Dr. Pengju Ji 吉鹏举:
Dr. Pengju Ji graduated from the University of Huddersfield, UK, with a PhD degree in physical organic chemistry with Prof. Mike Page (sadly passed away in Jan. 2021) and Prof. John Atherton, after 2 years postdoc with Prof. Jin-Pei Cheng at Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, he is now a faculty member of the Chemistry Department of Tsinghua University. His research interests mainly cover the solvation and solvent effects of non-aqueous solvents, such as liquid ammonia and more recently ionic liquids. He is also interested with the bond transformations and organic reaction mechanisms in these solvents.
Education:
1995.9-1999.7 BSc, Chemistry Department, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
2002.9-2005.7 MSc in Organic Synthesis, Chemistry Department, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
2008.1-2011.4 PhD in Physical Organic Chemistry, School of Applied Sciences, Department
of Biological and Chemical Sciences, University of Huddersfield, UK.
Academic Career:
2005.9-2008.1 Research Assistant, Sinopec Centre of Petrolum Science&Technology, Tianjin University;
2012.3-2012.9 Visiting Scholar, State Key Laboratory of Elemento Organic Chemistry, Nankai University;
2012.10-2014.10 Postdoc, Chemistry Department, Tsinghua University;
2015.1- now Assistant Prof., Chemistry Department, Tsinghua University.
Publications:
35) Wang, Z.*; Liu, W.; Li, B.; Liu, C.; Liu, S.; Su, W.; Ji, P.* Bond Dissociation Free Energies in A Room-Temperature Ionic Liquid: Are Radical Species More Stable in an Ionic Liquid? J. Org. Chem. 2026, 91, 3475.
34) Wang, Z.*; Niu, Q.-H.; Luo, J.*; You, Y.-Z.; Geng, C.; Ji, P.* Brønsted Basicities of N-Heterocyclic Imines and Their Derivatives in Dipolar Aprotic Solvents: A Computational Investigation. J. Org. Chem. 2025, 90, 16573.
33) Wang, Z.*; Niu, Q.-H.; Liu, W.; Zheng, Y.; Ji, P.* Acidity Scale in a Quaternary Phosphonium Ionic Liquid and Its Implication on Carbon Dioxide Absorption. J. Org. Chem. 2025, 90, 12088. (Published as part of The Journal of Organic Chemistry special issue “Physical Organic Chemistry: Never Out of Style”.)
32) Nie, M.-N. ; Wang, Z.*; Niu, Q.-H.; Dai, J.-X. ; Wang, Q.-Q. ; Peng, J.; Ji, P.* The Acidity Scale in a Choline Chloride and Ethylene Glycol Based Deep Eutectic Solvent and Its Implication on the Carbon Dioxide Absorptions. J. Org. Chem. 2023, 88, 5368.
31) Ji, P.*; Luo,Y.-R.; Xue, X.-S.; Cheng, J.-P.* Efficient Estimation of Bond Dissociation Energies of Organic Compounds. Adv. Phys. Org. Chem. 2022, 56, 69. (Book Chapter)
30) Ji, P. pKa in Ionic Liquids, in Encyclopaedia of Ionic Liquids. Zhang, S., Eds., Springer, Singapore, 2021. (Book Chapter)
29) Li, Z.; Ji, P.*; Cheng, J.-P.* Brönsted Basicities and Nucleophilicities of N-Heterocyclic Olefins in Solution: N-Heterocyclic Carbene Vs. N- Heterocyclic Olefin-Which is More Basic and Which is More Nucleophilic? J. Org. Chem. 2021, 86, 2974.
28) Wang, Z.*; Niu, H.-Q.; Xue, X.-S.; Ji, P.* The Brönsted Basicities of N-Heterocyclic Olefins in DMSO: An Effective Way to Evaluate the Stability of NHO-CO2 Adducts. J. Org. Chem. 2020, 85, 13204.
27) Gao, F. X.; Ji, P.*; Cheng, J.-P.* Unexpected Strong Acidity Enhancing Effect in Protic Ionic Liquids Quantified by Equilibrium Acidity Studies: Crucial Role of Cation Structures on Dictating the Solvation Properties. J. Org. Chem. 2020, 85, 3041.
26) Wang, Z.*; Xue, X.-S.; Fu, Y.; Ji, P.* Comprehensive Basicity Scales for N-Heterocyclic Carbenes in DMSO: Implications on the Stabilities of NHC-CO2 Adducts. Chem.−Asian J. 2020, 15, 169.
25) Triolo, A.; Celso, F. L.; Ottaviani, C.; Ji, P.; Appetecchi, G. B.; Leonelli, F.; Keeble, D. S.; Russina, O. Structural Features of Selected Protic Ionic Liquids Based on a Super-strong Base. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2019, 21, 25369.
24) Gao, F. X.+; Wang, Z.+; Ji, P.*; Cheng, J.-P.* CO2 Absorption by DBU-Based Protic Ionic Liquids: Basicity of Anion Dictates the Absorption Capacity and Mechanism. Front. Chem. 2019, 6:658. [DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2018.00658]
23) Gao, F. X.; Ji, P.*; Cheng, J.-P.* Equilibrium Acidities of Nitroalkanes in an Ionic Liquid. J. Org. Chem. 2018, 83, 14962.
