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Cheng, Mu-Jeng

Professor

Physical Chemistry, Quantum Chemistry
Molecular&Material Simulations 
Electrochemical Catalysis, Heterogeneous Catalysis

✉ Email：mjcheng@mail.ncku.edu.tw

☎ Phone：06-2757575-65340

Education

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BS in Chemistry, National Kaohsiung Normal University (1999)

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MS in Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University (2002)

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PhD in Chemistry, California Institute of Technology (2012)

Experience

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2012-2013  California Institute of Technology, Postdoctoral Researcher

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2013-2016  The University of California, Berkeley, Postdoctoral Researcher

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2016-2016  Tsinghua University, Beijing, Assistant Professor

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2016-2019  National Cheng Kung University, Assistant Professor

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2019-2023  National Cheng Kung University, Associate Professor

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2023-Present  National Cheng Kung University, Professor

Publications

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  29. He, M.; Chang, X.; Chao, T.H.; Li, C.; Goddard, W.; Cheng, M. J.*; Xu, B.*; Lu, Q.* "Selective Enhancement of Methane Formation in Electrochemical CO2 Reduction Enabled by a Raman-Inactive Oxygen-Containing Species on Cu" ACS Catalysis, 2022, 12, 6036.

  30. Cheng, Y.-L.; Hsieh, C.-T.; Ho, Y.-S.; Shen, M.-H.; Chao, T.-H.; Cheng, M. J.* "Examination of the Brønsted−Evans−Polanyi Relationship for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction on Transition Metals Based on Constant Electrode Potential Density Functional Theory" Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2022, 24, 2476-2481.

  31. Talukdar, B.*; Kuo, T.C. ;Sneed, B.T.; Lyu, L.M.; Lin, H.M.*;Chuang, Y.C.;Cheng, M.J.; Kuo, C.H.* "Enhancement of NH3 Production in Electrochemical N-2 Reduction by the Cu-Rich Inner Surfaces of Beveled CuAu Nanoboxes" ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2021, 13, 44, 51839-51848.

  32. Chen, P.Y.; Liu, Y.C.; Hung, H.Y.; Pan, M.L.; Wei, Y.C.; Kuo, T.C.; Cheng, M.J.; Chou, P.T.*; Chiang, M.H.*; Wu, Y.T. * "Diindeno[2,1-b:2',1'-h]biphenylenes: Syntheses, Structural Analyses, and Properties" Org. Lett. 2021, 23, 22, 8794–8798.

  33. Hong, J.-C.; Kuo, T.-C.;  Yang, G.-L.; Hsieh, C.-T.; Shen, M.-H.; Chao, T.-H.; Lu, Q.; Cheng, M. J.* "Atomistic Insights into Cl-Triggered Highly Selective Ethylene Electrochemical Oxidation to Epoxide on RuO2: Unexpected Role of In Situ-Generated Intermediate to Achieve Active Site Isolation" ACS Catalysis 2021, 11, 13660.

  34. Wu, D.; Zhang, J.; Cheng, M. J.; Lu, Q.;* Zhang, H.* "Machine Learning Investigation of Supplementary Adsorbate Influence on Copper for Enhanced Electrochemical CO2 Reduction Performance" J. Phys. Chem. C , 2021, 125, 15363.

  35. Li, J.; Chang, X.; Zhang, H.; Malkani, A. S.; Cheng, M. J.; Xu, B.;* Lu, Q.* "Electrokinetic and in situ spectroscopic investigations of CO2 electrochemical reduction on copper" Nature Commun., 2021, 12:3264.

  36. Talukdar, B.; Kuo, T. C.; Sneed, B. T.; Lyu, L. M.; Lin, H. M.; Chuang, Y. C. Cheng, M. J.*; Kuo, C. H.* "Enhancement of NH3 Production in Electrochemical N2 Reduction by the Cu-Rich Inner Surfaces of Beveled CuAu Nanoboxes" ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2021, 13,  44, 51839–51848.

