In the following list, publications with corresponding authorship are marked with an asterisk (*); publications with co-first authorship are marked with an double dagger (‡).

2025 –
Crystal structure of a tRNA acceptor-stem mimic at 1.94 Å resolution Z Liu*, D Bellini, F Gorrec, A Wagner, K El Omari, J D Sutherland
Acta Crystallographica Section F 82(2), 57-65 PDF | Web
Precipitation kinetics and C isotope fractionation of rhodochrosite at 298.15 K C Z Jiang, Z Liu, N J Tosca
Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 413, 204-217 PDF | Web
2020 – 2024
Shedding Light on the Kinetics of the Carboxysulfitic Scenario S B White, P B Rimmer, Z Liu
ACS Earth and Space Chemistry 8 (11), 2133-2144 PDF | Web
Prebiotic chiral transfer from self-aminoacylating ribozymes may favor either handedness J Kenchel, A Vázquez-Salazar, R Wells, K Brunton, E Janzen, K M Schultz, Z Liu, W Li, E T Parker, J P Dworkin, I A Chen
Nature Communications 15 (1), 7980 PDF | Web
Manganese (II) promotes prebiotically plausible non-enzymatic RNA ligation reactions Z Liu*, C Z Jiang, A D Bond, N J Tosca, J D Sutherland
Chemical Communications 60 (51), 6528-6531 PDF | Web
Triplet-encoded prebiotic RNA aminoacylation M Su, C Schmitt, Z Liu, S J Roberts, K C Liu, K Roder, A Jäschke, D J Wales, J D Sutherland
Journal of the American Chemical Society 145 (29), 15971-15980 PDF | Web
Origin of biological homochirality by crystallization of an RNA precursor on a magnetic surface S F Ozturk, Z Liu, J D Sutherland, D D Sasselov
Science Advances 9 (23), eadg8274 PDF | Web
Template-free assembly of functional RNAs by loop-closing ligation LF Wu, Z Liu, SJ Roberts, M Su, JW Szostak, JD Sutherland
Journal of the American Chemical Society 144 (30), 13920-13927 PDF | Web
Emergent properties as by-products of prebiotic evolution of aminoacylation ribozymes E Janzen, Y Shen, A Vázquez-Salazar, Z Liu, C Blanco, J Kenchel, I A Chen
Nature Communications 13 (1), 3631 PDF | Web
Potentially prebiotic synthesis of aminoacyl-RNA via a bridging phosphoramidate-ester intermediate S J Roberts ‡, Z Liu ‡, J D Sutherland
Journal of the American Chemical Society> 144 (9), 4254-4259 PDF | Web
Prebiotic photochemical coproduction of purine ribo-and deoxyribonucleosides J Xu, N J Green, D A Russell, Z Liu, J D Sutherland
Journal of the American Chemical Society 143 (36), 14482-14486 PDF | Web
Interstrand aminoacyl transfer in a tRNA acceptor stem-overhang mimic LF Wu, M Su, Z Liu, S J Bjork, J D Sutherland
Journal of the American Chemical Society 143 (30), 11836-11842 PDF | Web
Encapsulation of ribozymes inside model protocells leads to faster evolutionary adaptation Y- C Lai, Z Liu, I A Chen
Journal of the American Chemical Society 143 (30), 11836-11842 PDF | Web
Prebiotic photoredox synthesis from carbon dioxide and sulfite Z Liu, L F Wu, C Kufner, D D Sasselov, W W Fischer, J D Sutherland
Nature Chemistry 13 (11), 1126-1132 PDF | Web
pH-Dependent peptide bond formation by the selective coupling of α-amino acids in water L F Wu, Z Liu, J D Sutherland
Chemical Communications 57 (1), 73-76 PDF | Web
Harnessing chemical energy for the activation and joining of prebiotic building blocks Z Liu, L F Wu, J Xu, C Bonfio, D A Russell, J D Sutherland
Nature Chemistry 12 (11), 1023-1028 PDF | Web
Synthesis of Prebiotic Building Blocks by Photochemistry Z Liu*
Chemical Research in Chinese Universities 36 (6), 985-991 PDF | Web
Photoredox chemistry in the synthesis of 2-aminoazoles implicated in prebiotic nucleic acid synthesis Z Liu, L F Wu, A D Bond, J D Sutherland
Chemical Communications 56 (88), 13563-13566 PDF | Web
2015 – 2019
The chemical likelihood of ribonucleotide-α-amino acid copolymers as players for early stages of evolution Z Liu, G Ajram, J C Rossi, R Pascal
Chemical Communications 56 (88), 13563-13566 PDF | Web
Mapping a systematic ribozyme fitness landscape reveals a frustrated evolutionary network for self-aminoacylating RNA A D Pressman, Z Liu, E Janzen, C Blanco, U F Müller, G F Joyce, R Pascal, I A Chen
Journal of the American Chemical Society 141 (15), 6213-6223 PDF | Web
How prebiotic chemistry and early life chose phosphate Z Liu, J C Rossi, R Pascal
Life 9 (1), 26 PDF | Web
Tuning the reactivity of nitriles using Cu (II) catalysis-potentially prebiotic activation of nucleotides Z Liu, A Mariani, L Wu, D Ritson, A Folli, D Murphy, J D Sutherland
Chemical Science 9 (35), 7053-7057 PDF | Web
5 (4H)-Oxazolones as effective aminoacylation reagents for the 3′-terminus of RNA Z Liu, C Hanson, G Ajram, L Boiteau, J C Rossi, G Danger, R Pascal
Synlett 28 (01), 73-77 PDF | Web
Mixed Anhydride Intermediates in the Reaction of 5 (4H)-Oxazolones with Phosphate Esters and Nucleotides Z Liu, L Rigger, J C Rossi, J D Sutherland, R Pascal
Chemistry-A European Journal 22 (42), 14940-14949 PDF | Web
The activation of free dipeptides promoted by strong activating agents in water does not yield diketopiperazines D Beaufils, S Jepaul, Z Liu, L Boiteau, R Pascal
Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres 46 (1), 19-30 PDF | Web
2010 – 2014
Evolutionary importance of the intramolecular pathways of hydrolysis of phosphate ester mixed anhydrides with amino acids and peptides Z Liu, D Beaufils, J C Rossi, R Pascal
Scientific Reports 4 (1), 7440 PDF | Web
A Top-Down Route for Preparation of Ultrathin Zinc Oxide Nanowires S Zhu, M Yang, Z Liu, S Jiao, G Pang, S Feng
Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology 14 (8), 6342-6346 PDF | Web
The oxidation of the alpha-carbon of amines in hydrothermal condition: an alternative synthetic route of compounds containing amide bond X Bai, Z Liu, K Ye, Y Wang, X Zhang, H Yue, G Tian, S Feng
Tetrahedron Letters 55 (2), 319-321 PDF | Web
High adsorption capacity for dye removal by CuZn hydroxyl double salts S Zhu, S Jiao, Z Liu, G Pang, S Feng
Environmental Science: Nano 1 (2), 172-180 PDF | Web
Hydrothermal synthesis of 1-butanol from ethanol catalyzed with commercial cobalt powder X Zhang, Z Liu, X Xu, H Yue, G Tian, S Feng
ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 1 (12), 1493-1497 PDF | Web
Ready hydrothermal reactions from carbon dioxide to methane Z Liu, G Tian, S Zhu, C He, H Yue, S Feng
ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 1 (3), 313-315 PDF | Web
Some heterocyclic compound formation under hydrothermal conditions: implications for prebiotic chemistry C He, B Hu, Z Liu, Y Wang, B Lv, H Yuan, G Tian, S Feng
Heterocyclic Communications 18 (1), 7 PDF | Web
Hydrothermal reactions from carbon dioxide to phenol G Tian, C He, Y Chen, H M Yuan, Z Liu, Z Shi, SH Feng
ChemSusChem: Chemistry & Sustainability Energy & Materials 3 (3), 323-324 PDF | Web
A novel synthetic route to synthesize 2, 4, 8, 10-tetraoxaspiro [5.5]-undecane from formaldehyde under hydrothermal conditions G Maheen, G Tian, Z Song, C He, Z Shi, Z Liu, H Yuan, S Feng
Journal of Heterocyclic Chemistry 47 (2), 483-485 PDF | Web
A mild hydrothermal route to fix carbon dioxide to simple carboxylic acids C He, G Tian, Z Liu, S Feng
Organic letters 12 (4), 649-651 PDF | Web

