szrch as locoi7zotion, evzotion, and control
DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY
Chemistry explores the structure and properties of substances at a molecular level, and the reactions which both characterise the properties of these substances, and cause them to be converted into other substances. Classically, chemistry is subdivided into four mainstream areas: analytical, organic, inorganicand physical chemistry. As most chemical research and technology now embrace more than one of the above disciplines, teaching and research are structured in a modem, interdisciplinary fashion.
Each of the departmental laboratories has a fully networked computing system, and general facilities required for the execution of carefully planned and integrated experiments. The laboratory course in organicchemistry includes instruction in microscale techniques. Students are trained to use instruments in a 'hands-on" mode wherever possible.
Departmental facilities include FTlR and UV-VIS spectrometers, a high resolution GC/MS/MS/DS Kratos model MS80RFAQ mass sDectrometer with a second instrument.
a triple quadropole GCIMSIMSIDS Finnigan m o d e i ~ ~ ~ 7000 on order, a 300 MHz ~ r u k e r ARX NMR Spectrometer, an excimer laser, capillary electrophoresis equipment, a Nd:YAG laser, an argon-ion laser, a krypton-ion laser, pico-second/femto-second Ti:Sapphire lasers, a mode-locked Nd:YLF laser and various spectrometers for Ramad resonance Raman, hyper-Raman, and micro-Raman spectroscopies. The University's Materials Characterisation and Preparation Centre contains state-of-the-art instrumenta- tion such as a high resolution NMR (400MHz) and EPR (9 in12.7 kW magnet system) spectrometers, a spectrofluorimeter with an add-on anisotropic polarimeter and an epifluorescence microscope, single-crystaVpowder X-ray diiract&meters, a scanning tunnellindatomic force microsco~e. a secondaw ion mass s~ectrometer. a surface and microan&tical system (AESIXPS~PSIESCA):~~~ other surface/film characterisation instruments. The Microelectronics Fabrication Centre provides excellent facilities for collaborative research and technology transfer related to chemical microlithography and the development of biomedical instrumentation. Computer capabilities include molecular graphics and modelling, quantum mechanical computation at ab initioand semi-empirical levels. and com~lex normal-mode calculations. Su~mrtina facilities include machine.
electronic and giass-blowing shops, and a central s~o'ckrooh for chemicals.
Faculty
Professor and Head of Department:
Nai-Teng YU, BS National Taiwan; MS New Mexico Highlands; PhD Massachu- setts lnst of Tech
Professor:
Hiroyuki HIRAOKA, BA, MS. PhD Kyoto; MBA Golden Gate Reader:
Richard K. HAYNES, BS, PhD Western Australia LecturersIAssistant Professors:
Paul R. CARLIER, BA Hamilton Coll; PhD Massachusetts lnst of Tech
Chun-Tao CHE, BSc, MPhil Chinese Univ of Hong Kong; PhD Univ of Illinois, Chicago
Wei-Min DAI, BS Hangzhou; MS Shanghai lnst of Organic Chemistry; PhD Kyoto Guocheng JIA, BS Wuhan; PhD Ohio State
Wa-Hung LEUNG, BSc, PhD Hong Kong Xiao-Yuan LI, BS Beijing; MA, PhD Princeton
Zhenyang LIN, BS Wuhan Geological; MSc Academia Sinica, PhD Oxford Ben-Zhong TANG, BS South China; PhD Kyoto
Terence See-ming WAN, BS Univof Wisconsin, Madison; PhD Massachusefts lnst of Tech
Ian D. WILLIAMS, BS, PhD Bristol
Yundong WU, BS Lanzhou; PhD Pittsburgh Yijing YAN, BS Fudan; MS, PhD, Rochester Shihe YANG, BS Zhongshan; PhD Rice
Lam-Lung YEUNG, BS, MPhil Chinese Univ of Hong Kong; PhD Imperial Coll Visiting Lecturer:
Valentin ZHELYASKOV, MS, PhD Sofia
Undergraduate Programme
The Bachelor of Science degree is designed to provide students with a strong theoretical and practical foundation in the mainstream areas of analytical, organic, inorganic, and physical chemistry. Students may choose a general programme tailored to their individual interests or specialise in one area by taking additional advanced course work and participating in approved research projects.
