Dr Qinguo Zheng 

Teaching Activity on the MPharm Programme

PH1405: Drug molecules, Mechanisms and Analysis (Module coordinator).
PH3602: Chemotherapy and Selective Toxicity.
PH3605: Medicinal Chemistry.

PHM012: Research Project (Module coordinator).

Career History

• 1998-date School of Life & Health Sciences, Aston University.
• 1997-98 Post-doctoral Research Fellow, MRC Toxicology Unit, University of Leicester.
• 1995-96 Post-doctoral Research Assistant, UCL.
• 1991-95 PhD Student/Research Assistant, UCL.
• 1990-91 Research Assistant, UCL.
• 1987-90 Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, China.
• 1984-87 Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, China, MSc in organic chemistry.
• 1978-82. Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, China, BSc in chemistry.

Research Interests

• Development of novel methodologies for synthesis of modified nucleic acids and peptide nucleic acids, and their use as potential antisense therapeutic agents.
• Oxidative DNA damage.
• Therapeutic natural products and their derivatives.
• Development of novel reagents for organic synthesis.

Selected Publications

1. Y.– Z. Xu, Q. Zheng and P. F. Swann Tetrahedron Letters 32 2817-2820 (1991) Simple synthesis of 4-thiothymidine, 4-thiouridine and 6-thio-2’-deoxyguanosine.

2. Y. – Z. Xu, Q. Zheng and P. F. Swann Tetrahedron Letters 33 5837-5840 (1992) Synthesis and duplex stability of oligodeoxynucleotides containing 6-mercaptopurine.

3. Y. – Z. Xu, Q. Zheng and P. F. Swann Tetrahedron 48 1729-1742 (1992) Synthesis by post-synthetic substitution of oligomers containing guanine modified at the 6-position with S-, N-, O-derivatives.

4. Y. – Z. Xu, Q. Zheng and P. F. Swann Journal of Organic Chemistry 57 3839-3845 (1992) Synthesis of DNA containing modified bases by post-synthetic substitution: Synthesis of oligomers containing 4-substituted thymine: O4-alkylthymine, 5-methylcytosine, N4-dimethylamino-5-methylcytosine and 4-thiothymine.

5. Y. – Z. Xu, Q. Zheng and P. F. Swann Nucleosides & Nucleosides 14 929-932 (1995) Preparation of oligodeoxynucleotides containing 6-methylthiopurine residues by chemical synthesis or specific methylation

6. Q. Zheng, Y. – Z. Xu and P. F. Swann Nucleosides & Nucleosides 14 939-942 (1995) An improved post-synthetic substitution approach for synthesis of DNA containing labile 4-substituted thymine.

7. P. F. Swann, T. R. Waters, D. C. Moulton, Y.- Z. Xu, Q. Zheng, M. Edwards and R. Mace Science 273 1109-1111 (1996) Role of postreplicative DNA mismatch repair in the cytotoxic action of thioguanine.

8. Y.– Z. Xu, Q. Zheng and P. F. Swann Nucleosides & Nucleosides 16 1559-1562 (1997) Site-specific introduction of functional groups onto bases in synthetic oligonucleotides for biological applications.

9. Q. Zheng, Y.– Z. Xu and P. F. Swann Nucleosides & Nucleosides 16 1799-1803 (1997) Photochemical cross-linking of l–Cro repressor to operator DNA specifically substituted with 4-thiothymine or 6-thioquanine

10. M. D. Evans, M. S. Cooke, I. D. Podmore, Q. Zheng, K. E. Herbert, and J. Lunec Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 259 374-378 (1999) Discrepancies in the measurement of UVC-induced 8-oxo-2’-deoxyguanosine: Implication of the analysis of oxidative DNA damage.

11. J. Lunec, K.E. Herbert, G.D.D. Jones, L. Dickinson, M. Evans, N. Mistry, D.Chauhan, G. Capper and Q. Zheng Free Radical Research, 33: 27-31 (2000) Development of a quality control material for the measurement of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine, an In Vivo marker of oxidative stress, and comparison of results from different laboratories.

12. L. Wang, Z.-C. Chen, Q. Zheng Chinese Journal of Chemistry221457-1459 (2002) Hyperiodine in synthesis 64: Synthesis of diaryl selenides and alkyl aryl selenides by palladium-catalyzed arylation of areneselenyl or alkaneselenyl magnesium bromide with diaryliodonium salt.

13. D.-P. Cheng, Z.-C. Chen, Q. Zheng  J. Chem. Res. 2002:  624-625(2002) Hypervalent iodine in synthesis 91: A mild and efficient method for the halogenation of 6-methyluracil derivatives.

14. Y.-Y. Xie, Z.-C. Chen, Q. Zheng  J. Chem. Res. 2002: 618-619(2002) Organic reactions in ionic liquids: a-tosyloxylation of ketones.

15. Y-Y Xie, Z-C Chen, Q Zheng Synthesis-Stuttgart 11 1505 -1508 (2002) Organic reactions in ionic liquids: ionic-liquid-accelerated cyclocondensation of a tosyloxyketones with 2-aminopyridine.

