Elsevier officially released its "Highly Cited Chinese Researchers in 2024" inShanghai on March 25th，featuring arecord-breaking 6,388 scholars across 83 first-level disciplines within 10major academic fields defined by the Ministry of Education. The list, based oncitation data from the Scopus database, comprehensively evaluates scholars'academic contributions and influence, aiming to promote the global visibilityof Chinese research and advance disciplinary development.

Chemistry emerged as the field with thehighest number of honorees (501 scholars), followed closely by Biology,Materials Science and Engineering, and other disciplines. Among institutions,the Chinese Academy of Sciences led with 533 scholars, followed by TsinghuaUniversity (279), Zhejiang University (256), and Peking University (219). FudanUniversity secured the fifth national position with 159 scholars, showcasingits robust research strength.

Professor Zhang Junliang from theDepartment of Chemistry at Fudan University was prominently featured on thelist. While his early research focused on enyne and small-ring chemistry,Professor Zhang has dedicated recent years to pioneering work in developingchiral ligands, catalysts, and chiral catalytic technologies. Hisgroundbreaking "IDEAL" (Intelligent Design for Efficient AdaptiveLigands) principle for chiral ligand design directly led to the development ofthe Sadphos family of adaptive chiral bisphosphine ligands.

The Sadphos ligands exhibit exceptionalversatility, demonstrating compatibility with eight distinct transition metalcatalytic systems and organocatalysis. This adaptability significantly enhancesreaction efficiency and selectivity. Due to their significant practical value,Sadphos ligands have been successfully commercialized by leading global anddomestic reagent suppliers including Strem Chemicals, Daicel Corporation, TCI(Tokyo Chemical Industry), Bide Pharmatech, Aladdin Scientific, HaohongPharmaceutical,etc.

Key advantages of the Sadphos platforminclude ease of synthesis, structural diversity, and adaptive coordinationmodes. The integration of artificial intelligence-guided learning andhigh-throughput screening technologies is poised to dramatically accelerate theapplication of Sadphos ligands in the synthesis of chiral pharmaceuticals andadvanced materials.