22) Wang, Z.; Wang, F.; Xue, X.-S.*; Ji, P.* Acidity Scale of N-Heterocyclic Carbene Precursors: Can We Predict the Stability of NHC-CO2 Adducts? Org. Lett. 2018, 20, 6041.
21) Yang, J.-D.+; Ji, P.+; Xue, X.-S.; Cheng, J.-P.* Recent Advances and Advisable Applications of Bond Energetics in Organic Chemistry. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 8611. [Perspective]
20) Wang, Z.; Zheng, Y.-J.; Zheng, Y.; Xue, X.-S.*; Ji, P.* A Systematic Theoretical Study on the Acidities for Cations of Ionic Liquids in Dimethyl Sulfoxide. J. Phys. Chem. A 2018, 122, 5750.
19) Wang, Z.; Gao, F. X.; Ji, P.*; Cheng, J.-P.* Unexpected Solvation-stabilisation of Ions in a Protic Ionic Liquid: Insights Disclosed by a Bond Energetic Study. Chem. Sci. 2018, 9, 3538.
18) Xue, X.-S.+; Ji, P.+; Zhou, B.; Cheng, J.-P.* The Essential Role of Bond Energetics in C–H Activation/Functionalization. Chem. Rev. 2017, 117, 8622.
17) Wang, Z.-D.; Li, X.; Ji, P.*; Cheng, J.-P.* Absolute pKas of Sulfonamides in Ionic Liquids: Comparisons to Molecular Solvents. J. Org. Chem. 2016, 81, 11195.
16) Mao, C.; Wang, Z.-D.; Wang, Z.; Ji, P.*; Cheng, J.-P.* Weakly Polar Aprotic Ionic Liquids Acting as Strong Dissociating Solvent: A Typical “Ionic Liquid Effect” Revealed by Accurate Measurement of Absolute pKa of Ylide Precursor Salts. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2016, 138, 5523.
15) Mao, C.; Wang, Z.; Ji, P.*; Cheng, J.-P.* Is Amine a Stronger Base in Ionic Liquid Than in Common Molecular Solvent? An Accurate Basicity Scale of Amines. J. Org. Chem. 2015, 80, 8384.
14) Xue, X.-S.; Wang, Y.; Yang, C.; Ji, P.; Cheng, J.-P.* Toward Prediction of the Chemistry in Ionic Liquids: An Accurate Computation of Absolute pKa Values of Benzoic Acids and Benzenethiols. J. Org. Chem. 2015, 80, 8997.
13) Wang, Z.; Ji, P.*; Li, X.; Cheng, J. -P.* Double-Line Hammett Relationship Revealed through Precise Acidity Measurement of Benzenethiols in Neat Ionic Media: A Typical “Ionic Liquid Effect”? Org. Lett. 2014, 16, 5744.
12) Wang, Z.; Deng, H.; Li, X.*; Ji, P.; Cheng, J.-P.* Standard and Absolute pKa Scales of Substituted Benzoic Acids in Room Temperature Ionic Liquids. J. Org. Chem. 2013, 78, 12487.
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11) Ji, P.; Atherton, J. H.*; Page, M. I.* The Kinetics and Mechanisms of Organic Reactions in Liquid Ammonia. J. Chem. Soc., Faraday Discussions, 2010, 145, 15.
10) Ji, P.; Atherton, J. H.; Page, M. I.* Liquid Ammonia as a Dipolar Aprotic Solvent for Aliphatic Nucleophilic Substitution Reactions. J. Org. Chem. 2011, 76, 1425.
9) Ji, P.; Atherton, J. H.; Page, M. I.* The Kinetics and Mechanisms of Aromatic Nucleophilic Substitution Reactions in Liquid Ammonia. J. Org. Chem. 2011, 76, 3286.
8) Ji, P.; Powles, N. T.; Atherton, J. H.; Page, M. I.* Ionization of Carbon Acids in Liquid Ammonia. Org. Lett. 2011, 13, 6118.
7) Ji, P.; Atherton, J. H.; Page, M. I.* Copper(I)-catalyzed Amination of Aryl Halides in Liquid Ammonia. J. Org. Chem. 2012, 77, 7471.
6) Ji, P.; Atherton, J. H.; Page, M. I.* Organic Reactivity in Liquid Ammonia. Org. Biomol. Chem. 2012, 10, 5732. [Perspective]
5) Ji, P.; Atherton, J. H.; Page, M. I.* Copper Catalysed Azide–alkyne Cycloaddition (CuAAC) in Liquid Ammonia. Org. Biomol. Chem. 2012, 10, 7965.
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4) Sun, X. H.; Liu, Y. F.; Tan, Z. C.; Ji, P.; Wang, M. H. Chin. J. Chem. 2005, 23, 1490.
3) Sun, X. H.; Ji, P.; Liu, Y. F.; Chen, B.; Jia, Y. Q. Chin. J. Org. Chem. 2005, 25, 724.
2) Sun, X. H.; Wang, H. F.; Liu, Y. F.; Chen, B.; Ji, P.; Yang, J. W. Chin. J. Org. Chem. 2004, 24, 506.
1) Zhang, Z. L.; Du, G.; Ji, P.; Zhu, J.; Jing, X. Chin. J. Environ. Eng. 2007, 1, 141.
Contact Details:
Email: jipengju@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn
S902B, Meng Min Wai Science and Technology Bldg,
Centre of Basic Molecular Science (CBMS), Dept. of Chemistry,
Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
(O):+86-10-62786053
(F):+86-10-62787136