The underlying philosophy is to allow students maximum flexibility within the confines of the Chemistry course credit 'matrix'. This requires that the student carry out 48 credits in Chemistry, twelve more in the School of Science, six each in Engineering and in Business and Management, twelve in Humanities and Social Science and three in the Language Centre. This leaves a total of thirteen 'free elective' credits that students may take in any discipline at their discretion.
Admission Requirement 1995-96
In addition to the general entrance requirements of the University, acceptable grades are required in two AL subjects plus one AUAS subject. One of the subjects must be AL Chemistry, and the other two must be chosen from AUAS Biology, Physics, Pure Mathematics, Applied Mathematics or Mathematics and Statistics. Candidates are discouraged from using two Mathematics subjects to satisfy the requirements.
Curriculum for BSc in Chemistry
First Year Fall Semester
CHEM 11 1 C Organic Chemistry l CHEM 131 C Inorganic Chemistry I CHEM 151 C Synthetic Laboratory I
(1) LANG 001 Language Skills Enhancement I (2) MATH 001 R Beginning Calculus
16 credits
School of Science School o f Science
Spring Semester
CHEM 112 R Organic Chemistry ll [3-0-0:3]
CHEM 126 C Physical Chemistry l [3-1-0:4]
CHEM 152 C Molecular Characterisation Laboratory I [0-2-5:4]
HBSS E Humanities and Social Science Elective [3-0-0:3]
(3) MATH 002 R Intermediate Calculus [3-1-0:4]
R Physical Chemistry ll R Analytical Chemistry
R ~ol&ular ~haract&sation Laboratory II E Engineering Elective
E Business and Management Elective
16 credits
R Inorganic Chemistry II R Synthetic Laboratory II E chemistry Elective -
E Free Elective
E Humanities and Social Science Elective R Technical Communication
E Humanities and Social Science Elective E Non-Chemistry Science Elective
E Chemistry Elective E Free Elective E Free Elective
E Humanities and Social Science Elective E Business and Management Elective
17 credits
15 credits
Students exempted from this course by the Language Centre may take a Non- Science elective.
Students admitted with an acceptable grade (D or above) in AL Pure Mathematics will replace this course with MATH 101.
(3) Students who passed in MATH 101 will take a Non-Chemistry Science elective (4 credits).
(4) Students may seek departmental approval to replace these two courses with CHEM 399 Undergraduate Research plus achemistry elective to a total of at least eight credits.
(5) Excluding 100-level Chemistry courses.
(6) Students are reminded that CHEM 398 Undergraduate Research (3 credits) is a possible elective.
(7) Students are reminded that CHEM 399 Undergraduate Thesis (3 credits) is a possible elective.
A minimum of 100 credits is required for the BSc programme in Chemistry.
Postgraduate Programmes and Research
The research interests of the academic staff of the Department of Chemistry can begrouped into five major areas: (i) laser-based molecular spectroscopy and photochem- istry; (ii) innovative methods in organic and inorganic synthesis of biologically active compounds and advanced materials; (iii) novel techniques for surface chemistry and chemical analysis; (iv) natural products related to Chinese herbal medicine and (v) theoretical and computational chemistry. These interdisciplinary, pure and applied research programmes are not only relevant to Hong Kong but also have the highest international recognition and potential.
The Department of Chemistry offers programmes leading to the degrees of Master of Philpsophy (MPhil) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). In addition, the Department participates in two Master of Science (MSc) programmes, one in Biotechnology and the other in Materials Science and Engineering.
Qualified students with a bachelor's degree in chemistry, biochemistry, biology, mathematics, physics, chemical engineering orrelated disciplines may apply for adr6s- sion to thepostqraduatedearee proqrammes in the Department of Chemistw. Transcripts from the applicant's undergradu'ateinstitution and letters of recommendation from former instructors are required. GRE or TOEFL scores, if available, should be submitted as supplementary information. Students lacking a sufficient background in chemistry may be accepted into a programme, but will be required to take undergraduate chemistry courses during the first year of their postgraduate studies.
