Dr. Kang Cai
Department of Chemistry, Nankai University
94 Weijin Road, Tianjin 300072, China
Email: kangcai@nankai.edu.cn
Dr. Kang Cai completed his undergraduate training, majoring in applied chemistry, at Peking University with Professor Dahui Zhao. Then he stayed in the same group and obtained his PhD degree under the supervision of Professor Zhao, working on the synthesis and self-assembly of functional organic dyes. In August 2016, Dr. Cai joined Professor Sir Fraser Stoddart’s group, who is the 2016 Nobel Prize Laureate in Chemistry, as a postdoc fellow at Northwestern University (NU), working on radical-pairing recognition-based mechanically interlocked molecules and molecular machines. Since January 2021, Dr. Cai started his independent research career as a tenure-track professor in the department of chemistry at Nankai University.
Experience and Education
Professor (tenure-track) / Nankai University (China) 2021.01 一 present
Postdoc / Northwestern University (USA) 2016.08 一 2022.10
Ph.D. / Peking University (China) 2011.09 一 2016.07
B.S. / Peking University (China) 2007.09 一 2011.06
Selected Publications
1. Han, H.; Fu, R.; Wang, R.; Tang, C.; He, M.-M.; Deng, J.-Y.; Guo, D.-S.; Stoddart, J. F.; Cai, K.* “Corralarenes: A family of conjugated tubular hosts” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2022, 144，20351–20362
2. Cai, K.†*; Zhang, L.†; Astumian, R. D.*; Stoddart, J. F.* “Radical-pairing induced molecular assembly and motion” Nat. Rev. Chem. 2021, 5, 447–465. (†Contribute Equally; *Corresponding Author)
3. Cai, K.; Cui, B.; Song, B.; Wang, H.; Qiu, Y.; Jones, L. O.; Liu, W.; Shi, Y.; Vemuri, S.; Shen, D.; Jiao, T.; Zhang, L.; Wu, H.; Qiu, Y.; Chen, H.; Jiao, Y.; Wang, Y.; Stern, C. L.; Li, H.; Schatz, G. C.; Li, X.; Stoddart, J. F.* “Radical Cyclic[3]Daisy Chains” Chem 2021, 7, 174–189.
4. Cai, K.†; Shi, Y.†; Zhuang, G.-W.; Zhang, L.; Qiu, Y.; Shen, D.; Chen, H.; Jiao, Y.; Wu, H.; Cheng, C.; Stoddart, J. F.* “Molecular Pump Enabled Synthesis of A Daisy Chain Polymer” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2020, 142, 10308–10313. (†Contribute Equally)
5. Cai, K.; Mao, H.; Liu, W.-G.; Qiu, Y.; Shi, Y.; Long, Z.; Shen, D.; Chen, H.; Jiao, Y.; Wu, H.; Liu, Z.; Feng, Y.; Stern, C. L.; Wasielewski, M. R.; Goddard III, W. A.; Stoddart, J. F.* “Highly Stable Organic Diradicals Protected by Mechanical Bond” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2020, 142, 7190–7197.
6. Cai, K.; Shi, Y.; Vemuri, S.; Cao, C.; Cui, B.; Shen, D.; Wu, H.; Zhang, L.; Qiu, Y.; Chen, H.; Jiao, Y.; Stern, C. L.; Alsubaie, F. M.; Xiao, H.; Li, J.; Stoddart, J. F.* “Tuning Radical Interactions in Trisradical Tricationic Complexes by Varying Host-Cavity Sizes” Chem. Sci. 2020, 11, 107–112.
7. Cai, K.; Lipke, M. C.; Liu, Z.; Nelson, J.; Cheng, T.; Shi, Y.; Cheng, C.; Shen, D.; Han, J.-M.; Vemuri, S.; Feng, Y.; Stern, C. L.; Wasielewski, M. R.; Goddard, W. A.; Stoddart, J. F.* “Molecular Russian Dolls” Nat. Commun. 2018, 9, 5275.
8. Shi, Y.†; Cai, K.†; Xiao, H.; Liu, Z.; Zhou, J.; Shen, D.; Qiu, Y.; Guo, Q.-H.; Stern, C. L.;Wasielewski, M. R.; Diederich, F.; Goddard, W. A.; Stoddart, J. F.* “Selective Extraction of C70 by a Tetragonal Prismatic Porphyrin Cage” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 13835–13842. (†Contribute Equally)
9. Cai, K.†; Xie, J.†; Zhang, D.; Shi, W.; Yan, Q.; Zhao, D.* “Concurrent Cooperative J-and Anti-cooperative H-aggregates” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 5764–5773. (†Contribute Equally)
10. Cai, K.; Xie, J.; Zhao, D.* “NIR J-aggregates of Hydroazaheptacene Tetraimides” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2014, 136, 28–31.