Publications
At Syracuse University
9. Shakkeeb Thazhathethil, Sameeha Yoosaf, Cijun Zhang, Ramarani Sethy, Weiwei Zheng, Xiaoran Hu* "Solid-State Mechanochemical Atropisomerization Activates Photo-fluorochromism in Atropisomeric Diarylethene Small Molecules" Submitted
8. Xuancheng Fu, Bowen Xu, Suman Maity, Michelle Wu, Luke G. Westbrook, Katie Edwards, Atanu Acharya,* Xiaoran Hu* "A Non-Covalent Click-to-Release Strategy to Control Bond Cleavage and Prodrug Activation"Under revision.
Preprint available on ChemRxiv: DOI: 10.26434/chemrxiv-2024-m7rrb
4. Cijun Zhang, Tatiana B. Kouznetsova, Boyu Zhu, Liam Sweeney, Max Lancer, Ivan Gitsov, Stephen L. Craig, Xiaoran Hu* "Advancing the Mechanosensitivity of Atropisomeric Diarylethene Mechanophores Through a Lever-Arm Effect" Journal of the American Chemical Society 2025, 147, 2502-2509.
DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c13480
Featured in: Syracuse University News, Syracuse Sun
3. Xuancheng Fu, Xiaoran Hu* "Ultrasound-Controlled Prodrug Activation: Emerging Strategies in Polymer Mechanochemistry and Sonodynamic Therapy" ACS Applied Bio Materials 2024, 7, 8040–8058. (Invited Submission)
Featured in: Journal Cover, ACS Applied Biomaterials; 2024 Early Career Forum, ACS Applied Bio Materials
1. Xuancheng Fu, Boyu Zhu, Xiaoran Hu* “Force-Triggered Atropisomerization of a Parallel Diarylethene to Its Anti-Parallel Diastereomers" Journal of the American Chemical Society 2023, 145, 15668-15673.
Featured in: Synfacts
Before Syracuse University (2022 and before)
• Husic, C. C.; Hu, X; Robb, M. J. “Incorporation of a Tethered Alcohol Enables Efficient Mechanically Triggered Release in Aprotic Environments”, ACS Macro Lett. 2022, 11, 948-953.
• Versaw, B; Zeng, T; Hu, X; Robb, M. J. “Harnessing the Power of Force: Development of Mechanophores for Molecular Release” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 21461-21473.
• Zeng, T; Hu, X; Robb, M. J. “5-Aryloxy Substitution Enables Efficient Mechanically Triggered Release from a Synthetically Accessible Masked 2-Furylcarbinol Mechanophore” Chem. Commun., 2021, 57, 11173-11176.
• Hu, X; Zeng, T; Husic, C. C.; Robb, M. J. “Mechanically Triggered Release of Functionally Diverse Molecular Payloads from Masked 2-Furylcarbinol Derivatives” ACS Cent. Sci. 2021, 7, 1216-1224.
• Hu, X; Zeng, T; Husic, C. C.; Robb, M. J. “Mechanically Triggered Small Molecule Release from a Masked Furfuryl Carbonate” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2019, 141, 15018-15023. doi.org/10.1021/jacs.9b08663
Featured in Caltech News
• Barber, R. W.; McFadden, M. E.; Hu, X.; and Robb, M. J. “Mechanochemically Gated Photoswitching: Expanding the Scope of Polymer Mechanochromism” Synlett 2019, 30, 1725–1732.
• Hu, X.; McFadden, M. E.; Baber, R. W.; Robb, M. J. “Mechanochemical Regulation of a Photochemical Reaction” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 14073-14077.
Featured in Nature Reviews Chemistry
• Feeney M. J.; Hu, X.; Srinivasan R.; Van N.; Hunter M.; Georgakoudi I.; Thomas S. W. III “UV and NIR-Responsive Layer-by-Layer Films Containing 6-Bromo-7-hydroxycoumarin Photolabile Groups” Langmuir 2017, 33, 10877–10885.
• Hu, X.; Lawrence, J. A.; Mullahoo, J.; Smith, Z. C; Wilson, D. J.; Mace, C. R.; Thomas, S. W. III “Directly Photopatternable Polythiophene as Dual-Tone Photoresist” Macromolecules 2017, 50, 7258–7267. doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.7b01208
• Kaner, P.; Hu, X.; Thomas, S. W. III, Asatekin, A. “Self-Cleaning Membranes from Comb-Shaped Copolymers with Photoresponsive Side Groups” ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2017, 9, 13619–13631.
• Hu, X.; Qureishi, Z.; Thomas, S. W. III "Light-Controlled Selective Disruption, Multi-Level Patterning, and Sequential Release with Polyelectrolyte Multilayer Films Incorporating Four Photocleavable Chromophores” Chem. Mater. 2017, 29, 2951-2960.
• Hu, X.; Feeney, M. J.; McIntosh, E.; Mullahoo, J.; Jia, F.; Xu, Q.; Thomas, S. W. III "Triggered Release of Encapsulated Cargo from Photoresponsive Polyelectrolyte Nanocomplexes" ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2016, 8, 23517–23522.
doi.org/10.1021/acsami.6b07366
• Hu, X.; Macintosh, E; Simon, M. G.; Staii, C.; Thomas, S. W. III "Stimuli-Responsive Free-Standing Layer-By-Layer Films" Adv. Mater. 2016, 28, 715–721.
• Hu, X.; Shi, J.; Thomas, S. W. III "Photolabile ROMP Gels Using ortho-Nitrobenzyl Functional Crosslinkers” Polym. Chem. 2015, 6, 4966–4971.
• Gumbley, P.; Hu, X.; Lawrence, J. A., III; Thomas, S. W. III "Photoresponsive Gels Prepared by Ring Opening Metathesis Polymerization” Macromol. Rapid Commun. 2013, 34, 1838–1843.
Patents
(9) Hu, X.; Thazhathethil, S. Provisional US Patent App. to be updated. (Syracuse University)
(8) Hu, X.; Fu, X. “Ultrasound-Triggered Drug Release via Sonochemically Mediated Cleavage Reactions” Provisional US Patent App. 63/870,230 Aug 26 2025. (Syracuse University)
(7) Hu, X.; Fu, X. "Controlled Release of Covalently Conjugated Molecules Using Host-Guest Interactions" Provisional US Patent App. 63/702,109 Oct 1, 2024. (Syracuse University)
(6) Hu, X.; Fu, X. "Mechanophore with Force Triggered Stereochemistry Conversion" US Patent App. 18/656,114, May 6, 2024. (Syracuse University)
(5) Robb, M. J.; Hu, X. “Mechanical Regulation of Photoswitching” US11834442B2, Granted December 5, 2023. (California Institute of Technology)
(4) Robb, M. J.; Hu, X.; Zeng, T. “Method for Controlled Release Using Mechanical Force” US11584752B2t, Granted February 21, 2023. (California Institute of Technology)
(3) Hu, X.; Zhu, S.; Robisson, A.; Qu, M; Ossia, S. “Methods for Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization (ROMP) for In-Situ Formation of High Glass Transition Temperature (Tg) Polymers” US11,377,580, Granted July 5, 2022. (Schlumberger Technology Corporation)
(2) Luozhong, S.; Yuan, Z.; Jiang, S.; Hu, X.; Bailey, S. "Zwitterionic Lipid Nanoparticle Compositions, and Methods of Use" US Patent App. 63/129,343, published June 30, 2022. (Cornell)
(1) Asatekin, A.; Thomas, S. W. III; Kaner, P.; Hu, X. “Two-layer photo-responsive membranes” US10,603,637, Granted March 31, 2020. (Tufts University)