学位： 学士：武汉大学
硕士：武汉大学，Case Western Reserve University
博士：Case Western Reserve University

NMR在化学中的应用：界面化学行为的研究，具有特定功效生物大分子结构的表征，溶液中分子间相互作用的研究，如DNA与药物分子的作用，协助探讨其功效的原理；
理论化学：使用量子化学及分子力学、分子动力学进行分子模拟，用于协助解析大分子的结构；配位化学：大环配位化合物的合成、结构与功能的研究。

无机化学（双语，本科生）。化学中的结构方法、无机化学前沿（专题）

1. 具抗癌活性第二代光敏剂—硅酞菁类化合物的合成与研究（国家自然科学基金资助项目，主持）；
2. 主族元素酞菁类化合物的合成与研究(教育部优秀年轻教师基金,主持)；
3. 酞菁，卟啉类光学限制剂的合成与性质研究(教育部骨干教师基金,主持)

近年专利：
1. BURNS ME; CHENG G; KENNEY ME; KITKO DJ; LI Y, and ORTIZ R , inventors. Liquid nonionic photobleach for consumer product application has covalently attached, hydrophobic, strongly crystallinity-disrupting, or symmetry-lowering substituent in the chromophore and/or in the bonded ligand . PROCTER & GAMBLE CO (PROC) and UNIV CASE WESTERN RESERVE (UYCA-Non-standard), assignees. C07F-007/08; C11D-003/16; C11D-003/39. AU200035079-A; WO200052121-A2. 2000 Sep 21.
2. CHENG G; HAO G; KENNEY ME; LI Y, and WU H , inventors. Manufacture of silicon phthalocyanine(s) and naphthalocyanine(s) useful as photosensitisers and dyes - comprises reacting metal-free phthalocyanine or naphthalocyanine with silicon core precursor then with water and extracting. UNIV CASE WESTERN RESERVE (UYCA-Non-standard), assignee. EP971984-A1; WO9844052-A1; AU9867842-A; US5872248-A. 2000 Jan 19.

近年论文：

① Yan Zhang, Lu Lai, Ping Cai*, Gong-Zhen Cheng, Yi Liu. Synthesis, characterization and anticancer activity of dinuclear ruthenium(II) complexes linked by alkyl chain. New. J. Chem., 2015, DOI: 10.1039/C5NJ00582E.

② Yan Zhang, Peng-Chao Hu, Ping Cai*, Fang Yang, Gong-Zhen Cheng. Synthesis, Characterization, Crystal structure, Cytotoxicity, Apoptosis and Cell Cycle Arrest of Ruthenium(Ⅱ) Complex [Ru(bpy)₂(adpa)](PF₆)₂ (bpy=2,2′-bipyridine, adpa = 4- (4-aminophenyl)diazenyl-N-(pyridin-2-ylmethylene)aniline).RSC.Advance., 2015, 5, 11591-11598.

③ Zhang X.H., Veikko U.,  Mao J., Cai P.*, Peng T.Y., " Visible-Light-Induced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production over Binuclear RuII-Bipyridyl Dye-Sensitized TiO2 without Noble Metal Loading" Chem.-Eur. J. 2012, 18, 12103.

④ Veikko U., Zhang X.H., Peng T.Y., Cai P.*, Cheng G.Z., "The synthesis and characterization of dinuclear ruthenium sensitizers and their applications in photocatalytic hydrogen production " Spectrochimic Acta Part A  2012, 105, 539.

⑤ Wen L., Su J., Wu X.J., Cai P.*, Luo W.,* Cheng G.Z., “Ruthenium supported on MIL-96: An efficient catalyst for hydrolytic dehydrogenation of ammonia borane for chemical hydrogen storage”Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 2014, 39, 17129.