2025

46. Zhou, F.*; Zhang, W.; Ni, S.; Szostak, M.*; Liu, C.* Palladium-Catalyzed Decarbonylative Borylation of Benzylic Acids for the Synthesis of Benzylboronates. J. Org. Chem. 2025, 90, 10607-10615.

45. Ma, Y.; Zhou, W.; Liu, C.* Reductive Arylation of Secondary Amides with Aryl Boronic Acids via C=O Bond Cleavage by Ruthenium Catalysis. Org. Lett. 2025, 27, 7372-7377.

44. Shi, Y.; Liu, X.; Liu, C.* Palladium/Copper Co-catalyzed ipso-Alkynylation and ortho-Alkylation of Aryl Halides. Synthesis 2025, 57, 2733-2743.

43. Li, K.; Liang, Y.; Cui, Y.*; Liu, C.* Samarium Diiodide/Samarium-Promoted Deoxygenative Dimerization of Unactivated Aldehydes and Ketones to Construct Internal Alkenes via C=O Bond Cleavage. J. Org. Chem. 2025, 90, 8027-8033.

42. Gao, Y.; Chai, F.*; Szostak, M.*; Liu, C.* Samarium(II) Diiodide-Mediated Deoxygenation of Sulfoxides. J. Org. Chem. 2025, 90, 2421-2428.

41. Liu, C.*; Ma, Y.; Zhou, W. Samarium Diiodide/Samarium-mediated Deoxygenative Hydroborylation of Aldehydes. Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2025, e202401249.

2024

40. Li, R.; Ma, Y.; Zhang, J.; Liu, C.* Samarium Diiodide/Samarium-Mediated Deoxygenative Hydrosilylation of Ketones. J. Org. Chem. 2024, 89, 17418-17424.

39. Gao, Y.; Chai, F.*; Liu, C.* Transamidation of Primary Thioamides with Primary and Secondary Amines via C(S)–N Bond Cleavage and Formation by Hydroxylamine Hydrochloride Catalysis. New J. Chem. 2024, 48, 19496-19500.

38. Liang, Y.; Ma, Y.; Zhou, W.; Cui, Y.*; Szostak, M.*; Liu, C.* Samarium Diiodide/Samarium-Mediated Direct Deoxygenative Hydroborylation of Ketones with Hydroborane Esters. Org. Biomol. Chem. 2024, 22, 7956-7960.

37. Chen, L.; Zhou, W.; Zhang, J.; Ding, Y.*; Szostak, M.*; Liu, C.* Deoxygenative Alkynylation of Amides via C=O Bond Cleavage. Chem. Commun. 2024, 60, 8454-8457.

 

36. Ji, H.; Ma, Y.; Zhang, J.; Xing, F.;* Liu, C.* Palladium-Catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura Cross-Coupling of Carboxylic–Phosphoric Anhydrides via C–O Bond Cleavage. Org. Biomol. Chem. 2024, 22, 5578-5584.

35. Li, K.; Li, R.; Cui, Y.;* Liu, C.* Decarbonylative Borylation of Aryl Anhydrides via Rhodium Catalysis. Org. Biomol. Chem. 2024, 22, 1693-1698.

34. Chen, L.; Ji, H.; Ding, Y.;* Szostak, M.;* Liu, C.* Palladium-Catalyzed Decarbonylative Sonogashira Alkynylation of Carboxylic–Phosphoric Anhydrides. J. Org. Chem. 2024, 89, 2665-2674.

2023

33. Zhang, W.; Ma, J.; Zhou, F.; Szostak, M.;* Liu, C.* Carboxylic Acids as Double Aryl Group Donors for Biaryl Synthesis. Org. Chem. Front. 2023, 10, 5698-5704.

32. Ji, H.; Cao, H.; Wang, G.; Xing, F.;* Szostak, M.;* Liu, C.* Predominant Intermolecular Decarbonylative Thioetherification of Carboxylic Acids using Nickel Precatalysts. Org. Chem. Front. 2023, 10, 4275-4281.

31. Bie, F.; Liu, X.*; Szostak, M.*; Liu, C.* Decarbonylative Alkynylation of Aryl Anhydrides via Palladium Catalysis. J. Org. Chem. 2023, 88, 4442-4451. 

30. Liu, C.*; Szostak, M.* Amide N–C Bond Activation: A Graphical Overview of Acyl and Decarbonylative Coupling. SynOpen 2023, 7, 88-101. 

29. Liu, C.*; Xing, Y. Y.; Zhou, T.; Chen, T.*; Hong, X.*; Szostak, M.* Carboxylic–Phosphoric Anhydrides as Direct Electrophiles for Decarbonylative Hirao Cross-Coupling of Carboxylic Acids: DFT Investigation of Mechanistic Pathway. Chem Asian J. 2023, 18, e202201262. 

28. Shi, Y.; Ji, C.-L.*; Liu, C.* Palladium-Catalyzed Difunctionalization of Norbornenes via Arylation and Alkynylation. J. Org. Chem. 2023, 88, 261-271. 

