📜 Publications

Since Joining ECNU:

[1.] Y. Xu, G. Li, S. Liang, G. D. Leener, M. Luhmer, R. Lavendomme,* E.-Q. Gao,* D. Zhang.* Engineering cavity and aperture binding sites within a metal-organic cage for up- and down-regulation of catalysis Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2025 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202507981

[2.] D. Zong, Y. Liu, G. Li, C. Wu, R. Lavendomme, M. Xu, E.-Q. Gao,* D. Zhang,* M. He Coordination cages equipped with reactivity of frustrated Lewis pairs for guest control CCS Chem. 2025 DOI: 10.31635/ccschem.025.202505607

[3.] G. Li, Z. Du, C. Wu, Y. Liu, Y. Xu, R. Lavendomme, S. Liang, E.-Q. Gao,* D. Zhang* Charge-transfer complexation of coordination cages for enhanced photochromism and photocatalysis Nat. Commun. 2025 16 546

[4.] Z. Du, G. Li, Y. Liu, Y. Xu, E.-Q. Gao,* D. Zhang.* Turning substrates from electron-poor to electron-rich for nonsacrificial aerobic hydroxylation under visible light J. Catal. 2025 442 115907

[5.] Y. Jiang, Y. Liu, G. Li, Y. Zhang, R. Lavendomme, D. Zhang,* E.-Q. Gao* Chiral Pt(II)−V(V) bimetallic cages and guest-induced allosteric regulation of catalytic asymmetric sulfoxidation Inorg. Chem. 2025 64 2591

[6.] T. Jin, K. Zeng, X. Zhang, W.-T. Dou,* L. Hu,* D. Zhang,* W. Zhu, X. Qian, H.-B. Yang, L. Xu* Efficient self-sorting behaviours of metallacages with subtle structural differences Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2024 136 e202409878

[7.] S. Guo, W.-W. Zhan, F.-L. Yang, J. Zhou, Y.-H. Duan, Y. Li, D. Zhang,* Y. Yang* Enantiopure trigonal bipyramidal coordination cages templated by in situ self-organized anions Nat. Commun. 2024 15 5628

[8.] X. Zhang, D. Zhang,* C. Wei, R. Lavendomme, S. Qi, Y. Zhu, J. Zhang, Y. Zhang, J. Wang, L. Xu, E.-Q. Gao, W. Yu, D. Wang,* H.-B. Yang,* M. He* Coordination cages integrated into swelling poly(Ionic Liquid)s for guest encapsulation and separation Nat. Commun. 2024 15 3766

[9.] W. Zhou, R. Lavendomme,* D. Zhang* Recent progress in iodine capture by macrocycles and cages Chem. Commun. 2024 60 779 (Invited contribution for a themed Collection of Supramolecular & Macrocyclic chemistry)

[10.] S.-L. Yang, X. Zhang, Q. Wang, C. Wu, H. Liu, D. Jiang, R. Lavendomme, D. Zhang,* E.-Q. Gao* Confinement inside MOFs enables guest-modulated spin crossover of otherwise low-spin coordination cages JACS Au 2023 3 2183

[11.] G. Li, T. K. Ronson, R. Lavendomme, Z. Huang, C. Fuertes-Espinosa, D. Zhang,* J. R. Nitschke* Enantiopure FeII4L4 cages bind steroids stereoselectively Chem 2023 9 1549

[12.] W. Xue, L. Pesce, A. Bellamkonda, T. K. Ronson, K. Wu, D. Zhang, N. Vanthuyne, T. Brotin, A. Martinez, G. M. Pavan,* J. R. Nitschke* Subtle stereochemical effects influence binding and purification abilities of an FeII4L4 cage J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2023 145 5570

[13.] D. Zhang,* H.-B. Yang* Self-assembly of a large, closed capsule reminiscent of protein-cage formation Chem 2022 8 902 (A preview)

