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Faculty This site

Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

Name	Research Interests
Asst Prof Arvind Rajendran	Arvind's research interests are in adsorption and chromatography. His focus is on using supercritical fluids as eluents for large scale chromatographic separations, such as the simulated moving bed (SMB) and preparative chromatography, applied to the separation of pharmaceutically active enantiomers. His interests and specializations include adsorption of supercritical fluids, swelling of polymers in supercritical media and gas separation using rapid pressure swing adsorption (PSA) processes.
Assoc Prof Cai Wenjian	Prof Cai's areas of expertise are system modelling, control and optimization, multivariable system identification and control, sensor and instrumentation, mechanical system simulation and design, and intelligent systems. His current research works focus on industry applications in building HVAC processes, renewable energy processes and environmental processes.
Assoc Prof Chan Bee Eng, Mary	Dr Chan-Park has interest and expertise in nanoimprint, micro- and nano-patterning, biomaterials, tissue engineering and carbon nanotubes. She has published more than 80 hournal papers and holds more than 15 patents/patent applications in these areas. She has supervised more than 12 PhD students and 15 postdoctoral fellows.
Assoc Prof Chan Vincent	Understanding the biophysical properties of cells on biomaterials is essential for designing new tissue regeneration processes and for developing new biomedical devices. Our main objective is to reveal the synergistic interplay between biochemical, physical and mechanical signals in the regulation of cell adhesion, regenerations and recovery on biomaterials or extracellular matrix (ECM). Integrative bio-analytics are critical to our research. Using functional microscopy, optical tweezers and atomic force microscopy, we examine the biophysical dynamics of cell regeneration, biomechanics of membrane and dynamic adhesion of bacteria. We will devise important design principles for engineered tissue equivalents, bio-inspirational materials and anti-microbial devices. I have been working in the following research topics during the last 9 years at Nanyang Technological University: i) Biophysical Dynamics of Cell Regenerations ii) Biophysical Mechanics of Membrane iii) Development of Integrative Biophysical Instrumentation
Asst Prof Chang Wook, Matthew	Prof. Chang's areas of expertise are systems biology, metabolic engineering, and engineering biology. His current research works focus on elucidating genetic regulatory networks and relevant cellular mechanisms in bacteria. The research group website: http://www.changlab.com/
Asst Prof (Adj) Charles William Johannes	My research is focused on employing enantioselective methodologies and synthetic natural product strategies in the development of a Diversity Oriented Synthesis (DOS) approach to generate innovative chemical matter for novel therapeutic medicines.
Asst Prof Chen Hongyu	Asst. Prof. Chen Hongyu' research mainly evolves around polymer-coated gold nanoparticles. A main goal is to use the nano-sized hydrophobic shells on nanoparticles to separate the reducing equivalents from photo-induced charge-separation, as a model for the conversion of solar energy to chemical energy by the photosynthetic apparatus in green plants. His research also involves the controlled organization of nanoparticles and the development of nanoparticles as surface-enhance Raman scattering probes.
Asst Prof Chen Tao	Dr Chen Tao's areas of expertise are chemometrics, i.e. statistical modeling and analysis of chemical and analytical data. His current research focuses on data-based process fault detection and diagnosis, experimental design and optimization, adaptive filtering and data reconciliation, model identification and parameter estimation, and multivariate calibration of analytical sensors.
Asst Prof Chen Xiaodong	Currently, Prof. Chen's research focuses on three directions: (1) Nanobioelectronics: to develop integrated nanostructure-biomaterial hybrid systems for bioelectronics and probe biological processes at the nanoscale; (2) Bioinspired assembly: to mimic methods used by nature for interfacing organic and non-organic material and building hierarchical structures with advanced functions, and (3) Nanomaterials for energy conversion and storage: to explore nanoscale modules for light harvesting, charge separation, solar energy conversion, and storage.
Asst Prof (Adj) Chen Yu-Kai David	Current research activities focus on the total synthesis of architecturally complex natural products possessing interesting biological properties. A strong emphasis will be placed on the development of novel synthetic strategies and methodologies in these synthetic campaigns, particularly in carbon-carbon bond forming reactions, asymmetric transformations and catalysis. With chemical biology and structural-activity-relationship investigations in mind, analogue design, synthesis and biological evaluation are taking place concurrently. Research efforts directed towards library design, with application of novel synthetic methodology in the construction of privileged bioactive molecular scaffolds are also being actively pursued.
Asst Prof Chen Yuan	My interests focus on nanometer scaled materials. In particular, I aim to develop expertise in synthesis of structure controlled nanomaterials and using these novel materials to explore the physics, chemistry, and biology at the nanometer length scale. As a chemical engineer, I also intend to turn our findings into applications. Recent interests specifically: 1. Synthesis of structure controlled carbon nanotubes (e.g. chirality control of single wall carbon nanotubes) 2. Purification, enrichment and functionalization of carbon nanotubes 3. Carbon nanotube application in electronic devices (macroelectronics and EMI shielding) 4. Carbon nanotube application in catalysis supports (noble metals and enzymes) 5. Atomic characterization of catalysts for nanomaterials synthesis (e.g. in-situ X-ray absorption) 6. Design and synthesis of catalysts for nanomaterials production
Asst Prof Chi Yonggui Robin	-Catalysis & Organic Synthesis -Peptides, Proteins, Polymers -Nanoscale Structures & Functional Materials see http://chigroupweb.org
Asst Prof Chiba Shunsuke	Organic Synthetic Chemistry 1) Development of New synthetic Reactions 2) Synthesis of Natural and Unnatural Products
Prof Ching Chi Bun	Professor Ching is actively involved in research and his research focus on a wide range of topics, mainly the following key areas: 1.Development of Novel Chiral Stationary Phase & Process for resolving pharmaceutical optical isomers 2.Large Scale Adsorptive Separation Technology (SMB) 3.Crystallization Study of Enantiomeric Drugs and Intermediates 4.Protein crystallization - from mechanism to the delivery of biopharmaceuticals 5.Engineering biology
Prof Christian Leo Kloc	His primary research focus has been on synthesis, crystal growth, characterization and applications of new or non-commercially available materials ranging from insulating oxides, semiconductor, superconductor and organic, molecular crystals to intermetallic crystals. His current research focuses on crystal growth of organic semiconductors and the technology of organic devices. Another area of interest is in development of new functional materials suitable for efficient energy harvesting and conversion.
