Prof. Zhe Liu, Taishan Scholars, Xingtan Scholars,

Director of Institute of Anticancer Agents Development and Theranostic Application,

Qufu Normal University, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

Email：liuzheqd@163.com Tel.: +86-0537-4455228

Employment and Academic History

11/2016-present: Institute Director of Anticancer Agents Development and Theranostic Application, Qufu Normal University, China.

04/2016-present: Deputy Director of Chemistry Discipline Research Center, Qufu Normal University

03/2015-present: Professor,Taishan Scholars,Xingtan Scholars, Qufu Normal University, China.

02/2014–02/2015: Research Fellow, University of Basel, Switzerland, Prof. Thomas R. Ward group

12/2011–01/2014: Research Fellow, University of Warwick, UK. Prof. Peter J. Sadler group.

10/2008–11/2011: PhD, University of Warwick, U.K. Supervisor: Prof. Peter J. Sadler

My research interests are centered on the design and mechanism of action of organometallic anticancer complexes, catalytic drugs, and functional nanomaterials for drug delivery and cancer treatment.

1. Design of organometallic anticancer complexes

Sun, Y; Liu, J; Li, Q; Zhang, X; Cao, Z; Bu, L; Cao, S; Liu, X; Yuan, X; Liu, Z., Studies of Anticancer Activities in Vitro and in Vivo for Butyltin(IV)-Iridium(III) Imidazole-Phenanthroline Complexes with AIE Properties, Inorg. Chem.,2024, 63, 31, 14641-14655.

Guo, L.; Li, P.; Li, J.; Gong, Y.; Li, X.; Liu, Y.; Yu, K.; Liu, Z., Half-Sandwich Iridium(III), Rhodium(III) and Ruthenium(II) Complexes Chelating Hybrid sp²-N/sp³-N Donor Ligand to Achieve Improved Anticancer Selectivity, Inorg. Chem.,2023, 62, 37, 15118-15137.

Hu, X.; Guo, L.; Liu, M.; Zhang, Q.; Gong, Y.; Sun, M.; Feng, S.; Xu, Y.; Liu, Y.; Liu, Z., Increasing Anticancer Activity with Phosphine Ligation in Zwitterionic Half-Sandwich Iridium(III), Rhodium(III) and Ruthenium(II) Complexes, Inorg. Chem., 2022, 61, 49, 20008–20025.

Wang, L.; Huang, C.; Hu, F.; Cui, W.; Li, Y.; Li, J.; Zong, J.; Liu, X.; Yuan, X.; Liu, Z., Preparation and antitumor application of N-phenylcarbazole/triphenylaminemodificated fluorescence half-sandwich iridium(III) Schiff base complexes, Dalton Trans., 2021, 50, 15888-15899.

Yang, Y.; Guo, L.; Ge, X.; Zhu, T.; Chen, W.; Zhou, H.; Zhao, L.; Liu, Z. The Fluorine Effect in Zwitterionic Half-Sandwich Iridium(III) Anticancer Complexes, Inorg. Chem., 2020, 59, 1, 748-758.

Li, J.; Liu, X.; Zhang, H.; Ge, X.; Tang, Y.; Xu, Z.; Tian, L.; Yuan, X.; Mao, X.;Liu, Z. Ferrocenyl–Triphenyltin Complexes as Lysosome-Targeted Imaging and Anticancer agents, Inorg. Chem., 2019, 58, 1710-1718.

Ma, W.; Guo, L.; Tian, Z.; Zhang, S.; He, X.; Li, J.; Yang, Y; Liu, Z. Rhodamine Modified Fluorescent Half-sandwich Iridium and Ruthenium Complexes: Potential Application as Bio-imaging and Anticancer Agents, Dalton Trans., 2019, 48, 4788-4893.

Tian, Z.; Li, J.; Zhang, S.; Yang, Y.; Xu, Z.; Kong, D.; Zhang, H.; Ge, X.; Zhang, J.; Liu, Z. Lysosome-targeted chemotherapeutics: half-sandwich ruthenium(II) complexes that are selectively toxic to cancer cells, Inorg. Chem., 2018, 57, 10498-10502.

Tian, M.; Li, J.; Zhang, S.; Guo, L.; He, X.; Kong, D.; Zhang, H.; Liu, Z. Half-sandwich Ruthenium(II) Complexes Containing N^N-chelated Imino-pyridyl Ligands That Are Selectively Toxic to Cancer Cells, Chem. Commun., 2017, 53, 12810-12813.

