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College of Science  ·  Department of Chemistry

Prof. T C LAU

PhD (HK)

Chair Professor of Department of Chemistry

Prof. T C LAU

Contact Information

Office: YEUNG-B6519
Phone: +852 3442-7811
Fax: +852 3442-0522
Email: bhtclau@cityu.edu.hk
ORCID ID: 0000-0002-0867-9746
Scopus Author ID: 7102222310

Research Interests

  • Inorganic Synthesis
  • Transition Metal Chemistry
  • Kinetics & Mechanisms
  • Catalysis

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.