Asst Prof Curtis Alexander Davey	DNA in eukaryotic cells is packaged by histone proteins into chromatin, a dynamic hierarchical organization underlying genomic function. The basic chromatin building block is the nucleosome core particle, in which ~147 base pairs of DNA are wrapped in 1 & 2/3 superhelical turns around a histone protein octamer. Our high resolution crystallographic analysis of the nucleosome core particle yielded a wealth of insight into histone-DNA association. In fact, the conformation of DNA in the nucleosome core is remarkably different than its naked form or that associated with other nuclear proteins and is dependent on both DNA sequence and positioning on the histone octamer. We found that even divalent metal hydrates can recognize this unique feature of the nucleosome, binding in a DNA sequence- and orientation-selective manner. Our present goal is to find new drug targets and develop novel therapeutics by studying DNA structure and chemistry within a physiological framework. Approximately 83% of genomic DNA is associated with histone octamers, rendering the nucleosome core an important therapeutic target. However, relatively little is known about the influence of histone packaging on DNA-drug interaction. Since nucleosomal DNA displays sequence- and context-dependent structural features that can be recognized by even simple small molecules, the main premise of our present investigations is to explore the possibilities for nucleosome-selective recognition by medicinal agents and nuclear protein factors. The discovery of nucleosome-specific compounds would hold promise for the acquisition of improved therapeutic agents by allowing for a level of site discrimination beyond the primary structure of DNA.
Asst Prof Duan Hongwei	His current research is focused on two major areas including nanomaterials engineering and biomedical nanotechnology. The goal of this work is to develop new technological platforms for early detection and targeted therapy of major human diseases such as cancer. Ongoing projects in his group include semiconductor quantum dots for live cell imaging and biomarker profiling, multifunctional nanoparticles for integrated cancer imaging and therapy, self-assembled nanostructures for disease-targeted drug/gene delivery and ultrathin films based arrays for ultrasensitive biodetection.
Assoc Prof (Adj) Eric Sun Tak On	1. Histone Deacetylases (HDACs): Discovery and development of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors for the treatment of hematological and solid tumors. 2. Protein Kinases: Discovery and development of kinase inhibitors which halt cancer cell growth.
Prof Francois Mathey	Our research is situated at the interface between organophosphorus and transition metal chemistry. We are looking for applications in the domains of homogeneous catalysis and molecular materials. The main topics under investigation are summarized below. Phosphorus-carbon heterocyclic chemistry We have published more than 300 papers in this field. We can stress the following points. The 3-membered phosphirene ring has been discovered in our group. This is the most strained P-C ring with an internal angle of only 42?. We have developed the chemistry of 2H-phospholes which mimics the chemistry of cyclopentadienes. Among their various applications is the synthesis of 1-phosphanorbornadienes with a non-inversible phosphorus atom, an extremely useful feature for their use in enantioselective catalysis. A alpha-connected dimer, the so-called BIPNOR, has proven to be extremely efficient in asymmetric catalysis. No less than seven different new syntheses of phosphinines (P-analogs of pyridines) have been devised in our group. 2-Functional phosphinines and 2,2'-biphosphinines have been prepared using 2-Zr and 2-Pd derivatives. We are currently investigating the synthesis and chemistry of polyphosphorus macrocycles with inversible tri- or planar dicoordinate phosphorus atoms. Our more general aim is to pave the way for a phosphorus version of supramolecular chemistry. A book summarizing the advances in this field has been published in 2001. Phosphorus analogues of unsaturated hydrocarbon pi-complexes The discovery of phosphaferrocenes in our group was the starting point of the chemistry of pi-phospha-complexes. Since then, we have synthesized ?-phosphacyclopentadienyl complexes with numerous other group IV to IX transition metals. They include the paramagnetic 19-electron phosphacobaltocenes and 20-electron phosphanickelocenes. We have also extended our research to main group (Ga, Ge, Sn, Pb) derivatives. The use of phosphaferrocenes and phospharuthenocenes in asymmetric catalysis and phosphazirconocenes in polymerization catalysis is currently under active investigation in several groups. Also noteworthy is the discovery of the first eta-3-1-phosphallyl complexes (M = Fe, Co, Mo, W) which can fluctuate between eta-3 and eta-1-coordinations. Low-coordinate phosphorus chemistry We have started to develop the chemistry of electrophilic terminal phosphinidene complexes [RP-M(CO)5] as soon as 1982. These species behave as singlet carbenes. Another significant contribution is the synthesis of P=C double bonds from carbonyl derivatives via the phospha-Wittig reaction. We also performed the first successful epoxidations and catalytic hydrogenations of P=C double bonds. All these discoveries illustrate the diagonal carbon-phosphorus analogy. This is the theme of a book published in 1998.
Asst Prof Hong Soon Hyeok	My research interests lie at the interface of organic and organometallic chemistry. Development of efficient, practical, and selective synthetic methods that generate minimal by-products is of critical importance in both academic and industrial research. My research program will combine reaction development, catalyst and ligand design, investigation of fundamental reactivity of pertinent metal species, and their applications toward biological and materials chemistry. The long-term goal of my group is to develop dream catalysts that can serve as a sustainable solution to the highly demanding energy and environmental problems worldwide.
Prof Hu Xiao	Composites and Nanocomposites Functional Polymers: Synthesis and Assembly Nanocrystals Synthesis and Modification (including rods, dots and tubes) Organic-inorganic Hybrid Materials
Assoc Prof Huang Ling	My current research focuses on the combination of nano and bio. The theme is to study the bio events from the nano point of view and the further applications. Research directions include: 1) Surface functionalization and its applications; 2) Dip-pen nanolithography and micro/nanofabrication; 3) Functional nanomaterials synthesis; 4) Controlled cell growth; 5) Patterning and assembly of nanomaterials and biomolecules.
Asst Prof Jiang Rongrong	Prof. Jiang Rongrong's areas of expertise are Biochemical Engineering and Biocatalysis. Her current works focus on changing phenotypes of cells using directed evolution method and cofactor regeneration with NADH oxidase.
Assoc Prof Jiang San Ping	Solid oxide fuel cells; polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells, direct methanol fuel cells; direct alcohol fuel cells; solid state ionic materials; high temperature materials and electrochemistry, electrocatalysts and electrocatalyssi; nanoparticles synthesis and characterization; mesoporous materials and high temperature proton exchnage membranes
Prof Jimmy Pingkwan Tam @ James P Tam	His research work has focused on the design and development of therapeutics, particularly biologics and immunologics of anti-infectives and synthetic vaccines. http://jptam.sbs.ntu.edu.sg/
Assoc Prof Julien Lescar	Structural Biology Infectious Diseases Structure-Based Drug Design
Asst Prof Kai Tang	Dr. Kai Tang's area of expertise is biological applications of mass spectrometry. His current research works focus on protein experssion profiling, biomarker discovery and clinical diagnostics of thalassemia diseases, one of the most common genetic diseases in Southeast Asia and around the world. He is also working on developing novel methods for pathogen identification and protein structure elucidation.