Wang, C.; Liu, J.; Tian, Z.; Tian, M.; Tian, L.; Zhao, W.; Liu, Z. Half-Sandwich Iridium N-Heterocyclic Carbene Anticancer Complexes. Dalton Trans. 2017, 46, 6870-6883.

Liu, Z.; Sadler, P. J.Organoiridium Complexes: Anticancer Agents and Catalysts. Acc. Chem. Res. 2014, 47, 1174-1185.

2. Mechanism of action studies

Guo, L.; Li, P.; Li, J.; Gong, Y.; Li, X.; Liu, Y.; Yu, K.; Liu, Z., Half-Sandwich Iridium(III), Rhodium(III) and Ruthenium(II) Complexes ChelatingHybrid sp²-N/sp³-N Donor Ligand to Achieve Improved Anticancer Selectivity, Inorg. Chem., 2023, 62, 37, 15118-15137.

Xu, Z.; Xu, M.; Wu, X.; Guo, S.; Tian, Z.; Zhu, D.; Yang, J.; Fu, J.; Li, X.; Song, G.; Liu, Z.; Song, X., A Half-sandwich Ru(II) (N^N) Complex: Inducing Immunogenic Cell Death of Melanoma In vitro and In vivo. ChemMedChem., 2023, e202300131. (VIP,highlighted on ChemistryViews.org.)

Xu, Z.; Huang, J.; Kong, D.; Yang, Y.; Guo, L.; Jia, X.; Zhong, G.; Liu, Z., Potent half-sandwich Ru(II) N^N (aryl-BIAN) complexes: lysosome-mediated apoptosis, in vitro and in vivo anticancer activities, Eur. J. Med. Chem.,2020, 207,112763.

Xu, Z.; Yang, Y.; Jia, X.; Guo, L.; Ge, X.; Zhong, G.; Chen, S.; Liu, Z. Novel cyclometalated iridium(III) phosphine-imine (P^N) complexes: highly efficient anticancer and anti-lung metastasis in vivo, Inorg. Chem. Front.2020, 7, 1273-1283.

Xu, Z.; Zhang, Y.; Zhang, S.; Jia, X.; Zhong, G.; Yang, Y.; Du, Q.; Li, J.; Liu, Z. Novel Half-sandwich Iridium O^C (carbene)-Complexes: In Vitro and In Vivo Tumor Growth Suppression and pro-apoptosis Via ROS-mediated Cross-talk Between Mitochondria and Lysosomes, Cancer Lett., 2019, 447, 75-85.

Ge, X.; Chen, S.; Liu, X.; Wang, Q.; Gao, L.; Zhao, C.; Zhang, L.; Shao, M.; Yuan, X.; Tian, L.; Liu, Z. Ferrocene-Appended Iridium(III) Complexes: Configuration Regulation, Anticancer Application and Mechanism Research, Inorg. Chem., 2019, 58,20, 14175-14184.

Ma, W.; Zhang, S.; Tian, Z.; Xu, Z.; Zhang, Y.; Xia, X; Chen, X.; Liu, Z. Potential Anticancer agent for Selective Damage to Mitochondria or Lysosomes: Naphthalimide-modified Fluorescent Biomarker Half-sandwich Iridium (III) and Ruthenium (II) complexes, Eur. J. Med. Chem.,2019,181, 111599.

Li, J.; Guo, L.; Tian, Z.; Zhang, S.; Xu, Z.; Han, Y.; Li, R.; Li, Y.; Liu, Z., Half-Sandwich Iridium and Ruthenium Complexes: Effective Tracking in Cells and Anticancer Studies, Inorg. Chem., 2018, 57, 13552-13563.

Li, J.; Tian, Z.; Xu, Z.; Zhang, S.; Feng, Y.; Zhang, L.;Liu, Z. Highly Potent Half-sandwich Iridium and Ruthenium Complexes as Lysosome-Targeted Imaging and Anticancer agents, Dalton Trans., 2018, 47,15772-15782.

Xu, Z.; Kong, D.; He, X.; Guo, L.; Ge, X.; Zhang, H.; Li, J.; Yang, Y.;Liu, Z. Mitochondria-targeted half-sandwich ruthenium^IIdiimine complexes: anticancer and antimetastasis via ROS-mediated signalling, Inorg. Chem. Front. 2018, 5, 2100-2105.

Zhang, H.; Guo, L.; Tian, Z.; Tian, M.; Zhang, S.; Xu, Z.; Gong, P.; Zheng, X.; Zhao, J.; Liu, Z. Significant Effects of Counteranions on the Anticancer Activity of Iridium(III) Complexes, Chem. Commun., 2018, 54, 4421 - 4424.