  37. Pandit, Y. B.; Jiang, Y. T.; Chen, T. C.; Kuo, T. C.; Cheng, M. J.*; Liu, R. S.* "Gold-catalyzed [5+2]-Annulations of 1,3-Diyn-1-amides with Anthranils Bearing no C(6)-substituent" Org. Chem. Front., 2021, 8, 2563-2568.

  38. Zhang, H.; Li, C.; Lu, Q.*; Cheng, M. J.*; Goddard, W. A.* "Selective Activation of Propane Using Intermediates Generated During Water Oxidation" J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2021, 143, 3967.

  39. Kuo, T. C.; Chou, J. W.; Shen, M. H.; Hong, Z. S.; Chao, T. H.; Lu, Q.*; Cheng, M. J.* "First-Principles Study of C-C Coupling Pathways for CO2 Electrochemical Reduction Catalyzed by Cu(110)" J. Phys. Chem. C, 2021, 4, 2464.

  40. Shen, M. H.; Chao, T. H.; Tang, Y. Z.; Cheng, M. J.* "First-Principles Evaluation of One-Dimensional Metal-Organic Frameworks for Electrocatalytic C-H Activation of Natural Gas " Chem. Asian J., 2021, 16, 292.

  41. Chen, M. F.; Chao, T. H.; Shen, M. H.; Lu, Q.*; Cheng, M. J.* "Evaluating Potential Catalytic Active Sites on Nitrogen-Doped Graphene for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction: An Approach Based on Constant-Electrode-Potential Density Functional Theory Calculations " J. Phys. Chem. C, 2020, 124, 25675.

  42. Chen, C. N.; Cheng, W. M.; Wang, J. K.; Chao, T.-H.; Cheng, M. J.*; Liu, R. S.* "Gold-catalyzed [3+2]-Annulations of a-Aryl Diazoketones with the Tetrasubstituted Alkenes of Cyclopentadienes: High Stereoselectivity and Enantioselectivity" Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2021, 60, 4479.

  43. Sayaji, M.; Chao, T. H.; Cheng, M. J.*; Liu, R. S.* "Gold-catalyzed Bicyclic and [3+2]-Annulations of Internal Propargyl Alcohols with Nitrones and Imines to Yield to Two Distinct Heterocycles" Adv. Synth. Catal., 2021, 133, 4529.

  44. Tang, M. C.; Wei, Y. C.; Chu, Y. C.; Jiang, C. X.; Huang, Z. X.; Wu, C. C.; Chao, T. H.; Hong, P. H.; Cheng, M. J.*; Chou, P.-T.*; Wu, Y.-T.* "[2,2](5,8)Picenophanedienes: Syntheses, Structural Analyses, Molecular Dynamics and Reversible Intramolecular Structure Conversion" J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2020, 142, 20351.

  45. Sasane, A. V.; Raj, A. S. K.; Chao, T. H.; Cheng, M. J.*; Liu, R. S.* "Gold‐Catalyzed Oxidative Aminocyclizations of Propargyl Alcohols and Amines to form two Distinct Azacyclic Products: Carbene formation versus a 3,3‐sigamatropic shift of an initial Intermediate" Chem. Eur. J., 2020, 26, 1.

  46. He, M.; Li, Chunsong.; Zhang, H.; Chang, X.; Chen, J.; Goddard, W.; Cheng, M. J.*; Xu, B.;* Lu, Q.* "Oxygen induced promotion of electrochemical reduction of CO2 via co-electrolysis" Nature Commun., 2020, 11, 3844.

  47. Chang, K.; Jian, X.; Jeong, H. M.; Kwon, Y.; Lu, Q.*; Cheng, M. J.* "Improving CO2 Electrochemical Reduction to CO Using Space Confinement between Gold or Silver Nanoparticles" J. Phys. Chem. Lett., 2020, 11, 1896.

  48. Wu, Y. Y.; Hong, J. C.; Tsai, R. F.; Pan, H. R.; Huang, B. H.; Chiang, Y. W.; Lee, G. H.; Cheng, M. J.*; Hsu, H. F.* "Ligand-based Reactivity of Oxygenation and Alkylation in Cobalt Complexes Binding with (Thiolato)phosphine Derivatives" Inorg. Chem., 2020, 59, 4650.