Asst Prof Kim Donghwan	His research interest is broadly in biosurface engineering and nanotechnology, with a focus on functionalized biomaterials for neural prosthetics, immune-suppressive implantable biomaterials and bioconjugated nanoparticles for molecular imaging and non labeling biosensors.
Prof Kim Sung Gak	Our research interests have been focused on the design and the development of new organic reactions, reagents, and strategies with general utility in organic synthesis and include four topics in recent years. Free radical reactions have rapidly emerged as powerful tools for carbon-carbon bond formation. Our long-standing interests in this area had led to develop (i) new types of radical rearrangements, (ii) novel radical cyclizations, and (iii) the application of radical reactions to natural product synthesis. Our studies on the indirect radical acylation approach provided several new directions in inter-molecular radical reactions. Our group has been also working on the development of non-stannane- mediated radical reactions based on a-scission of alkylsulfonyl radicals. This project is exceedingly important for the application of radical reactions to the industrial process. Enantioselective organic reactions using organophos-phonates and organosulfonates templates have been studied and are synthetically useful for the Friedel-Crafts reaction, 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition, and radical-mediated conjugate addition reaction. Anionic cyclization of N-aziridinylimines is another area of chemistry currently under investigation. This fundamentally novel anionic approach is based on the previously developed radical-mediated consecutive carbon-carbon bond formation in our group and turned out to be very effective for the construction of quaternary carbon centers. This strategy is directed to develop highly efficient synthesis of natural products . Transition metal-mediated organic reactions prove to be exceedingly powerful not only for the carbon-carbon bond formation but also for a variety of functional group transformations. Our studies on organometallic reactions aim to develop new synthetic methodologies using readily available cheap metal salts by controlling the reactivities via the modification of ligands.
Prof Koichi Narasaka	Development of synthetic organic reactions and synthesis of natural products.
Assoc Prof (Adj) Kolatkar Prasanna Ratnakar	A/Prof Prasanna Kolatkar's areas of expertise include the study of protein-protein and DNA-protein interactions. He specifically focuses on transcription factors involved in stem cell and developmental biology. A variety of techniques including mobility shift assays and X-ray crystallography are used to characterize various systems.
Asst Prof Kunn Hadinoto Ong	Research interests: 1) Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling of turbulent particle-laden flow (i.e. gas-particle and liquid-particle flows) that are widely employed in the petroleum and pharmaceutical industries. For example, fluid catalytic cracking (FCC)reactor, coal gasification, pharmaceutical batch crystallizer, powder mixer, and fluidized bed granulator. The two-phase flow CFD model is crucial in the design, scale-up, and optimization of these processes. 2) Experimental investigation of the particle-laden flow phenomena using advanced optical technique such as Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV)and Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV). Using these techniques, multiple flow variables are measured simultaneouly to validate the CFD model predictions and also to gain an improved understanding on the intricate particle-laden flow phenomena 3) Engineered aerosol carrier particles to deliver nanoparticulate drugs by inhalation. A novel formulation technique by means of spray-drying is develop to manufacture micron-scale carrier particles of nanoparticulate drug for inhaled drug delivery using a dry powder inhaler (DPI)
Asst Prof Kuo Jer-Lai	Structure and Properties of H-bonded clusters Computational Chemistry (reaction mechanism for organic reactions, proton transfer processes, ?) Order/disorder transitions in ice physics and semiconductor alloys Application of Genetic and Evolution Algorithms in Material Engineering Larger scale computer simulations via first principle methods Development of multi-scale simulation methods Surface adsorption process
Asst Prof Kwak Sang Kyu	Dr. Kwak Sang Kyu's area of expertise are statistical thermodynamics and molecular modeling & simulation. Currently, he is working on polyvacancies in solid state materials under strained condition, confined fluids with prewetting phenomena, integral equation theory, surface chemistry, direct simulation Monte Carlo method in dense fluids, and the development of simulation package, which can simulate micro flow in mesoscale, constructed in Java/C++.
Assoc Prof Lam Yeng Ming	Yeng Ming's research interests are in the understanding and the application of self-organization of copolymers. She studied a wide range of self-assembled systems in both selective solvents and thin films. Application of self-assembly on synthesis of nanostructures, nanotemplating, organic memory, photovoltaics, etc., are being explored in her research. This research covers a broad range of experimental analytical techniques such as TEM, AFM, thermal analysis, SAXS, etc. for the characterization of nanometer scale phases. Simulation techniques such as dynamic mean field density method are used to predict the phase transition of systems. With a combination of both experimental and simulation techniques, a fairly comprehensive study of self-assembly behavior of copolymers can be done.
Asst Prof Lau Wai Man	Prof Lau's areas of expertise are Fluidization, Multiphase Flow, and Reactor Design. His current research works focus on the kinetic and hydrodynamic study of Fisher-Tropsch Synthesis process, the design of particle properties in pulmonary drug delivery,and the design of bioreactor for photosynthesis of algae.
Asst Prof Lee Jong-Min	Prof Lee's research interest is in analysis and design of electrochemical systems and development of ionic liquid as a green solvent for chemical and biomedical reactions and of nanomaterials and of their assemblies for applications in biomedical, optical, and electronic fields.
Prof Lee Soo Ying	My current areas of research interest include: Understanding vision; many types of Raman scatering; ultrafast nonlinear spectroscopy; molecular reaction dynamics; multidimensional spectroscopy.
Assoc Prof Leong Weng Kee	Professor Leong's main research area is organometallic chemistry, particularly organometallic cluster chemistry, and includes: (a) Development of novel organometallic cluster chemistry, (b) Bioorganometallic chemistry especially of clusters, (c) Mechanistic studies in catalysis and bond activation, and (d) Organometallic clusters in nanoscience and nanomaterials.
Prof Leung Pak Hing	The research interest is in the area of asymmetric synthesis and optical resolution of novel P-chiral phosphine ligands. An efficient approach to generate the desired stereoisomeric form of a particular ligand by means of an unusual exo-endo stereochemically controlled asymmetric Diels-Alder reaction, using a chiral organopalladium complex as the reaction promoter have been developed. With this catalyst, it is now possible to produce one particular target molecule in a controllable and specific manner. Currently, these findings are applied to the synthesis of new anti-cancer gold drugs. Thus far, preliminary biological tests indicate that these new drugs exhibit high activity towards various human cancerous diseases with minimal side effects. The catalytic properties of these newly generated chiral phosphines are also being investigated.
Assoc Prof Li Lin	(i) polymeric gels & hydrogels, (ii) controlled drug release from hydrogels, (iii) synthesis of nanoparticles for gene delivery, (iv) development of conductive polymers for fuel cells, (v) fabrication of micro- to nano-sized drug particles, (vi) polymer rheology & processing, etc.
