HKU Bulletin September 2007 (Vol. 9 No. 1)

4 5 First Class Scientist: Top Honour for HKU Chemist who is Among the Best in the World P rofessor Che Chi Ming, Dr Hui Wai Haan Chair of Chemistry, is the first Hong Kong recipient of the First Class Prize of the State Natural Science Award, an award so rigorous in its requirements that no one else in China has been deemed worthy of it since 2003. Yet he is unexpectedly modest about his abilities. “I am not very smart. There are many people who are smarter than me,” he insisted. “But it is true to say that I am devoted in my job. Research is my job, it’s my hobby. I have a clear mind about what I want to do. If I can accomplish something, I will be very happy. If not, I won’t complain too much.” Professor Che’s ‘job’ for the past three decades has been to control and develop new chemical reactions, and there has been much to make him happy. He has conducted groundbreaking work that places him among the top 0.02 per cent of chemists in the world and brings him an H-index of 57, according to the ISI Web of Knowledge. The project that won him the State Natural Science Award involves ‘reactive metal-ligand multiple bonded complexes’ which, until Professor Che’s work, were considered too reactive to isolate and control. These molecules are key intermediates directly involved in many important multi-electron and atom transfer chemical reactions, but they have a short lifetime, some lasting as short as a microsecond, making it almost impossible to observe and study them. Professor Che developed means of prolonging their lifetime and has been able to control their reactivities. The results of his work have major implications for the development of new chemical reactions of importance to the green chemical industry. One upshot of his research is that he has been able to introduce a metal atom into an organic compound, which led to the development of light-emitting materials and other related applications. He is currently working on ways to transfer oxygen molecules from the air into organic compounds, which would provide a safe, free and environmentally friendly catalyst for oxidation, which is used in the chemical and drug industries. “Before my research, we couldn’t understand the chemical reactions of reactive metal-ligand multiple bonded complexes. I created a means of studying them and now we can understand them at the molecular level and develop means to manipulate them,” Professor Che said. It is a proud achievement for a University of Hong Kong alumnus who has spent all but three years of his academic life here and helped to solidify the Department of Chemistry’s international reputation. Basic research is rarely recognised outside of specialist circles, but the State Natural Science Award has brought Hong Kong scientists to the attention of the wider community. “In Hong Kong, scientists don’t get much recognition. Before this award I don’t think many people knew the significance of my research or that of my colleagues. Now they are starting to recognise that we have good capabi l ities and we have accomplished something. It helps to bring honour to Hong Kong and it also gives confidence to the students who are studying here,” he said. He hopes the award will also help to convince the government to invest more money in basic research. In the Department of Chemistry, for example, the quality of work done by scientists has continued to improve but funding remains the same. “This Department has a very good tradition in chemistry research that goes back to the 1960s,” he said. “We are now in an even better position to sustain our excellence and develop new fields of research.” Professor Che emerged from the Department under the mentorship of Emeritus Professor Chan Sai Cheung and Professor Poon Chung Kwong, both accomplished researchers. He credits the University for providing him with opportunities he would not get elsewhere, such as a Chair Professorship at age 35. The Chinese Academy of Sciences similarly recognised him early, electing him to the body at age 38, then the youngest academician and first Hong Kong scientist to be so honoured. The next step? Professor Che predicts that a scientist from this University could receive international recognition of the highest order for their research work. “I think this could happen in the next 15 years and bring the highest international honour to the nation,” he said. PEOPLE