  49. Sharia, M.; Hsu, Y. C.; Jiang, Y. T.; Lu, M. Y.; Kuo, T. C.; Cheng, M. J.*; Liu, R. S.* "Gold-catalyzed Oxidations of 1,3-Diynamides with C(1)- Versus C(3)-Regioselectivity: Catalyst-dependent Oxidative Cyclizations in the C(3)-Oxidation" Org. Lett., 2020, 22, 4478.

  50. Kardile, R. D.; Chao, T. H.; Cheng, M. J.*; Liu, R. S.* "Gold(I)-Catalyzed Highly Diastereo- and Enantioselective Cyclization/[4+3] Annulation Cascades between 2,-(1-Alkynyl)-2- alken-1-ones and Anthranils" Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2020, 132, 1.

  51. Cheng, L. C.; Chen, W. C.; Santhoshkumar, R.; Chao, T. H.; Cheng, M. J.*; Cheng, C. H.* "Synthesis of Quinolinium Salts from N-Substituted Anilines, Aldehydes, Alkynes, and Acid: Theoretical Understanding of the Mechanism and Regioselectivity" Eur. J. Org. Chem., 2020, 2116.

  52. Skaria, M.; More S. A.; Kuo, T.C.; Cheng, M. J.*; Liu, R.-S..* "Gold-catalyzed Iminations of Terminal Propargyl Alcohols with Anthranils with Atypical Chemoselectivity for C(1)-Additions and 1,2-Carbon Migration" Chem. Eur. J., 2020, 26, 3600.

  53. Jeong, H. M.; Kwon, Y.; Won, J. H.; Lum, Y.; Cheng, M. J.; Head-Gordon, M.; Kang, J. K.* "Atomic-scale spacing between copper facets for the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide" Adv. Energy Mater., 2020, 1903423.

  54. Li, J.; Wu, D.; Malkani, A. S.; Chang, X.; Cheng, M. J.; Xu, B.;* Lu, Q.* "Hydroxide is not a promoter of C2+ product formation in electrochemical reduction of CO on Copper" Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2020, 59, 2.

           

       

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  1. Huang, B. H.; Sontakke, G. S.; Cheng, Y. H.; Shen, J. S.; Weng, Y. Z.; Xiao, H. X.; ... Cheng, M. J.* & Ong, T. G.* “Frustrated Lewis Pair (FLP) Reactivity from Carbone–BPh3 Lewis Adduct.” Chem. Eur. J., 2025, e02344.

  2. Chen, C. M.; Kuo, T. C.; Reddy, J. S.; Teoh, Y. N.; Huang, J. S.; Lin, S. K.; ... Cheng, M. J.* & Hsieh, H. P.* “Noncovalent Interaction Effects on the Acyl Radical Reaction of Bicyclo [2.2. 2] octanone: Selective Formation of Rearrangement and Cyclization Products.” Organic Letters., 2025,  27 (31), 8394-8398

  3. Balakrishnan, A.; Chen, W. S.; Cheng, Y. H.; Wang, K. H.; & Cheng, M. J.*“Unveiling Electron Dynamics in the Electrochemical Reduction of CO2 to Methane on Copper." ChemPlusChem, 2025, 2500250.

  4. Ding, D.; Chen, S.; Yin, L.; Ou, W. T.; Krause, J. A.; Cheng, M. J.; & Liu, W.* “Synthesis of chiral difluoromethyl cyclopropanes through desymmetric difluoromethylation of cyclopropenes enabled by enantioselective copper catalysis.” Nat. Synth., 2025, 1-10.

  5. Lu, Q.*; Liu, W.; Li, H. C.; Li, C.; Chen, W. S.; Zhang, H.; ... & Cheng, M. J.*“Electrochemically Promoted Activation of Light Alkanes at Ambient Conditions.”Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2025, e202507417.