[14.] D. Zhang, Q. Gan, A. J. Plajer, R. Lavendomme, T. K. Ronson, Z. Lu, J. D. Jensen, Bo W. Laursen, J. R. Nitschke* Templation and concentration drive conversion between a FeII12L12 pseudoicosahedron, a FeII4L4 tetrahedron, and a FeII2L3 helicate J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2022 144 1106

Prior to ECNU (only first/corresponding-author papers listed):

[1.] J.-L. Zhu,‡ D. Zhang,‡ (‡ equal contribution) T. K. Ronson, W. Wang, L. Xu,* H.-B. Yang,* J. R. Nitschke* A cavity-tailored metal-organic cage entraps gases selectively in solution and the amorphous solid state Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2021 60 11789

[2.] D. Zhang, T. K. Ronson, Y.-Q. Zou, J. R. Nitschke* Metal-organic cages for molecular separations Nat. Rev. Chem. 2021 5 168

[3.] Y.-Q. Zou,‡ D. Zhang,‡ (‡ equal contribution) T. K. Ronson, A. Tarzia, Z. Lu, K. E. Jelfs, J. R. Nitschke* Sterics and hydrogen bonding control stereochemistry and self-sorting in BINOL-based assemblies J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021 143 9009

[4.] T. Ding, J. Zha, D. Zhang,* J. Zhang, H. Yuan, F. Xia,* G. Gao* CO2 atmosphere enables efficient catalytic hydration of ethylene oxide by ionic liquids/organic bases at low water/epoxide ratios Green Chem. 2021 23 3386

[5.] D. Zhang, T. K. Ronson, L. Xu, J. R. Nitschke* Transformation network culminating in a heteroleptic Cd6L6L'2 twisted trigonal prism J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2020 142 9152

[6.] L. Xu,‡ D. Zhang,‡ (‡ equal contribution) T. K. Ronson, J. R. Nitschke* Improved acid resistance of a metal-organic cage enables cargo release and exchange between hosts Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2020 59 7435

[7.] L. Qin, H. Hu, D. Zhang,* T. Xue, G. Gao* Control over the free space within poly(ionic liquid)s for selective adsorption of ‘size-matching’ dyes ACS Appl. Polym. Mater. 2020 2 4864

[8.] D. Zhang, T. K. Ronson, R. Lavendomme, J. R. Nitschke* Selective separation of polyaromatic hydrocarbons by phase transfer of coordination cages J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2019 141 18949

[9.] D. Zhang, T. K. Ronson, S. Güryel, J. Thoburn, D. J. Wales, J. R. Nitschke* Temperature controls guest uptake and release from Zn4L4 tetrahedra J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2019 141 14534

[10.] D. Zhang, T. K. Ronson, J. L. Greenfield, T. Brotin, P. Berthault, E. Leonce, J. Zhu, L. Xu, J. R. Nitschke* Enantiopure [Cs+/Xe⊂cryptophane]⊂FeII4L4 hierarchical superstructures J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2019 141 8339

[11.] D. Zhang, T. K. Ronson, J. R. Nitschke.* Functional capsules via subcomponent self-assembly Acc. Chem. Res. 2018 51 2423

[12.] D. Zhang, T. K. Ronson, J. Mosquera, A. Martinez, J. R. Nitschke* Selective anion extraction and recovery using a FeII4L4 cage Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2018 57 3717

[13.] D. Zhang, A. Martinez,* J.-P. Dutasta* Emergence of hemicryptophanes: from synthesis to applications for recognition, molecular machines and supramolecular catalysis Chem. Rev. 2017 117 4900

[14.] D. Zhang, T. K. Ronson, J. Mosquera, A. Martinez,* L. Guy, J. R. Nitschke* Anion binding in water drives structural adaptation in an azaphosphatrane-functionalized FeII4L4 tetrahedron J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2017 139 6574

[15.] D. Zhang, K. Jamieson, L. Guy, G. Gao,* J.-P. Dutasta, A. Martinez* Tailored oxido-vanadium(V) cage complexes for selective sulfoxidation in confined space Chem. Sci. 2017 8 789