Assoc Prof Li Tianhu	Associate Professor Li Tianhu's areas of expertise are nucleic acid chemistry (deoxyribozyme, G-quadruplex, i-motif, supercoiled DNA). His current research focuses are mainly on the following areas: 1. Design and construction of supercoiled DNA structures that possess desired topology and superheliex density. Generation of supercoiled structure of DNA in eukaryotic cells is associated with replication, transcription, and packing of DNA into chromatin while in prokaryotic cell, this superstructure can form with the assistance of gyrase and reverse gyrase. Typically, magnitude of superhelical density in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells is ca. -0.06 (6% underwinding). Our group is interested in designing and constructing negatively and positively supercoiled DNA that possess superhelical densities between -0.24 and +0.024 and in examining the physical, chemical and biological properties of these DNA topological isomers (Figure A). 2. Development of human topoisomerases inhibitors. Topoisomerases are the enzymes that release the topological stress of DNA generated by replication and transcription and several other cellular processes and are critical for cell growth and proliferation. It has been demonstrated in the past that human topoisomerase I is the molecular target of several anticancer agents such as the camptothecins, indolocarbazoles and indenoisoquinolines. Since 2005, our research group has been working on (1) design and synthesis of intrinsically curved oligonucleotides of different lengths that contain matched unnatural bases, nicked and gapped sites as well as mismatched base pairs; (2) examination of inhibitory effect of these curved oligonucleotides on the activity of human topoisomerase I and their interating mechanisms; and (3) design and synthesis of oligonucleotide-based human topoisomerase II inhibitors (Figure B). 3. Search for self-cleaving and self-splicing deoxyribosomes It was uncovered in our lab in 2007 that certain artificially designed non-biologically relevant G-quadruplet could carry out site-specific self-cleavage action. Since then, our research team has been examining the G-quadruplex structures formed by some telometric repeats with the expectation that such G-quadruplexes could perform self-cleaving and self-splicing actions as well (Figure C). 4. Design and synthesis of G-quadruplex-based anticancer drug candidates G-quadruplexes have been demonstrated by several research groups in the past to be potential targets of anti-cancer drugs. Our research team is interested in developing new reagents that could cause irreversible damage to the tetraplex entity in selective manners. 5. Nutritional and food Chemistry Our emphasis in these research areas are on investigating the biological activity of polyphenol antioxidants isolated from plant-based food and their anti-aging activity.
Asst Prof Liang Zhao-Xun	I am interested in the structure and function of some newly discovered proteins that are of potential importance for the treatment of human diseases. The proteins under investigation range from enzymes involved in antitumor natural products biosynthesis to potential antimicrobial targets in pathogenic bacteria.
Asst Prof Lim Kok Hwa	Computational chemistry and material sciences Nanowires, Si and Ge semi-conducting materials Heterogeneous catalytic reactions and surface sciences Green Chemistry and processes QSAR analysis of biological activity
Assoc Prof Lim Teik Thye	Prof Lim's scope of research projects encompasses both practical application of environmental technologies for pollution control and investigation of the process fundamentals. His core areas of research interest focus on application of advanced oxidation processes for water and wastewater treatment, developing novel functional materials for water purification, and developing innovative subsurface remediation technologies. He has over the years developed a range of nanomaterials for treating organic and inorganic micropollutants in surface waters, industrial wastewaters, and groundwater. He has also worked on projects exploring innovative use of industrial wastes for various applications, such as construction, earthwork, and environmental preservation. His current research projects are as follows: Novel photocatalysts This research engineers a novel photocatalyst for enhancing photocatalytic redox processes under solar radiation to remove emerging contaminants in water. It leverages off the complementary strengths among environmental process engineering, materials engineering and advanced materials characterization to develop a new-generation photocatalyst system. The advanced photocatalyst is a composite of nitrogen-doped titania (N-TiO2) supported on the powdered activated carbon (AC), or N-TiO2/AC. The composite have dual functionality, exhibiting high adsorptive properties for a variety of organics and photoactivity under visible light. The synergistic properties of the N-TiO2/AC composite enables its on-site regeneration, producing zero waste stream. Selective nanoporous adsorbents The goal is to develop various functional nano-structured materials such as layered double hydroxides (LDHs), zeolites, calcium aluminosilicates and nanoporous carbons to selectively adsorb trace inorganic contaminants, organic contaminants, and biomolecules that are difficult to be sequestrated using conventional adsorbents. The materials, such as LDHs and zeolites, can also function as catalysts to remove recalcitrant contaminants in water and air. Several types of LDHs have been synthesized in our laboratory. The LDHs have been evaluated for sorption of Cr(VI), As(III), As(V), Se(VI), and other oxyanions found in groundwater, surface waters and industrial wastewaters. Removals of up to 99% of certain oxyanions are possible. Bimetallic zerovalent metal particles The research group has synthesized nano-scale, bimetallic particles such as Ni/Fe and Pd/Fe for catalytic reductive transformation of halogenated alkanes and haloaromatics. The transformation pathways for these contaminants have been established for different types of synthesized bimetallic particles, through kinetic and mechanistic examinations of the experimental findings. The effects of catalyst content and particle ageing on their reactivities are investigated. Aqueous matrix effect on the transformation kinetics has been also examined in order to understand the possible performance of these reactive particles in industrial wastewater and contaminated groundwater.
Prof Loh Teck Peng	Teck Peng's research interests encompass a very wide array in organic synthesis. Research activities include green chemistry, asymmetric synthesis, the development of new synthetic methodology, and total synthesis of architecturally complex organic molecules with interesting biological activities. He also discovered many new concepts and methods for organic synthesis and completed the total synthesis of many complex molecules. To date, he has published 153 papers in international refereed journals, 106 conference papers, 5 book chapters, Hirsch-index of 38 and a total number of 3891 citations. He has been the Principal Investigator of several research grants, with total exceeding S$5 million, awarded by A*Star and Ministry of Education. Being the program leader of Medicinal Chemistry at National University of Singapore, he spearheaded a number of main programs and they were completed successfully. He has been a frequent plenary speaker or invited speaker at many international conferences. Recently, he is invited to the Editorial Advisory Board of ChemComm to shape one of the world?s top chemistry journals. He has also been frequently invited to write book chapters, review articles, etc. Teck Peng was awarded the prestigious Japanese Government (Mombusho) scholarship, which was only given to 5 students in Malaysia every year, from 1982 to 1989. In 1997, National University of Singapore bestowed him the University Outstanding Researcher Award. He has been the Adjunct Professor of Soo Chow University (China) and Tsukuba University (Japan) since 2002 and 2005 respectively. He was also the Visiting Professor of Columbia Medical School, Columbia University (USA) from 2002 to 2003. Recently, he was awarded by NTU for NTU Research Innovation Award.