Master of Science (MSc) in Biotechnology
This multi-disciplinary programme is jointly offered by the Departments of Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, and Civil and Structural Engi- neering. For details, please refer to page 97.
Master of Science (MSc) in Materials Science and Engineering
This multi-disciplinary programme is jointly offered by the Departments of
School of Science
Chemistry, Physics, Chemical Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. For details, please refer to page 99.
Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in Chemistry
The programme is designed with flexibility in orderthat students may tailor course selections according to their needs and interests. Requirements consist of approved course work and an original research thesis at the masteh level. The duration of the programme normally ranges from 18 months to three years for full-time studies, and can be extended to five yearsfor part-time studies. Studentswith afirst degree in an area other than that of their postgraduate programme may be required to take additional courses.
In fulfilling the degree requirements, students are expected to attend and present seminars, undertake course work and conduct thesis research. The passing standard in a graded course is C and the overall average must be B or above. In the final stage of the programme, students are required to submittheses to the Department and, subsequently, to present and defend them. Any studentwho has performed unsatisfactorily will beasked to re-submitthe thesis. The result of thesecondattempt of the thesisdefence will be either Pass or Fail.
Specific programme requirements are:
a total of 12 credits of approved course work at the postgraduate level;
one credit in CHEM 600 Chemistry Seminar in each semester;
presentation of one seminar related to the thesis topic during the programme;
.
CHEM 699 MPhil Thesis Research; and.
presentation and oral defence of MPhil thesis.Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Chemistry
The duration of the programme normally rangesfromfour to eight years from the first degree, with a reduction of 18 months if a relevant master's degree is earned prior to entering the PhD programme. Students with a first degree in an area other than their postgraduate programme may be required to take additional courses.
In fulfilling the degree requirements, students are expected to attend and present seminars, undertake course work and conduct thesis research. The passing standard in a graded course is C and the overall average must be B or above. Students are also required to pass a comprehensive/qualifying examination set by the Department. In the final stage of the programme, students are required to submit theses to the Department and, subsequently, to present and defend them. Any student who has performed unsatisfactorily will be asked to re-submit the thesis. The result of the second attempt of the thesis defence will be either Pass or Fail.
Specific programme requirements are:
approved course work (If the student has an HKUST MPhil degree in Chemistry, no further course work is required. If the student enters the PhD programme possessing only a bachelofs dearee. then the normal MPhil course work requirements must be fulfilled. ~x&llent students entering with master's degrees from other universities may have part or all of the course work requirements
I
waived.);School of Science
one credit in CHEM 600 Chemistry Seminar in each semester;
.
a comprehensive/qualifying examination;two seminar presentations: one based on literature unrelated to the student's doctoral research and the second on the completed thesis;
defence of an original research proposal before a departmental committee;
.
an original research thesis: CHEM 799 PhD Thesis Research; and defence of the thesis before a University committee.Faculty Research Interests Professor Nai Teng YU, Head of Department
Research focuses on development and applications of linear and nonlinear Raman spectroscopy. Innovative techniques include resonance Raman, resonance hyper- Raman, surface-enhanced Ramanlhyper-Raman and near-IR excited FT-Raman and time-resolved Raman scattering. Biological applications include studies of metalloporphyrinsl hemoproteins, eye lenses, vitamin B,, and model complexes. A near- infrared-Raman fiberoptic sensor for laser angioplasty and cardiovascular surgery is being developed.
Professor Hiroyuki HIRAOKA
The major research focus is the photochemistry and radiation chemistry of electronic materials of organic nature, with the objective of understanding the basic sciences involved when these materials are exposed to UV-light, pulsed laser photons, electron and ion beams under various conditions. On the basis of these findings, new applications of these materials are explored.
Dr Richard K. HAYNES, Reader
Research interests lie in the development of new reagents and methods for the synthesis of natural and unnatural biologically active and clinically important compounds, in particular candidates for anti-HIV, antitumour and antimalaria drugs. In collaboration with others, a systematic evaluation of the constituents of Chinese plants used in Chinese herbal remedies is also underway.
