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

ORCID: 0000-0003-2162-1220
ResearcherID: B-4772-2018

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, 4^th 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: 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. The use of ionic liquids (ILs) as green and sustainable corrosion inhibitors has attracted great interest in recent years. Through first-principles DFT calculations and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, we addressed the fundamental question on whether the adsorption of imidazolium-based IL on iron surface is physisorption or chemisorption. Our findings conclusively demonstrate that the most stable adsorption configurations involve strong chemisorption on the metal surface, facilitated by a net electron donation from the iron slab to the imidazolium ring. Our computational investigation offers valuable insights into comprehending the structure, energetics, and mechanism of IL chemisorption on iron surfaces.

Teaching Contributions AY2023/2024

CM5239 Cheminformatics

Representative Publications

Chen, M.; H. Yang, H.; Wong, M.W. Polymer-Like Mechanism for Fixation of CO2 with Epoxides by Multifunctional Organocatalysts, Chem. Commun. 2022, 58, 8262-8265.
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, L. “Manifold Dynamic Non-Covalent Interactions for Steering Molecular Assembly and Cyclization”, Chem. Sci. 2021, 12, 11659-11667.
Ser, C. T.; Zuvela, P.; Wong, M. W. Prediction of Corrosion Inhibition Efficiency of Pyridines and Quinolines on an Iron Surface using Machine Learning-Powered Quantitative Structure-Property Relationships, Appl. Surf. Sci. 2020, 512, 145612.
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.
Quah, H. S.; Chen, W.; Schreyer, M. K.; Yang, H.; Wong, M. W.; Ji, W.; Vittal, J. J. Multiphoton Harvesting Metal Organic Framework. Nat. Commun. 2015, 6, 7954-7960.
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. [1167 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. [1138 citations]

WONG Ming Wah, Richard