Prof. T C Lau received
his BSc and PhD from the University of Hong Kong. He
previously took up postdoctoral research work at
Stanford University and the University of Houston,
USA. His current research interests and specialism
include reactivity of transition metal oxo, nitrido
and imido complexes, photocatalytic water splitting
and CO2 reduction by transition metal
complexes.
Research Projects

Selected Publications
- Cometto, C.; Kuriki, R.; Chen, L.;
Maeda, K.; Lau, T. C.; Ishitani, O.; Robert, M.
A Carbon Nitride/Fe Quaterpyridine Catalytic
System for Photostimulated CO2-to-CO Conversion
with Visible Light. J. Am. Chem. Soc.
2018, 140, 7437-7440.
- Wang, M.; Chen, L.; Lau, T. C.; Robert,
M. Hybrid Co Quaterpyridine Complex / Carbon
Nanotube Catalytic Material for CO2 Reduction in
Water. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.
2018, 57, 7769-7773.
- Cometto, C.; Chen, L.; Lo, P. K.; Guo
Z.; Lau, K. C.; Anxolabehere-Mallart, E.; Fave,
C.; Lau, T. C.; Robert, M. Highly Selective
Molecular Catalysts for the CO2-to-CO
Electrochemical Conversion at Very Low
Overpotential. Contrasting Fe vs Co
Quaterpyridine Complexes upon Mechanistic
Studies. ACS Catal. 2018,
8, 3411-3417.
- Guo, Z.; Yu, F.; Yang, Y.; Leung, C.
F.; Ng, S. M.; Ko, C. C.; Cometto, C.; Lau, T.
C.; Robert, M. Photocatalytic Conversion of CO2
to CO by a Copper(II) Quaterpyridine Complex.
ChemSusChem 2017,
10, 4009-4013.
- Kwong, H. K.; Lo, P. K.; Yiu, S. M.;
Hirao, H.; Lau, K. C.; Lau, T. C. Highly
Selective and Efficient Ring Hydroxylation of
Alkylbenzenes with Hydrogen Peroxide and an
Osmium(VI) Nitrido Catalyst. Angew. Chem.
Int. Ed. 2017, 56,
12260-12263.
- Li, C.; Ip, K. W.; Man, W. L.; Song,
D.; He, M. L.; Yiu, S. M.; Lau, T. C.; Zhu, G.
Cytotoxic (Salen)ruthenium(III) Anticancer
Complexes Exhibit Different Modes of Cell Death
Directed by Axial Ligands. Chem. Sci.
2017, 8, 6865-6870.
- Guo, Z.; Cheng, S.; Cometto, C.;
Anxolabéhére-Mallart, E.; Ng, S. M.; Ko, C. C.;
Liu, G.; Chen, L.; Robert, M.; Lau, T. C. Highly
Efficient and Selective Photocatalytic CO2
Reduction by Iron and Cobalt Quaterpyridine
Complexes. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2016,
138, 9413−9416.
- Xie, J.; Man, W. L.; Wong, C. Y.;
Chang, X.; Che, C. M.; Lau, T. C. Four-Electron
Oxidation of Phenols to p-Benzoquinone by
a (Salen)ruthenium(VI) Nitride Complex. J.
Am. Chem. Soc. 2016, 138,
5817-5820.
- Ma, L.; Lam, W. W. Y.; Lo, P. K.;
Lau, K. C.; Lau, T. C. Ca2+-Induced
Oxygen Generation by FeO42-
at pH 9-10. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.
2016, 55, 3012-3016.
- Liu, Y.; Ng, S. M.; Lam, W.W. Y.; Yiu,
S. M.; Lau, T. C. A Highly Reactive
Seven-Coordinate Osmium(V) Oxo Complex.
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.
2016, 55, 288-291.
- Chen, L.; Guo, Z.; Wei, X. G.;
Gallenkamp, C.; Bonin, J.; Anxolabéhére-Mallart,
E.; Lau, K. C.; Lau, T. C.; Robert, M. Molecular
Catalysis of the Electrochemical and Photochemical
Reduction of CO2 with Earth-Abundant
Metal Complexes. Selective Production of CO vs
HCOOH by Switching of the Metal Centre. J. Am.
Chem. Soc. 2015, 137,
10918-10921.
- Ma, L.; Wang, Q.; Man, W. L.; Kwong,
H. K.; Ko, C. C.; Lau, T. C. Cerium(IV)-Driven
Water Oxidation Catalyzed by a
Manganese(V)-Nitrido Complex. Angew. Chem.
Int. Ed. 2015, 54,
5246-5249.
- Chen, L.; Chen, G.; Leung, C. F.; Yiu, S.
M.; Ko, C. C.; Anxolabéhère-Mallart, E.; Robert,
M.; Lau, T. C. Dual Homogeneous and
Heterogeneous Pathways in Photo- and
Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution with
Nickel(II) Catalysts Bearing Tetradentate
Macrocyclic Ligands. ACS Catal.
2015, 5, 356-364.
- Liu, Y.; Ng, S. M.; Yiu, S. M.; Lam,
W. W. Y.; Wei, X. G.; Lau, K. C.; Lau, T. C.
Catalytic Water Oxidation by Ruthenium(II)
Quaterpyridine (qpy) Complexes: Evidence for
Ruthenium(III) qpy-N,N’’’-dioxide Complexes as
the Real Catalysts. Angew. Chem.
Int. Ed. 2014,
53, 14468-14471.
- Man, W. L.; Xie, J.; Lo, P. K.; Lam,
W. W. Y.; Yiu, S. M.; Lau, K. C.; Lau, T. C.
Functionalization of Alkynes by a
(Salen)ruthenium(VI) Nitrido Complex. Angew.
Chem. Int. Ed. 2014, 53,
8463-8466.
