WONG Ming Wah, Richard
Professor
Postdoc., Yale Univ., 1991; Postdoc., IBM Kingston, USA, 1990; Ph.D., Australian National Univ., 1989; B.Sc. & B.Math, Univ. of Newcastle, 1985.
Contact Information:
Office: S8-03-03
Tel: (65)-6516-4320
Fax: (65)-6779-1691
Email: chmwmw@nus.edu.sg
Research
Recognition and Achievements
- Co-Director of Applied Materials-NUS Corporate Lab, 2018 – present
- Fukui Medal (Asia-Pacific Association of Theoretical and Computational Chemists), 2018
- Advisory member, Adv. Theo & Simul., Asian J. Org. Chem., J. Anal. & Appl. Pyr., and Molecules
- President, Singapore Catalysis Society, 2011 – 2014
- Chairman, 4th Asian Pacific Conference on Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, 2009
- Fellow & Board Member, Asian Pacific Association on Theoretical and Computational Chemistry
- Outstanding Researcher Award, NUS, 2002
Research Interests
- Computational quantum chemistry, organocatalysis, reactive intermediates, hydrogen storage materials, molecular sensors, radical reactions in chemistry and biology, corrosion inhibitors.
- Weak intermolecular interactions, molecular recognition, materials design for semiconductor industry, computer-aided drug design, chemical informatics, machine learning & AI.
Research Highlight
Ref: Wang, S.-J. ; Wang, X.; Zhang, S.; Lu, D.; Yang, H.; Wong, M. W.; Lu, S. Organocatalytic Diastereo- and Atroposelective Construction of N–N Axially Chiral Pyrroles and Indoles. Nat. Commun. 2024, 15, 518. The construction of N–N axially chiral motifs is a key area of research due to their presence in natural products, pharmaceuticals, and chiral ligands. This paper reports a novel method for the direct catalytic synthesis of N–N atropisomers with both axial and central chirality via oxidative NHC (N-heterocyclic carbene) catalyzed (3 + 3) cycloaddition. The method enables the synthesis of diverse N–N axially chiral pyrroles and indoles with vicinal central chirality or a 2,3-dihydropyrimidin-4-one moiety, in moderate to good yields and excellent enantioselectivities. The reaction mechanism and enantioselectivity origin are explained through DFT calculations.
Teaching Contributions AY2024/2025
Representative Publications
- Wang, S.-J. ; Wang, X.; Zhang, S.; Lu, D.; Yang, H.; Wong, M. W.; Lu, S. Organocatalytic Diastereo- and Atroposelective Construction of N–N Axially Chiral Pyrroles and Indoles, Nat. Commun. 2024, 15, 518.
- Zhou Y.; Wong, M. W. In Silico Screening of Multi-Domain Targeted Inhibitors for PTK6: A Strategy Integrating Drug Repurposing and Consensus Docking, Pharm. 2024, 17, 60.
- Weng, C.; Yang, H.; Loh, B. S.; Dong, Y.; Wong, M. W.; Ang, W. H. Targeting Pathogenic Formate-Dependent Bacteria with a Bioinspired Metallo−Nitroreductase Complex, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2023, 145, 6453-6461.
- Chen, M.-F.; Chen, Y.; Lim, Z. J.; Wong. M. W. Adsorption of Imidazolium-Based Ionic Liquids on the Fe(100) Surface for Corrosion Inhibition: Physisorption or Chemisorption? J. Mol. Liq. 2022, 367, 120489.
- Song, S.; Wang, L.; Su, L.; Xu, Z.; Hsu, C.-H.; Lyu, P.; Li, J.; Peng, X.; Takahiro, K.; Telychko, M.; Chuang, F.-C.; Sakaguchi, H.; Wong M. W.; Lu, J. Manifold Dynamic Non-Covalent Interactions for Steering Molecular Assembly and Cyclization, Chem. Sci. 2021, 12, 11659-11667.
- Zuvela, P.; Magdalena, P. M.; Liu, J. J.; Baczek, T. Kaliszan, R.; Wong M. W.; Buszewski, B. Column Characterization and Selection Systems in Reversed-Phase High-Performance Liquid Chromatography, Chem. Rev. 2019, 119, 3674-3729.
- Lu, S.; Ong, J. Y.; Yang, H.; Poh, S. B.; Liew, X. Seow, C. S. D.; Wong M. W.; Y. Zhao, Y. Diastereo- and Atroposelective Access to Bridged Biaryls Bearing an Eight-Membered Lactone through an Organocatalytic Cascade, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2019, 141, 17062-17067.
- Yang, H.; Wong, M. W. Oxyanion Hole Stabilization by C-H▪▪▪O Interaction in Transition State – A Three-Point Interaction Model for Cinchona Alkaloid-Catalyzed Asymmetric Methanolysis of Meso-Cyclic Anhydrides. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2013, 135, 5808-5818.
- Wong, M. W. Vibrational Frequency Prediction Using Density Functional Theory, Chem. Phys. Lett. 1996, 256, 391-399. [1185 citations]
- Wong, M. W.; Frisch, M. J.; Wiberg, K. B. Solvent Effects. 1. The Mediation of Electrostatic Effects by Solvents. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1991, 113, 4776-4782. [1145 citations]
