Shengchun has consistently focused on the characterization, regulation of reactivity, and practical applications of key intermediates involved in single-electron transfer reactions. With particular emphasis on radical chemistry, he has employed operando EPR and operando XAFS to elucidate electron transfer processes and to resolve the structures of radical species and metal complexes. His previous works include in-depth studies of cobalt-catalyzed hydrogen atom transfer and acyl transfer reactions.

Recognizing that not all catalytic intermediates are directly observable, even with advanced operando techniques, Shengchun joined the Peng Liu Group to parameterize elusive intermediates using computational chemistry and to predict catalytic reactions with machine learning models.

Previous works on cobalt-catalyzed radical transformations:

Wang, J.^†; Wang, S.^†; Wei, Z. ^†; Wang, P.; Cao, Y.; Huang, Y; He, L.*; Lei, A.*; Synchronous recognition of amines in oxidative carbonylation toward unsymmetric ureas. Science, 2024, 386, 776.

Wang, S.^†; Luo, X. ^†; Wang, Y. ^†; Liu, Z.; Wang, X.; Wang, P.; Qi, X.*; Yi, H.*; Lei, A.*; Radical-triggered translocation of C–C double bond and functional group. Nature Chem., 2024, 16, 1621.

Wang, S.^†; Ren, D.^†; Gao, Y.; Wang. P.; Wang, Y.; Qi, X.; Lei, A.*, Practical allylic fluoroalkylation of terpenes. Nature Synth., 2023, 2, 1202.

Wang, S.^†; Gao, Y.^†; Ren, D.; Sun H.; Niu, L.; Yang, D.; Zhang, D.; Liang, X.; Shi, R.; Qi, X.*; Lei, A.*, Site-selective amination towards aliphatic allylamines. Nature Catal., 2022, 5, 642.