The Zhu group works at the interface of organometallic chemistry, polymer chemistry and organic materials. Our focus is on developing new catalytic transformations and structure designs that enable the creation of new carbon-rich materials. Our approach emphasizes inspiration from mechanistic studies and the use of new research tools driven by AI and automation. 
The lab is known by inventing a new family of polymerization reactions, condensation polymerization of propargylic electrophiles (CPPE), which enables unprecedented cumulene-based functional polymers.