新加坡国立大学许民瑜课题组招聘启事

Assistant Professor KOH Ming Joo (许民瑜)

(President's Assistant Professor)

2012–2018: Ph.D. & Post-Doc in Organic Chemistry, Boston College, MA, USA

2008–2012: B.Sc. in Chemistry & Biological Chemistry, First Class Honors, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Contact Information

Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore                     

3 Science Drive 3 

Singapore 117543 

Email: mjkoh87@gmail.com

Ph.D. and Post-Doc Positions Available

We have multiple funded positions available from July 2018 onwards for individuals who are interested in pursuing Ph.D. or post-doctoral studies in Singapore. Talented and self-motivated chemists with a strong background in synthetic organic chemistry, organometallic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, polymer chemistry and/or natural product synthesis are welcome to join us. Good English proficiency and communication skills are mandatory. Please send an electronic copy of your curriculum vitae (CV), research summary and contact information of referees to Dr. Koh at mjkoh87@gmail.com. Various funding opportunities (Ph.D. and post-docs) are available in Singapore. For further enquiries, please contact Dr. Koh via email. For more information on the chemistry department, please visit: http://www.chemistry.nus.edu.sg  

Research Interests

Stereoselective catalysis has revolutionized the art of chemical synthesis and tremendous progress has been made in this area over the last few decades. Despite these advances, many existing protocols suffer from poor applicability and often rely on catalyst systems that contain increasingly expensive noble metals. The high cost and limited availability of these metals makes it compelling to search for more economical and sustainable alternatives. 

The key objective of our program is to develop sustainable and enabling catalytic solutions that address critical and unresolved problems in chemical synthesis. Our research approach will leverage creative, direct and unprecedented disconnections of complex target molecules to fuel our efforts in devising practical stereoselective methods that utilize abundant, biocompatible and inexpensive catalysts. Insights gained from the study of reaction mechanism will aid us in designing new catalyst systems that promote transformations to facilitate economically and environmentally viable preparation of important compounds for the chemical, pharmaceutical and polymer industries. 

Current topics of interest include: (a) development of catalytic transformations involving organohalides for rapid assembly of bioactive natural products and pharmaceuticals, (b) design and preparation of novel fluorinated building blocks for medicinal and polymeric material applications and (c) discovery of new reactivity patterns in synergistic catalysis for efficient synthesis and diversification of therapeutic agents. We cordially welcome collaborations in all areas of research including chemical biology and materials science.  

Research Publications

1. Nguyen, T. T.*; Koh, M. J.*; Mann, T. J.; Schrock, R. R.; Hoveyda, A. H. “Synthesis of E- or Z-Trisubstituted Alkenes by Catalytic Cross-Metathesis” Nature, 2017, 552, 347. (*these authors contributed equally). 

2. Koh, M. J.; Nguyen, T. T.; Lam, J. K.; Torker, S.; Hyvl, J.; Schrock, R. R.; Hoveyda, A. H. “Molybdenum Chloride Catalysts for Z-Selective Olefin Metathesis Reactions” Nature, 2017, 542, 80. 

3. Shen, X.; Nguyen, T. T.; Koh, M. J.; Xu, D.; Speed, A.W. H.; Schrock, R. R.; Hoveyda, A. H. “Kinetically E-Selective Macrocyclic Ring-Closing Metathesis” Nature, 2017, 541, 380. 

4. Nguyen, T. T.; Koh, M. J.; Shen, X.; Romiti, F.; Schrock, R. R.; Hoveyda, A. H. “Kinetically Controlled E-Selective Catalytic Olefin Metathesis” Science, 2016, 352, 569. (highlighted by C&EN News). 

5. Koh, M. J.; Nguyen, T. T.; Zhang, H.; Schrock, R. R.; Hoveyda, A. H. “Direct Synthesis of Z-Alkenyl Halides by Catalytic Cross-Metathesis” Nature, 2016, 531, 459. (highlighted by Nature, C&EN News, Organic Chemistry Portal, SYNFACTS, Synfacts, 2016, 12, 603). 

6. Torker, S.; Koh, M. J.; Khan, R. K. M.; Hoveyda, A. H. “Regarding a Persisting Puzzle in Olefin Metathesis with Ru Complexes: Why are Transformations of Alkenes with a Small Substituent Z-selective?” Organometallics, 2016, 35, 543. 