3. Catalytic drugs

Upregulation of Artificial Metallo-Enzymes

(a) Chemical structure of NADH and NAD⁺. (b) Ir catalysts utilized for NAD⁺/NADH conversion. (c) Proposed mechanism for catalytic hydride transfer from NADH to Ir–H₂O complexes.

(a) One- and two-electron reduction of a quinone leading to semiquinoneand hydroquinone, respectively. (b) Chemical structures of menadione and duroquinone. (c) EPR spectra of menadione (top) and duroquinone (down)radical anions. (d) Proposed mechanism for the catalytic reduction of duroquinone by NADH/Ir system.

Li, J.; Tian, Z.; Zhang, S.; Yan, C.;Shao, C.; Liu, Z. Half-sandwich iridium(III) and ruthenium(II) complexes containing P^P-chelating ligands: a new class of potent anticancer agents with unusual redox features, Inorg. Chem., 2018,57 (4), 1705-1716.

Liu, Z.; Lebrun, V.; Kitanosono, T.; Mallin, H.; Köhler, V.; Häussinger, D.; Hilvert, D.; Kobayashi, S.; Ward, T. R. Upregulation of an Artificial Zymogen by Proteolysis. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.2016,55, 11587–11590.

Liu, Z.; Sadler, P. J.Organoiridium Complexes: Anticancer Agents and Catalysts. Acc. Chem. Res. 2014, 47, 1174-1185.

Liu, Z.; Romero-Canelón, I.; Qamar, B.; Hearn, J. M.; Habtemariam, A.; Barry, N. P. E.; Pizarro, A. M.; Clarkson, G. J.; Sadler, P. J.The Potent Oxidant Anticancer Activity of Organoiridium Catalysts, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2014,53, 3941-3946. (VIP, reported by BBC and Science Daily)

Liu, Z.; Deeth, R. J.; Butler, J. S.; Habtemariam, A.; Newton, M. E.; Sadler, P. J. Reduction of Quinones by NADH Catalyzed by Organoiridium Complexes.Angew. Chem., Int. Ed.2013,52, 4194-4197.

Betanzos-Lara, S.; Liu, Z.(并列一作); Habtemariam, A.; Pizarro, A. M.; Qamar, B.; Sadler, P. J. Organometallic ruthenium and iridium transfer hydrogenation catalysts using coenzyme NADH as a cofactor. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed.2012,51, 3897-3900.

4. Functional nanomaterials for drug delivery and cancer treatment

Gong, P.; Cui, H., Li, C.; Song, S.; Gong, Y.; Li, J.; Wang, B.; Liu, F.; Wang, D.; Liu, Z., Self-stablized monodispersing nano-MOFs for controlled enzyme delivery, Chem. Eng. J.,2024, 489, 150941.

Gong, P.; Li, C.; Wang, D.; Song, S.; Wu, W.; Liu, B.; Shen, J.; Liu, J.; Liu, Z., Enzyme coordination conferring stable monodispersity of diverse metal-organic frameworks for photothermal/starvation therapy, J.Colloid. Interf. Sci.,2023, 642, 612-622.

Gong, P.; Zhao, K.; Liu, X.; Liu, B.; Hu, L.; Shen, D.; Wang, D.; Liu, Z., Fluorescent COFs with A Highly Conjugated Structure for Combined Starvation and Gas therapy, ACS App. Mater. Interfaces, 2022,14, 41, 46201-46211.

Song, S.; Wang, D.; Zhao, K.; Wu, Y.; Zhang, P.; Liu, J.; Yang, G.; Gong, P.; Liu, Z., Donor-acceptor structured photothermal COFs for enhanced starvation therapy, Chem. Eng. J., 2022, 442, 135963.

Peng, J.; Gong, P.; Li, S.; Kong, F.; Ge, X.; Wang, B.; Guo, L.; Liu, Z., You, J. A smart bioresponsive nanosystem with dual-modal imaging for drug visual loading and targeted delivery, Chem. Eng. J.,2020, 391,123619.

Gong, P.; Sun, L.; Wang, F.; Liu, X.; Yan, Z.; Wang, M.; Tian, Z.; Liu, Z.,Highly fluorescent N-doped carbon dots with two-photon emission for ultrasensitive detection of tumor marker and visual monitor anticancer drug loading and delivery, Chem. Eng. J.,2019, 356, 994-1002. (Hot Paper, Highly Cited Paper)