Asst Prof Loo Sun Sun Leslie	Dr. Leslie Loo's areas of expertise are polymers and spectroscopy. His current research works focus on polymer nanocomposites and FTIR spectroscopy.
Assoc Prof Luo Qian Kathy	Prof. Luo's areas of expertise include genetic and protein engineering, design and application of fluorescent-based biosensor in living cell analysis, apoptosis, cell cycle regulation and nanomization using supercritical CO2 method. Her current research works focus on three projects: 1. Drug discovery: Using a biosensor-based high throughput assay to discover novel anti-cancer drugs from Chinese herbal medicines. 2. Pharmaceutical engineering: Studying the molecular mechanisms and pharmacokinetics of drug candidates using cancer cell lines and animal models. 3. Nano-medicine: Using nanotechnology to enhance the solubility and bioavailability of the drug compounds and evaluating the resulting particles using a Caco-2 cell monolayer model and animal models.
Prof Marc Jean Medard Abadie	Prof Abadie's areas of expertise are UV/EB Curing, Composites, High Temperature Polymers and Biomaterials. His current research works focus on Biodegradable thermoplastic elastomers, Stents, Thin films and Bismaleimides
Asst Prof Meena Kishore Sakharkar	Computational biology, BioInformatics and Biotechnology with special focus on - Biological databases, Genome design and architecture, comparative genomics, Drug discovery, Combination therapy for treatment of bacterial infections.
Asst Prof Mohammad Aman Ullah	Prof. Aman's expertise is in the areas of 1) Control and optimization of chromatographic separation processes (e.g. SMB, Varicol), 2) Optimization of hybrid processes such as SMB and crystallization, 3) Separation of optical isomers, 4) Biofiltration and column dynamics, 5) Indoor air quality. Currently he is working on control and optimization of continuous chromatographic separation process.
Asst Prof Motoki Yamane	Asst. Prof. Motoki YAMANE's areas of expertise are synthetic organic chemistry. His current research works focus on activation of small molecules and transition metal-catalyzed reaction.
Asst Prof Mu Yuguang	Research Fields 1. MD simulation method and data analysis method development. 2. DNA dynamics, DNA ?protein, DNA-counterions interaction study. 3. Peptide, protein folding, unfolding study, specially aimed at folding, misfolding mechanism which could lead to amyloid fibril. 4. RNA dynamics and folding study.
Asst Prof Naohiko Yoshikai	Our major research interests focus on mechanism, design, and development of novel homogeneous catalysis that allows efficient and environmentally benign synthetic transformations of simple, unactivated molecules into useful building blocks for electronically and biologically active compounds. The following keywords characterize our research programs: Exploration of novel catalytic activities of ubiquitous and non-toxic metals, activation and functionalization of otherwise unreactive chemical bonds and small molecules, rational design of innovative catalysis through the interplay of theory and experiments.
Prof Ng Siu Choon	Prof Ng's research work has, over the years, been focused on two main areas: (1) Functional and Conjugated Polymers which entails Molecular Design of Novel Materials for Polymer/Molecular Electronic Devices and other specialized applications (such as Antifouling, Antistatic Coatings) (2) Chiral Separation Materials which are amenable for Analytical to Process Scale Resolution of Racemic Drugs and Fine Chemicals. Recent research work has included development of chiral nanosilica particulates for enhanced analytical applications/ processes.
Prof Ng Wun Jern	NG WUN JERN's research interests are largely in the area of water and wastewater management. The focus of his efforts has been on investigations into water quality, treatment science, and development of treatment technologies. These investigations span the water quality spectrum - ranging from ultra-pure water to high strength and potentially inhibitory wastewaters. His research output may be found in some 400 publications. These include journal papers, conference presentations, book chapters and monographs, reports, and patents. His latest book publication is titled "Industrial Wastewater Treatment" (Imperial College Press). He is currently working with colleagues on a book on engineered wetlands in tropical applications and one on water reclamation. Current R&D interests revolve around effluent treatment and include dehalogenation under bioreductive conditions. Of particular interest are the chloro-compounds and dehalogenation under acidic conditions with biomass sculptured into granules. The interest in bioreductive (instead of bio-oxidative) processes stems from concern over energy costs and carbon footprints of treatment processes. Anaerobic processes are therefore of interest when used to manage strong wastewaters from industrial and agro-industrial sources. Current R&D interest focuses on thermophilic anaerobic processes and gas productivities and quality. Conceptually there is a shift from viewing the anaerobic process as a wastewater pretreatment device to one which is intended to recover energy from the wastewater. Extending this interest is the work on biosorption where sorption is used to concentrate carbonaceous material from low strength wastewaters prior to anaerobic degradation of the sorbent with gas recovery. This approach deviates from the conventional approach of using anaerobic processes such as the UASB or anaerobic filter to address low strength wastewaters. Laboratory studies typically use the cyclic process configuration although larger scale studies can be with the cyclic or continuous flow configuration. In aerobic treatment, there is interest in the MBR applied with granulated biomass. The interest is on biofouling mitigation using this modified biomass morphology. There is also interest in using the MBR and the concept of "back seeding" to achieve better nutrients removal and degradation of resistant organics (eg textile dyes).
Assoc Prof Park Cheol-Min	My research program focuses on the development of synthetic methodologies that would allow us to create molecular scaffolds with multiple stereogenic centers. These scaffolds will be providing opportunities in areas such as total synthesis of natural products with interesting biological activity, identification of molecular target of these natural products, determination of pharmacophore, and ultimately compounds with improved properties.
Asst Prof Phan Anh Tuan	Dr. Phan's research focuses on the use of a combination of physical, chemical and computational methods to investigate and manipulate properties of biomolecules. The research goals include: (1) Structures, dynamics, interactions and functions of DNA, RNA and proteins. (2) Noncanonical structures of DNA and RNA as molecular targets against diseases. (3) Structural design and engineering of nucleic acids and proteins. (4) Application and development of methods, including Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and other spectroscopic techniques, as well as single-molecule manipulations, for the study of biomolecular structures and dynamics.
Asst Prof Philip Wai Hong Chan	Works in our laboratory are focused on developing new and elegant asymmetric catalytic systems that are of broad utility to synthetic organic chemistry. We are interested in the application of these novel methodologies to the construction of bioactive natural products and as practical synthetic tools for drug discovery, Medicinal Chemistry and Materials Science. Current research themes studied in our group have focused on the development of new synthetic tools for highly efficient and practical functional group transformations in a stereoselective manner. This field of research is of immense importance due to its potential applications in natural product synthesis and drug discovery. We are currently developing novel catalytic methodologies for such bond formation strategies.
