Foreign and Domestic Outstanding Young Scholar Forum of South China University of Technology (SCUT) set up on November 2015, aimed at inviting global outstanding young scholar with different academic background to have a discussion on frontier and hot issues.Through this platform, we can inspire each other, broaden our vision, enhance international communication and cooperation, and promote common development.

Time: January 11th, 2021 (Monday) 9:30 a.m.

Venue: Lecture Room 324, AISMST (Building #2, KeJiYuan, North Campus)

Agenda:

1.A tale of two ordered systems: from solid-state molecular machines to inhibitors of Aβ fibrils（Dr. Xing Jiang）

Abstract：

Thermodynamic driving forces can lead to ordered structures of atoms, molecules, and macromolecules in the condensed phase. It remains a challenge to achieve molecular dynamics of high frequency in such closely packed systems. At the same time, the thermodynamic stability makes it a demanding process to disrupt the ordered structures once they are formed. In the talk, I will discuss the design and techniques used to study crystalline molecular rotors, and present the discovery of a fluid-like temperature dependence of dynamics in crystals, i.e., crystal fluidity, as well as the estimation of relative viscosity of MOF-confined solvents. In the second part, I will focus a new strategy to disrupt the aggregation of Aβ peptide, which is implicated in Alzheimer’s Disease. Multivalent polymer–peptide conjugates are promising inhibitors capable of preventing the formation and dissolve existing mature Aβ fibrils, offering new chemical space for inhibitor design as well as insights into the mechanism of protein aggregation.

Brief Biography：

Xing Jiang received his BS from Peking University in 2010, where he was an undergraduate researcher in the lab of Prof. Zhi-Xiang Yu. He conducted graduate studied under the supervision of Prof. Miguel Garcia-Garibay at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and was award a PhD in 2016. Until August 2020, he was a postdoc researcher in the Jeff Moore research group at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. His research interests include molecular machines, inhibition of protein (Aβ) aggregation, and alkyne metathesis. He has coauthored 14 research papers in internationally renowned journals. His primary goal for independent research is to explore the structure-function relationship in materials using precisely prepared oligomers.

2. Coordination Polymerization and Synthesis of Functional Materials（Dr. Haobing Wang）

Abstract：

Syntheic polymeric materials now form an inextricable part of modern life. The pysical and chemical properties of materials are highly dependent on the macro- and micro-structures of polymers. With an aim to create novel high-performance polymeric materials, my research program mainly focus on the synthesis of highly active and selective coordination polymerization catalysts, the development of novel polymerization and copolymerization reactions and the production of novel polymeric materials with unique chemical, physical and mechanical properties. In this talk I will describe rare-earth catalyzed polymerization of polar functionalized olefins and their copolymerizaiton with non-polar olefins. By using the functional group as directing group, we have achieved various novel polymerization and copolymerization reactions with precise controlled of monomer sequence, ragio- and stereoselectivities. A new family of novel polymeric materials showing unique chemical, physical and mechanical properties. We have obtained a series of low-cost commodity olefin polymers that show remarkable self-healability by the simple polymerization reaction without the complex synthetic effort and materials design.

Brief Biography：

Dr. Haobing Wang obtained bachelor and Ph.D degree at Southwest University and East China University of Science and Technology in 2009 and 2015, respectively. During 2015-2020, Wang spent 5 years as a postdoctoral researcher in Prof. Zhaomin Hou’s research lab of RIKEN. Dr. Wang’s research theme is New Catalysts, New Reactions, New Materials, including synthesis catalysts for polymerization, exploring new polymerization reactions and developing novel functional materials. He published more than 10 articles on JACS, Angew. Chem., Int. Ed.,Macromolecules and other high impact journals as first and corresponding author. He developed the unique self-healing polyolefin materials that has been reported by over 50 international Medias, including NHK news and Fuji TV and received the RIKEN EIHO Award (RIKEN Significant Achievement Award).