16. C. Su, Z.-C. Chen, Q. Zheng  Synthetic Communications 33, 2817-2822 (2003) Organic reactions in ionic liquids: alkylation of Meldrum acid.

17. D-P Cheng, Z.-C. Chen, Q. Zheng  Synthetic Communications 33, 2671-2676 (2003) Hypervalent iodine in synthesis 90: A mild and efficient method for the iodination of pyrazoles.

18. Z Liu, Z-C Chen, Q, Zheng Org Lett 5 3321-3323 (2003) Mild oxidation of alcohols with O-iodoxybenzoic acid (IBX) in ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium chloride and water.

19. D-H. Yang, Z-C. Chen, S-Y Chen, Q Zheng Synthesis-Stuttgart 12 1891-1894 (2003) Organic reactions in ionic liquids; Ionic liquid-accelerated three-component reaction: A rapid one-pot synthesis of 3-alkyl-5-[(Z)-arylmethylidene]-1,3-thiazolidine-2,4-diones. 

20. D-H. Yang, Z-C. Chen & Q. Zheng  J. Chem. Res. 2003 330-331 (2003) A convenient synthesis of 5-benzylidenethiazolidine-2, 4-diones under microwave irradiation without solvent.

21. F-Y. Wang, Z-C. Chen, Q. Zheng  J. Chem. Res.  10 620-621 (2003)  Ionic liquid-accelerated arylation of sodium arenesulfinates with diaryliodonium salts used for the synthesis of diaryl sulfones  

22. M. Yan, Z-C. Chen, Q. Zheng J. Chem. Res. 10 618-619 (2003)  Organic reactions in ionic liquids: oxidative dimerisation of thioamides with phenyliodine(III) diacetate .

23. Y-Y. Xie, Z-C. Chen, Q. Zheng J. Chem. Res.10 614-615 (2003) Organic reactions in ionic liquids: cyclocondensation of alpha-bromoketones with 2-aminopyridine .

24.Y. Wang, E. Lattmann and Q. Zheng, Nucleosides, Nucleotides & Nucleic Acids 22: 1247-1249 (2003) Preparation of 6-thioguanosine phosphoramidite for oligoribonucleotide synthesis. 

25. L. Zhi, Z-C.Chen, Q. Zheng  J Heterocyclic Chem  40 909-911 (2003) Hypervalent iodine in synthesis 93. A facile synthesis of 2-substituted imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidines by cyclocondensation of alkynyl(phenyl)iodonium salts and 2-aminopyrimidine.

26. C. Su, Z.-C. Chen, Q. Zheng  Synthesis-Stuttgart4 555-559 (2003) Organic reaction in ionic liquids: Knoevenagel condensation catalysed by ethylenendiammonium diacetate.

27. Q. Zheng, Y. Wang, E. Lattmann Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters 13 3141-3144 (2003) Synthesis of S⁶ -(2,4-dinitrophenyl)-6-thioguanosine phosphoramidite and its incorporation into oligoribonucleotides.

28. Q. ZhengY. Wang, E. Lattmann Tetrahedron 59 1925 -1932 (2003) Introduction of structural diversity into oligonucleotides containing 6-thioguanine via on-column conjugation.

29. Z. Liu, Z.-C. Chen, Q. Zheng J. Chem. Res. 715-717 (2003) Hypervalent iodine in synthesis 92. A facile synthesis of 3-substituted-5,6-dihydroimidazo[2,1-b]thiazoles by cyclocondensation of alkynyl(phenyl)iodonium salts and imidazolidine-2-thione.

30. F. Y. Wang, Z.-C. Chen, Q. Zheng J. Chem. Res.810-811 (2003) Organic reactions in ionic liquids: synthesis of alkyl aryl trithiocarbonates by the S-arylation of potassium carbonotrithioates with diaryliodonium salts.

31. F. Y. Wang, Z.-C. Chen, Q. ZhengJ. Chem.Res. 206-207 (2004) Ionic liquid-accelerated N-arylation of benzoazoles with diaryliodonium salts, an efficient method for the synthesis of N-aryl azoles.

32. Z. Liu, Z-C. Chen, Q. Zheng Synthetic Communications, 34 361-367 (2004) Hypervalent iodine in synthesis. 94. A facile synthesis of 2-substituted-imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines by cyclocondensation of alkynyl(phenyl) iodonium salts and 2-aminopyridine. 

33. Z. Liu, Z-C. Chen, Q. Zheng Synthesis -Stuttgart 1 33-36 (2004) Organic reactions in ionic liquids: Ionic liquid-accelerated nucleophilic substitution reaction of alpha-tosyloxyketones with potassium salts of aromatic acids.

34. Z-G. Le, Z-C. Chen, Y. Hu, Q. Zheng Synthesis -Stuttgart 2 208-212 (2004) Organic reactions in ionic liquids: N-alkylation of phthalimide and several nitrogen heterocycles. 