Asst Prof Richard David Webster	The central theme of research in Dr Webster's group is the electrochemical behavior of small organic and inorganic molecules. The research covers many areas of chemistry including analytical, physical, biological and synthetic (organic and inorganic). When molecules in solution are exposed to a positive or negative potential (voltage) at an electrode surface, they can be made to lose (be oxidised) or to gain (be reduced) an electron or electrons. In inorganic systems, the gain or loss of electrons can produce metal ions in unusual oxidation states while in organic systems, the gain or loss of electrons often produces reactive intermediates such as radicals. Our research focuses on understanding electron transfer reactions that occur in biological systems; currently we are examining vitamin E, vitamin K and a number of coenzymes. The research uses a range of analytical techniques such as; electrochemical methods, vibrational spectroscopy (FTIR and Raman), UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Special cells have been constructed to enable reactions to be studied under ultra-dry conditions at various temperatures as well as in aqueous solutions.
Asst Prof Roderick Wayland Bates	Alkaloid synthesis Natural Product Synthesis Stereochemistry
Dr Siow Kok Siong	Dr Siow Kok Siong's arears of experties are polymer blends and polymer electrolytes. His research works include: (1) Miscibility of Polymer Blends - Miscible polymer blends have the advantage that their properties are generally predictable as they are based on the component polymers. The main objective of this research is to understand the effects of chemical structure on the miscibility behavior of polymer blends. (2) Polymer Electrolyte for Applications in Lithium Recgargeable Batteries - The main objective of this research is to develop new solid polymer electrolytes with high ionic conductivity and good mechanical properties. New polymer electrolytes have been prepared by synthesis as well as the method of blending.
Asst Prof So Cheuk Wai	A. "Unusual" Main Group Organometallic Chemistry Our research group is focused on the synthesis of novel organometallic complexes derived from main group elements, particularly calcium, boron, aluminum, silicon and phosphorus, with emphasis on the elucidation of the electronic structures and unprecedented reactivates, which lead to the possible application in catalysis, activation of small molecules, organic synthesis and material sciences. One of our goals is to prepare new organometallic complexes with unusual oxidation state, coordination number and bonding. B. Heterobimetallic Catalysts We are interested in the synthesis of heterobimetallic complexes incorporated with two different main group elements or transition metals. It is anticipated that two metals with different properties combined together in a complex can apply synergetically to an entirely new electronic and chemical behavior, thus enabling possible new catalytic activity. Such complexes can be applied as catalysts in olefin polymerization and ring opening polymerization. C. New pi-electron System Our research is aimed at the synthesis of new pi-electron complexes containing organic pi-conjugated frameworks and main group elements. It is well known that organic pi-conjugated systems serve as electronic and optoelectronic devices due to the delocalization of pi-electron, while main group elements have unique electronic and structural properties. Incorporation of main group elements into the organic pi-conjugated systems can change their inherent functions, which lead to an entirely new electronic behavior. We anticipate that such pi-electron complexes can serve as new-generation optoelectronic devices
Asst Prof Srinivasan Madhavi	Asst.Prof. Madhavi Srinivasan areas of expertise are in Energy storage devices (lithium ion batteries,zinc-air batteries/fuel cells, supercapacitors), Ecomaterials (photocatalysts, ion-exchange ceramic membranes) and synthesis/characterization (XPS, XRD, SEM/TEM and spectroscopy) of nanostructured materials. Her current research works focus on employing functionalized carbon nanotubes SWNT/MWNT)and decorated CNTs as electrodes in batteries/supercapacitors. Her ongoing work involves fabrication of nanostructures of transtion metal oxide and metal nanoparticles and optimization of their adhesion on to carbon-based materials.She is also working on visible light photocatalysts such as perovskite and nitrogen doped titania along with activated carbon.
Asst Prof Su Haibin	Dr. Su is an expert in computational materials science. His current research programs focus on the development and application of theoretical and computational materials science; Quantum-mechanical, classical simulations and modeling of the electronic, structural, energetic and dynamical properties of functional materials; Emergent collective properties of condensed matter systems, in particular, at nanometer scales.
Assoc Prof Sun Changqing	Surface science and thin film technology. Nano and microelectronics. Condensed matter physics and materials science.
Asst Prof Surajit Bhattacharyya	Structural Dissection of Scaffolding Protein and Its Interactions with Kinases SAM-SAM Interactions in MAPKKK Activating Ste11/Ste50 Complex Interactions of Integrin Tails with Effector Proteins Designed Peptide Antagonists against Endotoxin: A structure-based approach to develop antisepsis and antimicrobial drugs. Structure and Activity of Cathelicidin Family of Antimicrobial and Antiendotoxic Peptides.
Asst Prof Tan Howe Siang	Ultrafast nonlinear vibrational spectroscopy of water molecules in nanoscopically confined environment, especially in systems of biological and chemical interest Development of multi-dimensional optical spectroscopy Ultrafast optical pulse shaping and its applications in spectroscopy
Asst Prof Tan Thatt Yang Timothy	1. Nanomedicine: Design and Engineering of Multifunctional Nanomaterials for simultaneous targeting, bio-imaging and drug delivery. The research objective of this work is to apply nanotechnology to medicine. We have developed a new class of florescent-magnetic nanoparticles as probes and aim to demonstrate their application in both fluorescent microscopy and MRI. Subsequent work will be undertaken to introduce multifunctional organic, organometallic or biological groups into nanostructured materials to render them with biocompatibility, targeting, drug loading and delivery functions. The cytotoxicity of such nanomaterial will also be evaluated. 2. Design of Nanoparticles for Drug Separation. The project focuses on the development of nano-sized achiral and chiral packing materials for Super-critical fluid Chromatography (SFC), Capillary Electrophoresis (CE) and Capillary Electrochromatography (CEC). Judging from the viewpoint of novelty of science, there are to date no known research work published in open literature on the application of chiral-nanomaterials having size ranging < 1.5 ?m for SFC, CE and CEC analyses. The reduction in size of packing materials is anticipated to lead to a huge increase in chromatographic resolution. 3. Advanced Materials for Green Architecture: Nanocomposites for Permanent Self-cleaning and Antibacterial Surface. This research focuses on synthesizing scratch resistant nanocomposite coating that are photocatalytic, superhydrophilic and antibacterial. This material can then be coated to surfaces inside and outside buildings and structures for permanent self-cleaning and antibacterial functions. Current work includes exploring various synthesis methods (including atomic deposition, sonication and sol-gel) that will give the most efficient materials.
Prof Tay Joo Hwa	Waste recycling and reuse. Hazardous waste management. Biotechnological applications on wastewater treatment. Membrane filtration technology. Advanced oxidation processes technology. Sludge management.