[16.] D. Zhang, J.-P. Dutasta, V. Dufaud, L. Guy, Alexandre Martinez* Sulfoxidation inside a C3-vanadium(V) bowl-shaped catalyst ACS Catal. 2017 7 7340

[17.] D. Zhang, J. R. Cochrane, S. Di Pietro, L. Guy,* H. Gornitzka, J.-P. Dutasta,* A. Martinez* Breathing motion of a modulable molecular cavity Chem. Eur. J. 2017 23 6495

[18.] D. Zhang, B. Bousquet, J.-C. Mulatier, D. Pitrat, M. Jean, N. Vanthuyne, L. Guy, J.-P. Dutasta, A. Martinez* Synthesis, resolution and absolute configuration of chiral tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine-based hemicryptophane molecular cages J. Org. Chem. 2017 82 6082

[19.] D. Zhang, J.-C. Mulatier, J. R. Cochrane, L. Guy,* G. Gao, J.-P. Dutasta,* A. Martinez* Helical, axial and central chirality combined in a single cage: synthesis, absolute configuration and recognition Properties Chem. Eur. J. 2016 22 8038

[20.] D. Zhang, D. Jardel, F. Peruch, N. Calin, V. Dufaud, J.-P. Dutasta, A. Martinez,* B. Bibal* Azaphosphatranes as hydrogen-bonding organocatalysts for the activation of carbonyl group: investigation of lactide ring-opening polymerization Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2016 1619

[21.] D. Zhang, G. Gao, L. Guy, V. Robert, J.-P. Dutasta,* A. Martinez* A fluorescent heteroditopic hemicryptophane cage for the selective recognition of choline phosphate Chem. Commun. 2015 51 2679

[22.] D. Zhang, B. Chatelet, E. Serrano, O. Perraud, J.-P. Dutasta, V. Robert,* A. Martinez* Insights into the complexity of interfering weak interactions in host-guest systems ChemPhysChem 2015 16 2931

[23.] D. Zhang,‡ H. Yang,‡ (‡ equal contribution) A. Martinez,* K. Jamieson, J.-P. Dutasta, G. Gao* N-heterocyclic carbene formation induced fluorescent and colorimetric sensing of fluoride using perimidinium derivatives Chem. Eur. J. 2014 20 17161

[24.] D. Zhang, J. R. Cochrane, A. Martinez,* G. Gao* Recent Advances in H2PO4– fluorescent sensors RSC Adv. 2014 4 29735

[25.] D. Zhang,‡ X. Jiang,‡ (‡ equal contribution) H. Yang, Z. Su, E. Gao, A. Martinez,* G. Gao* Novel benzimidazolium-urea-based macrocyclic fluorescent sensors: synthesis, ratiometric sensing of H2PO4– and improvement of the anion binding performance via synergistic binding strategy Chem. Commun. 2013 49 6149

[26.] D. Zhang, X. Jiang, H. Yang, A. Martinez,* M. Feng, Z. Dong, G. Gao* Acridine-based macrocyclic fluorescent sensors: self-assembly behavior characterized by crystal structures and tunable bathochromic-shift in emission induced by H2PO4– via adjusting the ring size and rigidity Org. Biomol. Chem. 2013 11 3375

[27.] D. Zhang, H. Zhang, L. Tian, L. Wang, F. Fang, K. Liu, Z. Wu* Microfabrication-free fused silica nanofluidic interface for on chip electrokinetic stacking of DNA Microfluid. Nanofluid. 2013 14 69

[28.] D. Zhang, Z. Dong, X. Jiang, M. Feng, W. Li,* G. Gao* A proof-of-concept fluorescent strategy for highly selective detection of Cr(VI) based on inner filter effect using a hydrophilic ionic chemosensor Anal. Methods 2013 5 1669

[29.] D. Zhang, X. Jiang, Z. Dong, H. Yang, A. Martinez, G. Gao* A bifunctional acridine-based fluorescent sensor: ratiometric sensing of H2PO4– and obvious fluorescence quenching towards HSO4– through a synergistic binding effect of benzimidazolium and urea moieties Tetrahedron 2013 69 10457