CHI Chunyan

CHI Chunyan is an Associate Professor and Assistant Head (Graduate Programme) in the Department of Chemistry at the National University of Singapore (NUS), within the Faculty of Science. She holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the Max-Planck Institute for Polymer Research (2004) and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, Santa Barbara (2007). Her research focuses on developing novel π-structured materials, particularly conjugated systems for organic electronics and sensors. She has pioneered studies on carbon nanobelts, aromaticity modulation, and diradicaloid molecules, with breakthroughs in synthesizing fully π-conjugated carbon nanobelts and exploring their electronic properties.

Education:

• Ph.D., Max-Planck Institute for Polymer Research (2004)
• Postdoctoral Research, University of California, Santa Barbara (2007)

Research Interests:

• Design and synthesis of π-conjugated molecules
• Organic electronics and sensor materials
• Aromaticity and diradical character in conjugated systems
• Novel carbon nanostructures (e.g., carbon nanobelts)

Recent Research Highlights:

• Synthesized the first fully π-conjugated, pentagon-embedded non-alternant carbon nanobelts (2024)
• Explored global aromaticity in aza-superbenzene derivatives (2024)
• Developed covalent organic frameworks with radical sites for oxygen reduction reactions (2025)

Awards & Recognition:

• SNIC-AsCA2019 Singapore Award for Distinguished Woman Chemist (2024)
• NUS Faculty Teaching Excellence Award (2023)
• Chemical Society of Japan Distinguished Lectureship Award (2017)
• Asian Core Program Lectureship Awards across multiple countries (2013–2023)

Editorial Roles:

• Associate Editor, Organic Letters (2024–present)
• Editorial Board Member, Chemistry - A European Journal (2021–present)
• International Advisory Board Member, Journal of Materials Chemistry C (2017–present)

Lab & Group:

• Laboratory of π-Conjugated Molecules and Materials
• Recruits postdocs, PhD/Master students, and visiting scholars in organic chemistry, macromolecular chemistry, and materials science
• Focus on translating molecular design into functional materials for electronics and energy applications