​Developing polyethylenes with novel architecture and various composition is highly needed which may lead to the ease of manufacturing and processing. We are trying to combine polyhomologation of ylides with other living polymerization techniques, such as atom transfer radical polymerization, to synthesis various star polymers, graft copolymers and other complex architectures.

• Polyhomologation based on in situ generated boron-thexyl-silaboracyclic initiating sites: a novel strategy towards ...
  Z. Zhang, H. Zhang, Y. Gnanou, N. Hadjichristidis
  Chemical Communications, 51, 99369938 , (2015)
• Well-defined polyethylene-based random, block, and bilayered molecular cobrushes
  H. Zhang, Z. Zhang, Y. Gnanou, N. Hadjichristidis
  Macromolecules, 48, 35563562 , (2015)
• Gold-catalyzed cyclization of 1-(Indol-3-yl)-3-alkyn-1-ols: facile synthesis of diversified carbazole
  Z. Zhang, X. Tang, Q. Xu, M. Shi
  Chemistry-A European Journal, 19, 1062510631, (2013)
• An unprecedented ring-opening reaction of N-(aziridin-2-ylmethylene)hydrazines to facile synthesis of functionalize...
  Z. Zhang, Y. Wei, M. Shi
  Chemical Communications, 48, 53345336, (2012)
• Facile synthesis of 2-pyrazolines and α, β-diamino ketones via regioselective ring-opening of hydrazone-tethered az...
  Z. Zhang, Y. Wei, M. Shi
  Chemical Communications, 48, 96079609, (2012)
• Silver(I)-catalyzed tandem 1,3-acyloxy migration/mannich-type addition/elimination of the sulfonyl group of N-sulfo...
  Z. Zhang, M. Shi
  Chemistry-A European Journal, 18, 36543658, (2012)
• Titanium(IV) chloride-mediated carbocyclization of 1,6-enynes: selective synthesis of 3-azabicyclo[3.1.0]hexanes an...
  Z. Zhang, M. Shi
  European Journal of Organic Chemistry, 26102614 , (2011)
• Titanium(IV) chloride-mediated intramolecular ring enlargement of methylenecyclopropanes with propargylic esters: a...
  Z. Zhanga, M. Shi
  Tetrahedron Letter, 52, 65416544 , (2011)
• Gold(I)-catalyzed domino reaction of aziridinyl alkynes
  Z. Zhang, M. Shi
  Chemistry-A European Journal, 16, 77257729, (2010) 

• Ph.D, Organic Chemistry, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China, 2013
• Bachelor, Applied Chemistry, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, China, 2008

• ​2013-present: Postdoctoral fellow, KAUST, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia

• ​FMC Scholarship, 2012 

• KAUST Catalysis Center (KCC)
  
• Division of Physical Science and Engineering (PSE)