Jingjing Meng, a PhD student who is under Prof. Julio Lloret-Fillol supervision, has successfully defended his PhD thesis entitled ” Transition Metal-Catalyzed Functional Group Transfer: Photoredox CN- Transfer from Acetonitrile and Electrochemical O Atom Transfer from Water” publicly Monday, 20 October.
The members of the evaluation committee were Prof. Maria González Bejar (Universitat de València), Dr. Arnau Call Quintana (Universitat de Girona) and Prof. Arjan W. Kleij (ICIQ)
Jingjing Meng is from China and obtained his Master’s degree at Shanghai Normal University. His hobbies include hiking, listening to music, and meditation, which help him stay calm and inspired both in and outside the lab. His PhD studies are supported by the China Scholarship Council (CSC).
Why did you become a scientist?
I love creating things that have never existed before. As a chemist, it’s fascinating to build new molecules and discover new reactivity. This creativity is what excites me most about science.
What triggered your interest for the subject of your thesis?
Before coming to ICIQ, I was mainly doing traditional organic synthesis. When I arrived here, I was impressed by my group’s work on photochemical and electrochemical CO2 reduction, which opened my eyes to green and energy-driven catalysis. That experience inspired me to pursue this direction for my PhD.
What applications can your thesis have in the future?
My work provides an example of combining different catalytic strategies to use abundant and sustainable raw materials for making value-added chemicals, while reducing environmental impact.
The thing that I like most about my thesis is….
Transforming simple and abundant reagents into useful products through green catalytic methodologies like photo- and electrocatalysis.
From the lessons learnt (or skills developed) at ICIQ, which one do you value the most?
Before coming to ICIQ, I mainly focused on synthetic work based on experience. After joining the group, I became more interested in mechanistic studies, and I also learned to use high-throughput experimentation (HTE) for data analysis. Most importantly, I learned to stay humble, curious, and eager to keep learning.
What will you miss the most from ICIQ?
I guess I will miss the time when I doing experiment with my colegues. I can still remember how much fun we make together while we doing our experiment in the lab under the happy music environment.
What do you wish you had known at the beginning of your PhD?
Working smart also requires working hard.
What advice do you have for someone who’s starting their PhD now?
Try to balance work and life, that’s an important part of the PhD journey too.
Who/What has been your biggest influence/motivation?
My supervisor, who is always patient, knowledgeable, and passionate about learning. His attitude toward science and curiosity in many fields deeply inspire me.
What is your favourite molecule?
Water, which is simple, essential, and powerful.
If you were a piece of lab equipment, what would you be?
A glovebox, because it “breathes” like a human and protects sensitive chemistry at the same time.
La entrada 恭喜, Dr. Meng! se publicó primero en ICIQ.