

Chemistry allows us to create new things.

If you were a piece of lab equipment, what would you be?

I would choose a glovebox, as it provides researchers with stable conditions to support their experiments.