  6. Kuo, Y. T.; Yao, C. Y.; Liu, Y. H.; Cheng, M. J.; & Farrell, J. M. “C–C bond-forming reactions of 2-isocyanobiphenyl·BX3 adducts: spontaneous construction of polycyclic heteroaromatics.”Dalton Trans., 2025, 54, 7189-7193

  7. Pan, M. L.; Torchon, H. S.; Tawa, H.; Wei, Z.; Ou, W. T.; Cheng, M. J.*, ... & Wu, Y. T.* “Octalenobisterphenylene and Its Diradical Dianionic Cyclodimer: Synthesis, Structural Analysis and Properties.” Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2025, e202505161.

  8. Lin, T. J.; Chen, W. S.; Li, H. C.; Chen, C. Y.; Choi, H.; Kwon, Y.; & Cheng, M. J.* "Metal-N4-Functionalized Graphene as Highly Active Catalysts for C–N Bond Formation in Electrochemical Urea Synthesis." J. Phys. Chem. C., 2025.

  9. Narode, A. S.; Barik, D.; Kuo, P. H.; Cheng, M. J.* & Liu, R. S.*“Ag (I)-Catalyzed Oxidative Cyclization of 1, 4-Diynamide-3-ols with N-Oxide for Divergent Synthesis of 2-Substituted Furan-4-carboxamide Derivatives.” J. Org. Chem., 2024, 89(21), 15924-15930.

  10. Ding, D.; Yin, L.; Poore, A. T.; Ho, Y. S.; Cheng, Y. H.; Hsieh, C. T.; Cheng, M. J.; ... & Liu, W.“Enantioconvergent copper-catalysed difluoromethylation of alkyl halides.” Nat. Catal., 2024, 7, 1372–1381.

  11. Lin, C. C.; Pan, M. L.; Li, P. L.; Ou, W. T.; Cheng, M. J. & Wu, Y. T.*“Syntheses, Structural Analyses, and Properties of Condensed Arenes with Multihelicity.” Org. Lett., 2024, 26(37), 7847-7852.

  12. Lin, W. Y.; Chen, Z. X., Wu, T. Y.; Lin, H. W.; Xiong, H.; Chen, W. S.; ... & Cheng, M. J.*“Influence of Copper Surfaces on CO2 vs. CO C‐C Coupling Efficiency.” ChemCatChem, 2024 e202400983.

  13. Anitha, M.; Chin, T. J.; Liu, G. C.; Hsieh, C. T., Wang, K. H.; Li. S. L.; ... & Cheng, M. J. “Metal-free alkyne annulation enabling π-extension of boron-doped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.” Chem. Sci., 2024, 15, 16210-16215

  14. Wu, C. T.; Pan, H. R.; Hsieh, C. T.; Tsai, Y. S.; Liao, P. J.; Cheng, M. J.*; ... & Hsu, H. F.* “Square-Planar Nickel Bis (phosphinopyridyl) Complexes for Long-Lived Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution.” JACS Au 2024 4 (10), 3976-3987

  15. You, Z. J.; Lin, T. J.; Lin, M. W.; Li, H. C.; Cheng, M. J.; & Lin, J. L.“Reactions of 2-chloropropionyl chloride on Cu (100): C–Cl bond cleavage and formation of methylketene and its dimer." J. Phys. Chem. 2024, 161(6).

  16. Xu, Y.; Gao, W.; Chen, Z.-X.; Yin, Z.; Chen, Z.; Chang, X.; Cheng, M. J.*; Xu, B.* "Cation-Dependent Impact of CO2 on Cu-Catalyzed Electrochemical CO Reduction Reaction" ACS Catalysis 2024, 14, 10829.

  17. Cheng, Y. H.; Ho, Y. S.; Yang, C. J.; Chen, C. Y.; Hsieh, C. T.; Cheng, M. J.* "Electron Dynamics in Alkane C–H Activation Mediated by Transition Metal Complexes." J. Phys. Chem. A 2024, 128, 23, 4638–4650.

  18. Li, C.; Zhang, H.; Liu, W.; Sheng, L.; Cheng, M. J.; Xu, B.; Luo, G. S.;* Lu, Q.* "Efficient conversion of propane in a microchannel reactor at ambient conditions" Nature Commun. 2024, 15, 884.