35. Z. G. Le, Z.-C. Chen, Y. Hu, Q. Zheng Heterocycles 631077-1081 (2004) Organic reactions in ionic liquids: A simple highly regioselective or regiospecific substitutions of benzotriazole .

36. Z. G. Le, Z.-C. Chen, Y. Hu, Q. Zheng Synthesis-Stuttgart  995-998 (2004) Organic reactions in ionic liquids: Ionic liquid-promoted efficient synthesis of N-alkyl and N-arylimides.

37. Y. Hu, Z-C. Chen, Z-G. Le, Q, Zheng  SYNTHETIC COMMUNICATIONS  34 4521-4529 (2004) Organic reactions in ionic liquids: Ionic liquid promoted Knoevenagel condensation of aromatic aldehydes with (2-thio)barbituric acid.

38. Z-G. Le, Z-C. Chen, Y. Hu, Q. Zheng SYNTHESIS-STUTTGART 17 2809-2812 (2004) [bmim]Br(3)as a new reagent for regioselective monobromination of arylamines under solvent-free conditions.

39. Y. Hu, Z-C. Chen, Z-G. Le, Q. Zheng  Synthetic Communications 34 3801-3806 (2004) Organic reactions in ionic liquids: Gewald synthesis of 2-aminothiophenes catalyzed by ethylenediammonium diacetate.

40. Y. Hu,  Z-C. Chen, Z-G. Le, Q. ZhengSynthetic Communications 34 4031-4035 (2004) Organic reactions in ionic liquids: A new method for the synthesis of alklyl aryl sulfones by alkylation of sodium arenesulfinates with unactivated alkyl chlorides.

41. Z-G. Le, Z-C. Chen, Y. Hu, Q. Zheng SYNTHESIS-STUTTGART 1951-1954 (2004). Organic reactions in ionic liquids: A simple and highlyregioselective N-substitution of pyrrole.

42. Y. Hu, Z-C. Chen, Z-G. Le, Q. Zheng ORGANIC PREPARATIONS AND PROCEDURES INTERNATIONAL 347-351 (2004) N-alkylation of N-monosubstituted sulfonamides in ionic liquids.

43. Z-G. Le, Z-C Chen, Y. Hu, Q. Zheng JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL RESEARCH-S 344-346 (2004) Organic reactions in ionic liquids: an efficient method for the N-alkylation of benzotriazole.

44. Y. Hu, Z-C. Chen, Z-G. Le, Q. Zheng SYNTHETIC COMMUNICATIONS 2039-2046 (2004) Organic reactions in ionic liquids: An efficient method for selective S-alkylation of 2-mercaptobenzothia(xa)zole with alkyl halides.

45. Y. Hu, Z-C. Chen, Z-G. Le, Q. Zheng JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL RESEARCH-S 276-278 (2004) Organic reactions in ionic liquids: N-alkylation of cyclic imides with alkyl halides promoted by potassium fluoride.

46. Z-G. Le, Z-C. Chen, Y. Hu, Q. Zheng  JOURNAL OF HETEROCYCLIC CHEMISTRY  42 (4) 735-737 (2005) Organic reactions in ionic liquids: Ionic liquid-promoted efficient synthesis of N-alkyl and N-arylphthalimides. 

47. D-H Yang, B-Y Yang, Z-C Chen, S-Y Chen, Q ZhengJournal of Chemical Research 492-494 (2005) Organic reaction in ionic liquids: Ionic liquid-accelerated facile synthesis of 3-alkyl-2,4-thiazolidinediones.

48. Z-G. Le, Z-C. Chen, Y.  Hu, Q. Zheng CHINESE CHEMICAL LETTERS 16 (2) 155-158 (2005) Organic reactions in ionic liquids: Ionic liquid-promoted three-component condensation of benzotriazole with aldehyde and alcohol.

49. Z-G Le, Z-C. Chen, Y. Hu, Q. Zheng CHINESE CHEMICAL LETTERS 16 (2) 201-204 (2005) Organic reactions in ionic liquids: Ionic liquid-promoted efficient synthesis of disubstituted and trisubstituted thioureas derivatives. 

50. R. Guo and Q Zheng Nucleosides, Nucleotides, and Nucleic Acids 24 (5-7) 1081 – 1083 (2005) Chemical Synthesis of oligonucleotides containing (M + 4) guanine. 

51. B. Moghaddam, S. E. McNeil, Q. Zheng, A. R. Mohammed, Y. Perrie Pharmaceutics 3 848-864 (2011) Exploring the correlation between lipid packaging in lipoplexes and their transfection efficacy.

52. B. Moghaddam, M. H. Ali, J. Wilkhu, D. J. Kirby, A. R. Mohammed, Q. Zheng, Y. Perrie International Journal of Pharmaceutics 417 235-244 (2011) The application of monolayer studies in the understanding of liposomal formulations.

53. X. Hu, C. Ngwa, Q. Zheng. Current Organic Synthesis (2015, In Press) A Simple & Efficient Procedure for Knoevenagel Reaction Promoted by Imidazolium-based Ionic Liquids.