A new concept for aryl-aryl coupling that involves oxidative decarbonylative coupling of aryl C-H bonds and readily available aldehydes has been developed, achieving the aryl-aryl union with complete control of reaction sites.

A ruthenium-catalyzed olefination via decarbonylative addition of aldehydes and alkynes has been developed. A strong electronic effect and high chemoselectivity between aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes were observed in this reaction.

A novel, direct para-selective oxidative cross-coupling of benzene derivatives with cycloalkanes catalyzed by ruthenium was developed. A wide range of arenes bearing electron-withdrawing substituents was functionalized directly with simple cycloalkanes with high para-selectivity; arenes with electron-donating groups were mainly para-functionalized. Benzoic acid can be used directly.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most prevalent chronic liver disease, affecting approximately one-quarter of the global population, and has become a world public health issue. NAFLD is a clinicopathological syndrome characterized by hepatic steatosis, excluding ethanol and other definite liver damage factors. Recent studies have shown that the development of NAFLD is associated with lipid accumulation, oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and lipotoxicity. A range of natural products have been reported as regulators of NAFLD in vivo and in vitro. This paper reviews the pathogenesis of NAFLD and some natural products that have been shown to have therapeutic effects on NAFLD. Our work shows that natural products can be a potential therapeutic option for NAFLD.