Dr Paul R. CARLIER, Assistant Professor
Research involves development of new and stereoselective reactions for organic synthe- sis using main group and transition metal reagents. Current research is focused on diastereo- and enantioselective nitrile and aldol reactions, and novel transformations of the cyclopentadiene ring in metallocene compounds.
Dr Chun-Tao CHE, Assistant Professor
Research focuses on biologically active compounds from medicinal plants and other natural sources, with special emphasis on the isolation and structural determination of secondary metabolites, and the development/application of separation methods and spectroscopic techniques, as well as a database for documentation of chemicallbiological information.
Dr Wei-Min DAI, Assistant Professor
Research interests are in the areaof syntheticorganicand bioorganicchemistry, including the development of novel synthetic methodology, synthesis of naturally occurring sub- stances and biomedically interesting molecules, chemical simulation of mechanism of drug action, and prodrug design and synthesis.
School of Science
Dr Guochen JIA, Assistant Professor
Research involves the design and synthesis of inorganic and organometallic materials
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either small molecules or macromolecules
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with useful properties, particularly electrical conducting, non-linear optical, and liquid crystalline and also the design and synthesis of novel metal complexes that can be used for catalysis, or have biomedical applications.Dr Wa-Hung LEUNG, Assistant Professor
Research focuses on synthetic inorganic and organometallic chemistry, particularly on the preparation of metal complexes containing multiply bonded ligands and molecular precursors for chemical vapour deposition.
Dr Xiao-Yuan LI, Assistant Professor
Research is in the area of biophysical and bioinorganic chemistry, currently on the structuredynamics-function relationships of biologically important transition metal com- plexes and organic chromophores. Research goals are being approached from three directions: (1) synthesis of chemical analogues, (2) spectroscopic characterisation, and (3) quantum mechanical computation.
Dr Zhen-Yang LIN, Assistant Professor
Research focuses on theoretical studies of reaction mechanisms, structure and bonding in inorganic, organometallic and solid state systems, with special emphasis on the development and application of theory in the design of catalysts and other useful materials.
Dr Ben-Zhona TANG, Assistant Professor
Research focuses on the synthesis and polymerisation of ferrocenophanes, molecular recognition in synthetic polymer systems, two-photon chemistry in polymer systems, and design of new drug-delivery systems.
Dr Terence See-Ming WAN, Assistant Professor
Research interests are in the following areas: (a) novel analytical techniques, such as capillary electrophoresis and tandem mass spectrometry, (b) chemical aspects of toxicology, including the characterisation of novel drug metabolites, (c) exploratory and mechanistic studies of cobalamin (vitamin B,,) catalysed rearrangement reactions, and (d) environmental chemistry.
Dr Ian D. WILLIAMS, Assistant Professor
Research interests lie in structure-property relationships in advanced materials, espe- cially with interesting optical and electrical properties, e.g. chiral compound for nonlinear optics, organic semiconductors such as melanins and skin pigments, and molecular ferroe~ecthcs, as well as chemical synthesis, molecular characiekation including single crystal X-ray diffraction, property measurements and theoretical modelling.
Dr Yun-Dong WU, Assistant Professor
Research involves computational studies of mechanisms and stereoselectivities of organic reactions, design of organometallic catalysts for stereoselective organic reac- tions, conforrnational features and metal binding of macrocyclic compounds, mecha- nisms of anti-cancer drug actions and drug design; methods include quantum mechanics, molecular mechanics, and molecular dynamics.
Dr Yi-Jing YAN, Lecturer
The overall research area embraces theoretical physical chemistry and spectroscopy, with emphasis on condensed-phase molecular dynamics in spectroscopic and chemical reaction dynamics.
School o f Science
Dr Shi-He YANG, Assistant Professor
Interests lie at the physical-inorganic interface, including: structure, dynamics and photochemistry of isolated clusters; novel nanomaterials and thin films with opto- electronic applications; fullerene-metal derivatives, fullerence formation mechanisms and endohedral chemistry. Modern state-of-art laser-based spectroscopic and mass spectroscopic methods are employed.
School of Science