2022

27. Liu, C.*; Szostak, M.* Decarbonylative Sonogashira Cross-Coupling: Fruitful Marriage of Alkynes with Carboxylic Acid Electrophiles. Org. Chem. Front. 2022, 9, 216-222. 

2021

26. Liu, C.*; Szostak, M.* Forging C-S Bonds Through Decarbonylation: New Perspectives for the Synthesis of Privileged Aryl Sulfides. ChemCatChem, 2021, 13, 4878-4881. 

25. Zhang, W.; Bie, F.; Ma, J.; Zhou, F.; Szostak, M.*; Liu, C.* Palladium-Catalyzed Decarbonylative Borylation of Aryl Anhydrides. J. Org. Chem. 2021, 86, 17445-17452. 

24. Bie, F.; Liu, X.; Cao, H.; Shi, Y.; Zhou, T.; Szostak, M.*; Liu, C.* Pd-Catalyzed Double-Decarbonylative Aryl Sulfide Synthesis through Aryl Exchange between Amides and Thioesters. Org. Lett. 2021, 23, 8098-8103.

23. Cao, H.; Liu, X.*; Bie, F.; Shi, Y.; Han, Y.; Yan, P.; Szostak, M.*; Liu, C.* Rh(I)-Catalyzed Intramolecular Decarbonylation of Thioesters. J. Org. Chem. 2021, 86, 10829-10837.

22. Liu, C.*; Szostak, M.* Decarbonylative Sulfide Synthesis from Carboxylic Acids and Thioesters via Cross-Over C−S Activation and Acyl Capture. Org. Chem. Front. 2021, 8, 4805-4813.

21. Liu, C.; Szostak, M.* Decarbonylative Sonogashira Cross-Coupling of Carboxylic Acids. Org. Lett. 2021, 23, 4726-4730.

20. Shi, Y.; Liu, X.*; Cao, H.; Bie, F.; Yan, P.; Han, Y.; Szostak, R.; Szostak, M.*; Liu, C.* Conversion of Esters to Thioesters via C−O Bond Cleavage/Weak C−S Bond Formation under Transition-Metal-Free Conditions. Org. Biomol. Chem. 2021, 19, 2991-2996. 

19. Liu, C.; Ji, C.-L.; Zhou, T.; Hong, X.*; Szostak, M.* Bimetallic Cooperative Catalysis for Decarbonylative Heteroarylation of Carboxylic Acids via C−O/C−H Coupling. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2021, 60, 10690-10699.

18. Cao, H.; Liu, X.*; Bie, F.; Shi, Y.; Han, Y.; Yan, P.; Szostak, M.*; Liu, C.* General and Practical Intramolecular Decarbonylative Coupling of Thioesters via Palladium Catalysis. Org. Chem. Front. 2021, 8, 1587-1592.

2020

17. Bie, F.; Liu, X.*; Shi, Y.; Cao, H.; Han, Y.; Szostak, M.*; Liu, C.* Rh-Catalyzed Base-Free Decarbonylative Borylation of Twisted Amides. J. Org. Chem. 2020, 85, 15676-15685.

Ph.D. Studies (2015-2020):

16. Liu, C.; Lalancette, R.; Szostak, R.; Szostak, M.* Sterically Hindered Ketones via Palladium-Catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura Cross-Coupling of Amides by N−C(O) Activation. Org. Lett. 2019, 21, 7976-7981. 

 

15. Liu, C.; Ji, C.-L.; Qin, Z.-X.; Hong, X.*; Szostak, M.* Synthesis of Biaryls via Decarbonylative Palladium-Catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura Cross-Coupling of Carboxylic Acids. iScience.2019, 19, 749-759. 

 

14. Liu, C.; Qin, Z.-X.; Ji, C.-L.; Hong, X.*; Szostak, M.* Highly-Chemoselective Step-Down Reduction of Carboxylic Acids to Aromatic Hydrocarbons via Palladium Catalysis. Chem. Sci. 2019,10, 5736-5742.

 

13. Liu, C.; Shi, S.; Liu, Y.; Liu, R.; Lalancette, R.; Szostak, R.; Szostak, M.* The Most Twisted Acyclic Amides: Structures and Reactivity. Org. Lett. 2018, 20, 7771-7774.

 

12. Liu, C.; Ji, C.-L.; Hong, X.; Szostak, M.* Palladium-Catalyzed Decarbonylative Borylation of Carboxylic Acids: Tuning Reaction Selectivity by Computation. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2018, 57, 16721-16726. 

 

11. Liu, C.; Li, G.; Shi, S.; Meng, G.; Lalancette, R.; Szostak, R.; Szostak, M.* Acyl and Decarbonylative Suzuki Coupling of N-Acetyl Amides: Electronic Tuning of Twisted, Acyclic Amides in Catalytic Carbon−Nitrogen Bond Cleavage. ACS Catal. 2018, 8, 9131-9139.