Vg Assoc Prof Teo Wah Koon	Dr Teo's areas of expertise are membrane development and fabrication, application of membrane porceses to water purification and waste treatment.
Assoc Prof Timothy John White	White's research is broadly in the areas of Solid-state chemistry and mineralogy (catalysis, ion conductors, porous materials; toxic and nuclear waste); crystal chemistry and crystallography; State-of-the-art analytical techniques in materials chemistry and environmental science. Major project over the past 25 years includes: (1) Team member, Griffith University Synroc Research Group (1982-1985) with special responsibility for structural and chemical characterisation of the nuclear waste form. (2) Team leader (1991-1992) responsible for conceptualising a novel process for the continuous production of high temperature superconducting wires which attracted $2.2 million of syndicated venture capital. (3) Group leader, ANSTO (1985-1988) obtained funding for proving synroc as a medium for the incorporation of real high level nuclear waste. Negotiated access to Euratom Facility at Karlsruhe (Germany) for investigation of active synroc. Responsible for first in-depth characterisation of Japanese synroc that enabled high Cm-244 levels to be incorporated for accelerated radiation damage studies at the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute. (4) Consultant (1989 to 1997)) to Nuclear Waste Management Pty. Ltd. and Costain Engineering (England) to facilitate technology transfer of synroc to Russia and develop viable scale-up procedures. (5) Team leader (1990) at University of Queensland in a program to develop novel ceramic formulations to incorporate high-sodium, breeder reactor and TRU wastes. (6) Team leader (1991) at the University of Queensland for the development of new and improved waste forms of Portland cement and pozzolanics containing heavy metal wastes. (7) Research Director (1993-1996) as Multiplex Professor of Environmental Technology developing ceramic methods for the treatment of toxic metal wastes at industrial and mineral processing sites in Australia. (8) Team leader (1997 - 1999) at ETI responsible for evaluating low level radioactive waste contamination at an industrial site. Work included site assessment, development of remediation strategy in the laboratory and full site remediation including solidification of sludge and preparation of material for repatriation to Europe. (9) Team leader (1999 - 2001) at ETI responsible for validating the performance of membrane technology for the recovery and recycling of used automotive oil. Duties include the design and supervision of laboratory test work, and the collection of data from industrial pilot plants. (10) Director (2001-2004) at IESE responsible for developing a program of advanced research for the development of new ecomaterials for environmental protection. Major materials under investigation include catalysts (including decorated nanocatalysts and nanocomposites), modified and intercalated clays for sorption and fixation of waste, microporous tectosilicates and tectotitanates as selective ion exchangers, macroporous materials derived from opaline templates as chemical reactors, development of synchrotron XAFS for environmental studies (in collaboration with SSLS). (11) Co-PI (2003-2007) leading collaborative project with the National Research Council of Canada designing cermic materials for the stabilisation of incinertor ash. (12) PI (2003-2007) of collaborative project with Frauhofer UMSICHT to develop composite photoacatlytic materials. (13) PI (2003-2007) to optimise performance of photocatalysts through adjustment of compostion and morphogy.
Asst Prof (Adj) Tuti Mariana Lim	Dr. Lim's areas of expertise include resources recovery particularly for rare earth elements separation by solvent extraction which was her PhD research topic. She was also involved in clean energy research during her undergraduate study and her final year project was on the development of Vanadium Battery technology. She was the recipient of Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) summer vacation scholarship in 1990-1991 to investigate the effect of pressure and temperature on the solubility of natural gas in LPG. Dr. Lim's current research interests include advanced oxidation technologies, hybrid membrane technologies and renewable energy technologies. She has done significant research work and published over 25 top quality international conferences and journal papers.
Asst Prof Vinay Kumar Kariwala	plant-wide control, decentralized control, integer programming, fundamental control limitations, diagnosis of plant-wide oscillations, monitoring of crystallization processes
Assoc Prof Wang Rong	Dr Wang's main research interests cover membrane science & technology, chemical & environmental engineering processes. She focuses on (1) Developing various novel membranes such as forward osmosis (FO) hollow fiber membranes, hydrophobic homo/co-PVDF hollow fiber membranes and mixed matrix membranes for membrane-based separation & reaction processes, which include forward osmosis BMR, membrane absorption, membrane distillation and pervaporation; (2) Simulating and optimizing various membrane processes such as adsorption-submerged membrane system with air bubbling; mixed gas absorption in the membrane contactor; concentration polarization in FO/UF membrane systems and separation of mixed gases in membrane modules, etc; and (3) Mass transfer and computational fluid dynamics.
Asst Prof Wang Xin	Prof Wang Xin's areas of expertise are electrochemistry and electrocatalysis. His current research works focus on fuel cell and energy storage.
Dr Wong Lai Yoong	Research is mainly focussed on the synthetic, reactivity and structural aspects of organotransition metal chemistry with special reference to chromium and ruthenium and sulphur-containing ligands. In addition to local research grants, she had received a grant from the Australian Department of Industry and Technology, Bilateral Science and Technology Collaboration programme for work on Manganese Chemistry at Monash University, Melbourne (1993-1994) SELECTED PUBLICATIONS (from 124 referred entries)- On chromium chemistry: 1. L. Y. Goh, Coord. Chem. Rev., 1999, 185-186, 257-276. 2. Z. Weng, L. Y. Goh, Acc. Chem. Res. 2004, 37, 187-199. 3. (a) H. F. Lau, V.W.L. Ng, L. L. Koh, G. K. Tan, L. Y. Goh, T. L. Roemmele, S. D. Sonja, R. T. Boere, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2006, 45, 4498-4501. (b) C. Y. Ang, R. T. Boeré, L. Y. Goh, L. L. Koh, S. L. Kuan, G. K. Tan and X. Yu, Chem. Commun. 2006, 4735-4737. (c) H. F. Lau, P. C. Y. Ang, V. W. L. Ng, S. L. Kuan, L. Y. Goh, A. S. Borisov, P. Hazendonk, T. L. Roemmele, R. T. Boeré, R. D. Webster. Inorg. Chem. 2008, 47, 632-644. On ruthenium chemistry: 4 S. L. Kuan, W. K. Leong, L. Y. Goh, R. D. Webster. Organometallics, 2005, 24, 4639-4648. 5. R. Y. C. Shin, M. E. Teo, W. K. Leong, J. J. Vittal, J. H. K. Yip, L. Y. Goh, R. W. Webster, Organometallic., 2005, 24, 1483-1494. 6. Richard Y. C. Shin, G. K. Tan, L. L. Koh, J. J. Vittal, L. Y. Goh,* R. D. Webster, Organometallics, 2005, 24, 539-551. 7. R. Y. C. Shin, L. Y. Goh. Acc. Chem. Res. 2006, 39, 301-313. 8. S. L. Kuan, E. P. L. Tay, W. K. Leong, L. Y. Goh, C. Y. Lin, P. M. W. Gill, R. D. Webster. Organometallics, 2006, 25, 6134-6141. 9. E. P. L. Tay, S. L. Kuan, W. K. Leong, L. Y. Goh, Inorg. Chem., 2007, 46, 1440-1450. 10. S. Y. Ng, J. Tan, W. Y. Fan, W. K. Leong, L. Y. Goh. R. D. Webster. Eur. J. Inorg. Chem. 2007, 3827-3840. 11. R. Y. C. Shin, V. W. L. Ng, L. L. Koh, G. K. Tan, L. Y. Goh, R. D. Webster, Organometallics. 2007, 26, 4555-4561. 12. S. Y. Ng, G. K. Tan, L. L. Koh, W. K. Leong, L. Y. Goh. Organometallics. 2007, 26, 3352-3361.
