恭喜, Dr. Xie!

30th October 2025 – Jiale Xie, a PhD student who is under Prof. Feliu Maseras and Prof. Mónica H. Pérez-Temprano supervision, has successfully defended her PhD thesis entitled “HFIP-Hypervalent Iodine Synergy: Redox Platforms for Oxidative Bond Construction” publicly Thursday, 30 October.

The members of the evaluation committee were Prof. Ana Belén Cuenca (Institut Químic de Sarrià (IQS), Spain), Dr. Albert Solé-Daura (URV-ICIQ, Spain) and Dr. Ignacio Colomer Utrera (Instituto de Química Orgánica General (IQOG-CSIC), Spain).

Jiale Xie grew up in Hangzhou, China. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Polymer Materials Engineering (2014–2018) and her Master’s degree in Organic Chemistry (2018–2021) at Hangzhou Normal University. Then, she moved to Tarragona to pursue her doctoral studies at ICIQ under the co‑supervision of Prof. Mónica H. Pérez‑Temprano and Prof. Feliu Maseras. Outside the lab, she enjoys photographing and going for seaside runs along the coast. Her PhD studies are supported by the China Scholarship Council (CSC).

Why did you become a scientist?

My initial motivation was pure curiosity. In primary school, a teacher showed us simple experiments that felt magical and sparked my interest. During my Bachelor’s studies, I began running my own experiments; the cool, dazzling phenomena drew me in and made me deeply curious to understand how they worked.

What do you want to achieve as a scientist?

I aim to build conceptually simple yet useful platforms by uniting experimental and computational thinking. Ultimately, I want to deliver practical chemistry methods and insights that accelerate the creation of new medicines and advanced materials.

What is your thesis about?

My thesis is titled “HFIP-Hypervalent Iodine Synergy: Redox Platforms for Oxidative Bond Construction.” It develops strategies that combine hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) with hypervalent iodine reagents to forge C–C, C–N and C–O bonds via single electron transfer, generating radical cation intermediates, uniting mechanistic experiments with DFT studies

What triggered your interest for the subject of your thesis?

Hypervalent iodine reagents are great alternatives to metal catalysts, while HFIP is known as a “magical” solvent. Although this combination was widely used, the specific role it played was not well studied, and I was very curious to understand that synergy.

What applications can your thesis have in the future?

My thesis provides not only synthetic tools but also a deep mechanistic understanding of HFIP’s multifaceted role. Hopefully, this insight will help open new avenues for the design and development of new reactions triggered by HFIP.

What ICIQ moment you´ll never forget? 

I’ll never forget my first ICIQ-URV PhD Day. While preparing, everyone around me was incredibly encouraging, and it was the moment I realized just how supportive the community is. I’ll also cherish the birthday surprises with my group.

What will you miss the most from ICIQ?

I’ll miss the people most, my groupmates, mentors, and the friendly, enthusiastic staff. I’ll also miss the vibrant seminar culture and the excellent core facilities (the lifesaving Glass Blowing Workshop!), which make research easier and give you the sense that any idea can be tested. And of course, the festive ICIQ events for Caga Tió and Castanyada.

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

Find your scientific ‘why,’ talk to people often, and protect your physical and mental health. Small, consistent progress beats dramatic sprints.

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

Yes. When a mechanistic hypothesis finally clicked, and the experiment worked exactly as predicted. It felt like the data were telling the same story.

Who/What has been your biggest influence/motivation?

My supervisors, Prof. Pérez-Temprano and Prof. Maseras, for their complementary ways of thinking, and my labmates for their constant encouragement and support.

What is your favourite molecule? 

Hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP). It’s simple, yet it quietly rewires reactivity in surprising and useful ways.

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

A UV-Vis spectrophotometer, because it provided many important information for my experimental phenomena.

Tell us something about you that people might not know… 

I am an avid knitter. It is a great way for me to find peace, meditate, and de-stress. In a way, it’s also quite like scientific research, you encounter problems and need to find ways to solve them. But when you finally complete a piece, the sense of accomplishment is fantastic.