  19. Barik, D.; Maitra, C.; Hsieh, C.-T.; Cheng, M. J.;* Liu, R.-S..* "Two Distinct Gold-Catalyzed Oxidative Annulations of 1,5-Allenynes with Nitrones to Yield 1-Naphthol Derivatives Bearing 2,3- versus 3,4-Fused Nitroxy Rings" ACS Catalysis  2024, 14, 1525.

  20. Li, H.-C.;† Ho, Y.-S.;† Yang, G.-L.;† Li, R.-H.; Kuo, T.-C.; Hsieh, C.-T.; Kwon, Y.; Cheng, M. J.* "Linking CO to Urea Production from CO2 and NO3–/NO2– Co-Electrolysis on Transition Metals" J. Phys. Chem. C 2024, 128, 3, 1058–1067.

  21. Yan, W.; Carter, S.; Hsieh, C.-T.; Krause, J. A.; Cheng, M. J.; Zhang, S.;* Liu, W.* "Copper–Carbon Homolysis Competes with Reductive Elimination in Well-Defined Copper(III) Complexes " J. Am. Chem. Soc.  2023, 145, 26152.

  22. Lin, M.-W.; Lin, H.-P.; Ho, Y.-W.; Li, R.-H.; Cheng, M. J.; Lin, J.-L.* “Reaction Pathways of Propenoyl Chloride (CH2=CH–C(=O)Cl) on Cu(100) and O/Cu(100)” J. Phys. Chem. C 2023, 127, 20301.

  23. Cheng, C.-M.; Lin, S.-K.; Lin, S.-K.; Hsieh, C.-T.; Reddy, J. S.; Teoh, Y. N.; Cheng, M. J.;* Hsieh, H.-P.* "Influence of Ring Strain on the Formation of Rearrangement vs Cyclization Isotwistane Products in the Acyl Radical Reaction of Bicyclo[2.2.2]octanone" Org. Lett. 2023, 25, 7757.

  24. Kang, H.-W.; Liu, Y.-C.; Shao, W.-K.; Wei, Y.-C.; Hsieh, Y.-C.; Chen, B.-H.; Lu, C.-H.; Yang, S.-D.; Cheng, M. J.; Chou, P.-T.; Chiang, M.-H.; Wu, Y.-T.* "Synthesis, Structural Analysis, and Properties of Highly Twisted Alkenes 13,13'-Bis(dibenzo[a,i]fluorenylidene) and Its Derivatives" Nature Commun. 2023, 14, 5248.

  25. Lin, W.-Y.; Chen, Z.-X.; Xiong, H; Li, H.-C.; Ho, Y.-S.; Hsieh, C.-T.; Lu, Q.*; Cheng, M. J.* "Identification of CO2 as a Reactive Reagent for C-C Bond Formation via Copper-Catalyzed Electrochemical Reduction"ACS Catalysis 2023, 13,  17, 11697–11710.

  26. Zhang, H.; Li, C.; Liu, W.; Li, C.; Luo, G.; Goddard, W.; Cheng, M. J.; Xu, B.;* Lu, Q.* "Activation of light alkanes at room temperature and ambient pressure"Nature Catalysis 2023, 6, 6666.

  27. Hsieh, C.-T.; Tang, Y.-T.; Ho, Y.-S.; Shao, W.-K.; Cheng, M. J.* "Methane to Methanol Conversion over N-Doped Graphene Facilitated by Electrochemical Oxygen Evolution: A First-Principles Study"J. Phys. Chem. C​ 2023, 127, 1, 308.

  28. Yang, G.L.; Hsieh, C.T.; Ho, Y.S.; Kuo, T.C.; Kwon, Y.; Lu, Q.; Cheng, M. J.* "Gaseous CO2 Couplings with N-Containing Intermediates for Key C-N Bond Formation during Urea Production from Co-Electrolysis over Cu"ACS Catalysis 2022, 12, 11494.​

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