Zhengxing comes from Taiyuan, a small city in Shanxi province, northern China. He studied pharmaceutical sciences in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chongqing University, and obtained both BSc and MSc degrees there. There, he focused his studies on asymmetric synthesis, especially organocatalysis and axial chirality. In 2023, he joined the Sparr group where he is currently working on the stereoselective synthesis of non-planar aromatics.

Outside the lab, he enjoys singing, playing badminton, traveling, photography and food. 

Catalytic asymmetric functionalization and dearomatization of thiophenes
Z. Zhao, Y. Li, S. Jia*, L. Peng, Z. Zhang, F. Wu, P. Wang, W. Qin*, Y. Lan and H. Yan*.
Chem. Sci. 2024, 15, 14295.

Atroposelective Arene-Forming Wittig Reaction by Phosphorus PIII/PV=O Redox Catalysis
K. Jana, Z. Zhao, J. Musies, C. Sparr*. 
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2024, 63, e202408159.

Catalytic asymmetric construction of bridged bicyclo[m.3.1] rings using an intramolecular Diels–Alder reaction
K. Li, Z. Zhao, W. Qin, Y . Liu* and H. Yan*. 
Chem. Commun. 2024, 60, 9570.

N-Iodosuccinimide-Mediated Dimerization of 2-Alkynylnaphthols: A Highly Diastereoselective Construction of Bridged Polycyclic Compounds via Vinylidene ortho-Quinone Methide Intermediate
Y. Tan*, Z. Zhao, Z. Chen, S. Huang, S. Jia, L. Peng, D. Xu, W. Qin* and H. Yan*.
Org. Lett. 2020, 22, 4461.

Organocatalytic Enantioselective Selenosulfonylation of a C–C Double Bond To Form Two Stereogenic Centers in an Aqueous Medium
Z. Chen, F. Hu, S. Huang, Z. Zhao, H. Mao* and W. Qin*. 
J. Org. Chem. 2019, 84, 8100.

Organocatalytic Atroposelective Intramolecular [4+2] Cycloaddition: Synthesis of Axially Chiral Heterobiaryls
Y. Liu, X. Wu, S. Li, L. Xue, C. Shan, Z. Zhao and H. Yan*. 
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2018, 57, 6491.