On August 26, 2021, the national finals of the 2nd National Chemistry Experiment Innovation and Design Competition for College Students took place. There were more than 850 teams from all around the country, and over 4,000 faculty members and students participated in the preliminary competition.
The Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) team that took part in the competition was composed of undergraduate students Menglong ZHAO, Dailei YUAN, and Zi YE, under the guidance of senior experimentalists Yuena YU and Fang FANG.
Their experiment, entitled “electrochemical oxidation dehydrogenation cross-coupling to build C-N key,” won the first prize in the competition. In the previous preliminary round, the team won the first prize in the South China division to advance to the national finals.
The SUSTech team’s entry was based on activating carbon-hydrogen bonds in the current hotspot of organic chemical synthesis. The green electrochemical synthesis strategy was used in the teaching of chemistry experiments. The C-N bond was constructed by electrochemical oxidation coupling with high selectivity and exploring the reaction mechanism through cyclic voltammetry (CV).
Participating students design scientific research results that reflect new knowledge, new theories, new technologies, and new methods into comprehensive experiments suitable for experimental teaching of undergraduates.
The National Chemistry Experiment Innovation and Design Competition for College Students is one of the highest-level competitions for undergraduates in advanced chemistry disciplines within China. The competition is sponsored by the Chinese Chemical Society (CCS) and the National Demonstration Center for Experimental Education of the Ministry of Education.
It aims to facilitate the reform of chemistry experiments and education in universities by providing a platform for students to showcase their innovative abilities. It intends to strengthen basic chemistry knowledge and practical skills and improve their ability to discover, analyze and solve problems.
