The Yan Group at San Diego State University explores sustainable catalytic methodologies for chemical synthesis, with a strong emphasis on affordable drug design and development. Our goal is to harness the energy, creativity, and diversity of our students, placing them at the forefront of chemical research at the exciting intersection of Renewable Energy and Human Health. We advance the science of catalysis by designing novel materials that harness renewable solar energy to drive challenging chemical transformations, with a particular focus on pharmaceutical drug molecules.
Our current goal is to advance the fundamental understanding of semiconductor catalysis, particularly chiral perovskite materials. We investigate hybrid organic-inorganic chiral semiconductors, spin-related charge transfer, chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS), hot-carrier effects, and their applications in asymmetric organic transformations. Overall, the Yan Lab integrates chemical catalysis, renewable energy, and human health to deliver impactful research outcomes with both fundamental and practical significance.
Research Areas
1. Photocatalytic Organic Synthesis & Pharmaceutical Drug Development
Nature stores solar energy in chemical bonds through photosynthesis via complex photoredox catalytic reactions. Inspired by this, the Yan Group applies state-of-the-art solar cell materials (especially perovskites) to develop highly efficient photocatalytic organic reactions. We design new reaction methodologies with a particular focus on constructing complex organic molecules. Our ultimate goal is to create greener, more affordable pathways to pharmaceutical drugs.
2. Renewable Energy Capture and Conversion
We develop advanced photoelectrocatalytic systems for small-molecule activation, including: Dinitrogen (N₂) reduction; Carbon dioxide (CO₂) reduction; Water splitting for hydrogen production. Our efforts center on creating new catalysts — ranging from organometallic complexes and quantum dots to semiconductor materials — for efficient renewable energy capture, storage, and sustainable production of industrial feedstocks.
3. Spin-Controlled Asymmetric Catalysis
One of our key research directions exploits spin-dependent charge transfer to achieve fundamentally new catalytic control. Chiral semiconductor materials exhibit unique spin properties. We harness chirality-induced spin selectivity (CISS) and related phenomena in chiral perovskites to enable highly enantioselective organic reactions — offering a powerful, spin-based approach to asymmetric synthesis that complements traditional methods.