Assoc Prof (Adj) Wu Ping	Dr. Wu Ping's expertise is in Materials Chemistry, and Biological Chemistry. His current research works focus on new materials for alternative energy, green materials, biomaterials and advanced electronic materials.
Asst Prof Xing Bengang	Dr. XING's research interests will be highly interdisciplinary in the interface of nano-biotechnology, fluorescent imaging, Biomaterials as well as medicinal chemistry. Specific aims of ours are to integrate the basic knowledge and techniques to design, develop and identify the small molecules, natural products, peptides and/or their analogues for probing some special biological molecular. We are also interested in development of new functional nanomaterials for enzyme detection, drug delivery and clinical diagnosis. 1. Nano-biotechnology: Developments of nano-particles (such as gold, silver, magnetic particles and quantum dots etc) and/or carbon nanotube based biomaterials for drug delivery and biomolecular imaging. 2. Fluorescent imaging: Design and synthesis of new fluorescent probes for efficnet detection of biological active molecules (?-galactosidase, proteases and ?-lactamase etc). 3. Biomaterials: Design, synthesis and characterization of new transporters and/or the peptides based hydrogels for biomedical application.
Asst Prof Xu Rong	Prof Xu Rong's areas of expertise are synthesis of nanostructured materials for catalysis and pharmaceutical applications. Her current research works focus on: - development of semiconductor nanomaterials as photocatalysts for hydrogen production by splitting water using visible light - immobilization of enzymes on inorganic solid support as scalable and reusable biocatalysts - synthesis of drug-inorganic nanocomposites for pharmaceutical applications, such as controlled drug release, bioimaging, etc.
Asst Prof Xue Can	Development of novel plasmonic nanomaterials for solar energy applications (photovoltaics and photocatalysis) using anisotropic metallic nanostructures that exhibit unique surface plasmon resonance properties in the visible and near-IR region.
Asst Prof (Adj) Yan Rong	Her current research interests focus on advanced biomass and biofuel technology, biomass/waste to energy, greenhouse gas and climate change, clean energy for cleaner air, waste minimization and recycling, as well as advanced biotechnology application in air toxics abatement and cleaner energy production. On-going projects: (1) Advanced chemical looping combustion for CO2 capture (2) Biomass gasification/pyrolysis/torrefaction for bioenergy production (3) Bunker oil biocracking and biodesulfurization for upgrading (4) Algae cultivation and processing for CO2 fixation and biodiesel production (5) Air toxics abatement through cleaner energy production
Assoc Prof Yang Chun, Charles	His current research interests include Development and characterization of Lab-on-Chip devices, electrokinetic transport phenomena, microfluidics, microscale flow, heat and mass transfer, colloidal science, surface and interfacial phenomena etc.
Asst Prof Yang Yanhui	Heterogeneous catalysis on metals and metal oxides. Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT). Functional nanoporous materials.
Asst Prof Zaher Judeh	My research interests are in the following areas: 1. Organic synthesis: Reaction mechanisms new methodologies 2. Asymmetric catalysis: Synthesis and use of novel chiral bidentate ligands based on bisisoquinolines focusing on synthesis of enantiomerically pure drug intermediates 3. Ionic liquids: Use as solvents for new reactions 4. Natural product chemistry: Study the synthesis, characterization and bioactivity of Vanicosides
Asst Prof Zhang Dawei	The Dawei research group has two key research interests involving computational biology and molecular biology. (1) Development of Force Field We are collaborating with John Zhang's group at New York University to develop new force field containing polarized protein-specific charges (PPC) for molecular dynamics simulation of proteins by combining a recently developed fragment-based scheme, molecular fractionation with conjugate caps (MFCC), with continuum solvent model. Since the PPC is derived from first principal quantum solvation calculation of protein in a native (or a given) structure and thus correctly represents electronically polarized state of the protein and therefore provides accurate electrostatic interaction near the native structure. Extensive researches will be carried out to investigate the effects of PPC on protein folding (especially for folding thermodynamics), protein-protein interaction, protein-ligand interaction, and protein-ligand docking. (2) Structure-Function of CAM Structure-based virtual ligand screening computation is performed on a natural compound library to discover novel classes of PPAR-delta agonists. The free energies of binding with PPAR-delta will be predicted by using linear interaction energy (LIE) method. The real binding affinity values of putative candidates will be measured by adipogenesis assay and whether they are agonists or antagonists or partial agonists will be determined by measuring the expression of PPAR-delta during adipocyte differentiation. After confirming the validity of the predicted binding energy values and also their binding conformations by comparing the predicted values with the experimental data, we will then further analyze the binding conformations of PPAR-delta agonists to identify important structural determinants that would favour PPAR-delta binding. The goal of our research in the field of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is to identify novel natural PPAR-delta agonists as promising new drugs in the fight against obesity.
Asst Prof Zhang Hua	Dr. Hua Zhang's areas of expertise are nano-science and technology. His research is highly interdisciplinary. His current research interests include fabrication of surface structures from micro- to nano-scale based on micro-contact printing and dip pen nanolithography (DPN), scanning probe microscopy, self-assembled monolayers, self-assembly and self-organization of nano- and bio-materials, and synthesis and application of nano-materials.
Asst Prof Zhang Qichun	My research primarily is focus on creating functional materials by the rational synthesis and processing and on their practical applications, with particular interests in the following areas: (1) novel nanostructured thermoeletric materials and device fabrication; (2) inorganic nanomaterials: shaped and size controlled synthesis, colloidal dispersion, surface chemistry directed assembly and functionalities; (3) synthesis and characterization of porous materials with controllable morphology and composition; (4) synthesis and organization of semiconducting clusters; (5) organic conjugated materials.
Assoc Prof Zhong Guofu	* Asymmetric Synthesis * Organocatalysis * Organic Synthesis * Medicinal and Bioorganic Chemistry

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