- Ma, L.; Pan, Y.; Man, W. L.; Kwong, H.
K.; Lam, W. W. Y.; Chen, G.; Lau, K. C.; Lau, T.
C. Highly Efficient Alkane Oxidation Catalyzed
by [MnV(N)(CN)4]2-.
Evidence for [MnVII(N)(O)(CN)4]2-
as an Active Intermediate. J. Am. Chem. Soc.
2014, 136, 7680-7687.
- Man, W. L.; Lam, W. W. Y.; Lau, T. C.
Reactivity of Nitrido Complexes of
Ruthenium(VI), Osmium(VI), and Manganese(V)
Bearing Schiff Base and Simple Anionic Ligands.
Acc. Chem. Res. 2014, 47,
427-439.
- Man, W. L.; Xie, J.; Pan, Y.; Lam, W.
W. Y.; Kwong, H. K.; Ip, K. W.; Yiu, S. M.; Lau,
K. C.; Lau, T. C. C-N Bond Cleavage of Anilines
by a (Salen)ruthenium(VI) Nitrido Complex. J.
Am. Chem. Soc. 2013, 135,
5533-5536.
- Chen, G.; Chen, L.; Ng, S. M.; Man, W.
L.; Lau, T. C. Chemical and Visible-Light-Driven
Water Oxidation by Iron Complexes at pH 7-9:
Evidence for Dual-Active Intermediates in
Iron-Catalyzed Water Oxidation. Angew. Chem.
Int. Ed. 2013, 52, 1789–1791.
- Man, W. L.; Lam, W. W. Y.; Kwong, H.
K.; Yiu, S. M.; Lau, T. C. Ligand Accelerated
Activation of Strong C-H Bonds of Alkanes by a
(Salen)ruthenium(VI) Nitrido Complex. Angew.
Chem. Int. Ed. 2012, 51,
9101-9104.
- Leung, C. F.; Ng, S. M.; Ko, C. C.;
Man, W. L.; Wu, J.; Chen, L.; Lau, T. C. A
cobalt(II) quaterpyridine complex as a visible
light-driven catalyst for both water oxidation
and reduction. Energy Environ. Sci.
2012, 5, 7903-7907.
- Ni, W. X.; Man, W. L.; Yiu, S. M.; Ho, M.;
Cheung, M. T. W.; Ko, C. C.; Che, C. M.; Lam, Y.
W.; Lau, T. C. Osmium(VI) nitrido complexes
bearing azole heterocycles: a new class of
antitumor agents. Chem. Sci.
2012, 3, 1582-1588.
- Yiu, S. M.; Man, W. L.; Lau, T. C.
Efficient Catalytic Oxidation of Alkanes by
Lewis Acid/[OsVI(N)Cl4]-
Using Peroxides as Terminal Oxidants. Evidence
for a Metal-Based Active Intermediate. J. Am.
Chem. Soc.
2008, 130,
10821-10827.
- Lam, W. W. Y.; Man, W. L.; Leung, C.
F.; Wong, C. Y.; Lau, T. C. Solvent effects on
the oxidation of RuIV=O to O=RuVI=O
by MnO4-: hydrogen-atom
versus oxygen-atom transfer. J. Am. Chem. Soc.
2007, 129, 13646-13652.
- Lam, W. W. Y.; Man, W. L.; Lau, T. C.
Mechanisms of oxidation by trans-dioxoruthenium(VI)
complexes containing macrocyclic tertiary amine
ligands. Coord. Chem. Rev.
2007,
251, 2238-2252.
- Yiu, S. M.; Lam, W. W. Y.; Ho, C. M.;
Lau, T. C. Facile N···N Coupling of Manganese(V)
Imido Species. J. Am. Chem. Soc.
2007,
129, 803-809.
- Man, W. L.; Lam, W. W. Y.; Wong, W.
Y.; Lau, T. C. Oxidation of Nitrite by a
trans-Dioxoruthenium(VI) Complex: Direct
Evidence for Reversible Oxygen Atom Transfer.
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2006, 128,
14669-14675.
- Lam, W. W. Y.; Yiu, S. M.; Lee, J. M.
N.; Yau, S. K. Y.; Kwong, H. K.; Lau, T. C.;
Liu, D.; Lin, Z. BF3-Activated
Oxidation of Alkanes by MnO4-.
J. Am. Chem. Soc.
2006, 128, 2851-2858.
- Man, W. L.; Lam, W. W. Y.; Yiu, S. M.;
Lau, T. C.; Peng, S. M. Direct Aziridination of
Alkenes by a Cationic (Salen)ruthenium(VI)
Nitrido Complex. J. Am. Chem. Soc.
2004, 126, 15336-15337.
- Yiu, S. M.; Wu, Z. B.; Mak, C. K.;
Lau, T. C. FeCl3-Activated Oxidation
of Alkanes by [Os(N)O3]-.
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2004, 126,
14921-14929.
- Man, W. L.; Tang, T. M.; Wong, T. W.;
Lau, T. C.; Peng, S. M.; Wong, W. T. Highly
Electrophilic (Salen)ruthenium(VI) Nitrido
Complexes. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2004,
126, 478-479.
- Chiu, S. M.; Wong, T. W.; Man, W. L.;
Wong, W. T.; Peng, S. M.; Lau, T. C. Facile
Nucleophilic Addition to Salophen Coordinated to
Nitridoosmium(VI). J. Am. Chem. Soc.
2001,
123, 12720-12721.
- Yeung, W. F.; Man, W. L.; Wong, W. T.;
Lau, T. C.; Gao, S. Ferromagnetic ordering in a
diamond-like cyano-bridged MnIIRuIII bimetallic
coordination polymer. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.
2001, 40, 3031-3033.