Liu Leo Liu

Liu Leo Liu is an Associate Professor and tenure-track faculty member in the Department of Chemistry at Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, China, leading research on multi-active ambiphilic main group centers. He serves on editorial boards for Chem (2020-2023), European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry (since 2022), Chinese Chemical Letters (since 2022), Inorganic Chemistry Frontiers (since 2024), and Acta Chimica Sinica (since 2024).

His educational background includes:

• B.Sc. in Chemistry, Xiamen University (2007-2011)
• Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry, Xiamen University (2011-2016) with joint study at UC San Diego (2013-2015)
• Post-doctoral Fellow, University of Toronto (2016-2019) under Prof. Douglas W. Stephan
• Post-doctoral Scholar, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory & UC Berkeley (2019-2020) under Profs. F. Dean Toste, Kenneth N. Raymond, and Robert G. Bergman

Dr. Liu's research pioneers the synthesis of novel ambiphilic compounds across d- and p-block elements, integrating synthetic chemistry, computational modeling, and spectroscopy. His group develops multi-active centers that challenge textbook knowledge while enabling practical applications in catalysis and materials science. Key focus areas include low-valent carbon species, isolable carbenes, and main group element chemistry with inverted electronic configurations.

His publication record demonstrates consistent innovation in ambiphilic main group chemistry, with recent breakthroughs in crystalline stannyne, σ0π2 carbenes, and carbyne anions featured in Science, Nature Chemistry, and JACS. These works reveal fundamental principles of bonding and reactivity while expanding synthetic possibilities for unconventional molecular architectures.

Significant scientific recognition includes:

• Chinese Chemical Society Young Chemist Award (2022)
• Huang Yao-Zeng Metal Organic Chemistry Young Award (2023-2024)
• Distinguished Lectureship Award from Chemical Society of Japan (2024)
• Chinese Chemical Society-RSC Young Chemist Award (2024)
• World's Top 2% Scientists (2024)

As a doctoral supervisor, Dr. Liu mentors graduate researchers and received SUSTech's Outstanding Graduate Supervisor Award (2025). His research is supported by National Natural Science Foundation grants including Original Exploration Program, Excellent Youth Fund (Overseas), General Program, and Youth Fund C Project. The LLL group maintains active collaborations with international institutions and contributes to major chemistry conferences through invited lectures on ambiphilic main group chemistry.

The LLL group operates as a dynamic interdisciplinary team within SUSTech's chemistry department, combining experimental synthesis with computational analysis to explore frontier areas of main group element chemistry. Their work bridges fundamental discovery and potential applications in catalysis, materials science, and chemical synthesis.