• Chapter 4: The Formation and Reactions of Aminoacyl-adenylate in Phosphorus and the Origin of Life (Chemical Industry Press Co., Ltd, 2024), pp. 63-82, ISBN: 978-7-122-42013-8. 磷科学前沿与技术丛书 ——《磷与生命起源》第四章：氨基酸-磷酸混合酸酐的形成及其反应 Web (Chinese Edition)
• Chapter 2: Prebiotic Synthesis of Nucleotides in Phosphorus and the Origin of Life (Chemical Industry Press Co., Ltd, 2024), pp. 29-44, ISBN: 978-7-122-42013-8. 磷科学前沿与技术丛书 ——《磷与生命起源》第二章：核苷酸的前生源化学合成 Web (Chinese Edition)
• Chapter 6: Hydrothermal reduction of CO₂ to low-carbon compounds in Hydrothermal Reduction of Carbon Dioxide to Low-Carbon Fuels (CRC Press, 2017), pp. 79-90, ISBN: 9781351262842. Web

• Method for preparing n-butanol from ethanol by using hydrothermal technique G Tian, X Zhang, S Feng, Z Liu, X Xu (2013) Web
• High temperature and high pressure reaction kettle provided with online sampling device G Tian, S Feng, C He, Z Liu (2012) Web
• High-temperature high-pressure circulation stirring gas liquid phase reaction kettle G Tian, S Feng, C He, Z Liu (2012) Web