 

10. Liu, C.; Szostak, M.* Decarbonylative Cross-Coupling of Amides. Org. Biomol. Chem. 2018, 16, 7998-8010. 

 

9. Liu, C.; Szostak, M.* Decarbonylative Thioetherification by Nickel Catalysis Using Air- and Moisture-Stable Nickel Precatalysts. Chem. Commun. 2018, 54, 2130-2133. 

 

8. Liu, C.; Szostak, M.* Decarbonylative Phosphorylation of Amides by Palladium and Nickel Catalysis: The Hirao Cross-coupling of Amide Derivatives. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2017, 56, 12718-12722.

 

7. Liu, C.; Liu, Y.; Liu, R.; Lalancette, R.; Szostak, R.; Szostak, M.* Palladium-Catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura Cross-Coupling of N-Mesylamides by N−C Cleavage: Electronic Effect of the Mesyl Group. Org. Lett. 2017, 19, 1434-1437.

 

6. Liu, C.; Szostak, M.* Twisted Amides: From Obscurity to Broadly Useful Transition-Metal-Catalyzed Reactions by N−C Amide Bond Activation. Chem. Eur. J. 2017, 23, 7157-7173.

 

5. Liu, C.; Meng, G.; Szostak, M.* N-Acylsaccharins as Amide-Based Arylating Reagents via Chemoselective N−C Cleavage: Pd-Catalyzed Decarbonylative Heck Reaction. J. Org. Chem. 2016, 81, 12023-12030.

 

4. Liu, C.; Meng, G.; Liu, Y.; Liu, R.; Lalancette, R.; Szostak, R.; Szostak, M.* N-Acylsaccharins: Stable Electrophilic Amide-Based Acyl Transfer Reagents in Pd-Catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura Coupling via N−C Cleavage. Org. Lett. 2016, 18, 4194-4197.

 

3. Liu, C.; Achtenhagen, M.; Szostak, M.* Chemoselective Ketone Synthesis by the Addition of Organometallics to N-Acylazetidines. Org. Lett. 2016, 18, 2375-2378.

 

M.Sc. Studies (2011-2014):

2. Liu, C.; Zhang, Y.; Qian, Q.; Yuan, D.*; Yao, Y.* n-BuLi as a Highly Efficient Precatalyst for Hydrophosphonylation of Aldehydes and Unactivated Ketones. Org. Lett. 2014, 16, 6172-6175.

 

1. Liu, C.; Qian, Q.; Nie, K.; Wang, Y.; Shen, Q.; Yuan, D.*; Yao, Y.* Lanthanide Anilido Complexes: Synthesis, Characterization, and Use as Highly Efficient Catalysts for Hydrophosphonylation of Aldehydes and Unactivated Ketones. Dalton Trans. 2014, 43, 8355-8362. 

Publications as co-authors:

7. Li, H.; Hou, Y.; Liu, C.; Lai, Z.; Ning, L.; Szostak, R.; Szostak, M.*; An, J.* Pentafluorophenyl Esters: Highly Chemoselective Ketyl Precursors for the Synthesis of α,α-Dideuterio Alcohols Using SmI2 and D2O as a Deuterium Source. Org. Lett. 2020, 22, 1249-1253. 

6. Wang, C.-A.; Liu, C.; Szostak, M.* N-Acyl-5,5-Dimethylhydantoins: Mild Acyl-Transfer Reagents for the Synthesis of Ketones Using Pd-PEPPSI or Pd/Phosphine Catalysts. Org. Process Res. Dev. 2020, 24, 1043-1051. 

5. Rahman, M. M.; Liu, C.; Bisz, E.; Dziuk, B.; Lalancette, R.; Wang, Q.; Chen, H.; Szostak, R.; Szostak, M.* N-Acyl-glutarimides: Effect of Glutarimide Ring on the Structures of Fully Perpendicular Twisted Amides and N−C Bond Cross-Coupling. J. Org. Chem. 2020, 85, 5475-5485.

4. Szostak, R.; Liu, C.; Lalancette, R.; Szostak, M.* Twisted N-Acyl-hydantoins: Rotationally Inverted Urea-Imides of Relevance in N−C(O) Cross-coupling. J. Org. Chem. 2018, 83, 14676-14682. 

3. Osumi, Y.; Liu, C.; Szostak, M.* N-Acylsuccinimides: Twist-Controlled, Acyl-transfer Reagents in Suzuki-Miyaura Cross-Coupling by N−C Amide Bond Activation. Org. Biomol. Chem. 2017, 15, 8867-8871.

2. Nie, K.*; Liu, C.; Zhang, Y.; Yao, Y.* Syntheses of Bimetallic Rare-Earth Bis(cyclopentadienyl) Derivatives Supported by Bridged Bis(guanidinate) Ligands and Their Catalytic Property for the Hydrophosphonylation of Aldehydes. J. Organomet. Chem. 2016, 804, 59-65.

1. Nie, K.*; Liu, C.; Zhang, Y.; Yao, Y.* Syntheses of Bimetallic Lanthanide Bis(amido) Complexes Stabilized by Bridged Bis(guanidinate) Ligands. Sci. China Chem. 2015, 58, 1451-1460.