7. Koh, M. J.; Khan, R. K. M.; Torker, S.; Yu, M.; Mikus, M. S.; Hoveyda, A. H. “High-Value Alcohols and Higher-Oxidation-State Compounds by Catalytic Z-Selective Cross-Metathesis” Nature, 2015, 517, 181. (highlighted by SYNFACTS, Synfacts 2015, 11, 387). 

8. Koh, M. J.; Khan, R. K. M.; Torker, S.; Hoveyda, A. H. “Broadly Applicable Z- and Diastereoselective Ring-Opening/Cross-Metathesis Catalyzed by a Dithiolate Ru Complex” Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2014, 53, 1968. 

9. Teo, W.; Rao, W.; Koh, M. J.; Chan, P. W. H. “Gold-Catalyzed Domino Aminocyclization/1,3-Sulfonyl Migration of N-Substituted-N-Sulfonyl-aminobut-3-yn-2-ols to 1-Substituted-3-Sulfonyl-1H-pyrroles” J. Org. Chem., 2013, 78, 7508.

10. Rao, W.; Koh, M. J.*; Li, D.*; Hirao, H.; Chan, P. W. H. “Gold-Catalyzed Cycloisomerization of 1,6-Diyne Carbonates and Esters to 2,4a-Dihydro-1H-fluorenes” J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2013, 135, 7926. (*these authors contributed equally).

11. Rao, W.; S.; Koh, M. J.; Chan, P. W. H. “Gold-Catalyzed Cycloisomerization of 1,7-Enyne Esters to Structurally Diverse cis-1,2,3,6-Tetrahydropyridin-4-yl Ketones” J. Org. Chem., 2013, 78, 3183.

12. Sze, E. M. L.; Koh, M. J.*; Tjia, Y. M.*; Rao, W.; Chan, P. W. H. “Synthesis of (Z)-1,2-Dihydro-1-tosylbenzo[b]azepin-3-ones by Two-step, One-Pot Gold-Catalyzed Tandem Heterocyclization/Petasis-Ferrier Rearrangement of 2-(N-(Prop-2-ynyl)-N-tosylamino)benzaldehydes” Tetrahedron, 2013, 69, 7471. (*these authors contributed equally). (highlighted by SYNFACTS, Synfacts, 2013, 9, 945). 

13. Rao, W.; Koh, M. J.; Kothandaraman, P.; Chan, P. W. H. “Gold-Catalyzed Cycloisomerization of 1,7-Diyne Benzoates to Indeno[1,2-c]azepines and Azabicyclo[4.2.0]octa-1(8),5-dines” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2012, 134, 10811. (highlighted by SYNFACTS, Synfacts, 2012, 9, 952).

14. Sze, E. M. L.; Rao, W.; Koh, M. J.; Chan, P. W. H. “Gold-Catalyzed Tandem Intramolecular Heterocyclization/Petasis–Ferrier Rearrangement of 2-(Prop-2-ynyloxy)benzaldehydes as an Expedient Route to Benzo[b]oxepin-3(2H)-ones” Chem. Eur. J., 2011, 17, 1437.

Patents

1. Hoveyda, A. H.; Nguyen, T. T.; Koh, M. J.; Xu, C.; Torker, S. “Method of Preparing Trisubstituted Ethylene Compounds,” U.S. Patent Application No. 62/562,224, filed September 22, 2017.

2. Hoveyda, A. H.; Koh, M. J.; Nguyen, T. T.; Schrock, R. R.; Hyvl, J. “Halogen-Containing Metathesis Catalysts and Methods Thereof,” U.S. Patent Application No. 62/363,066, filed July 15, 2016.

3. Hoveyda, A. H.; Zhang, H.; Koh, M. J.; Schrock, R. R. “Metathesis Catalysts and Methods Thereof,” PCT Int. Appl. WO2016073750 A1, May 12, 2016.

4. Hoveyda, A. H.; Khan, R. K. M.; Torker, S.; Koh, M. J. “Catalysts for Efficient Z-Selective Metathesis,” PCT Int. Appl. WO2014201300 A1, December 18, 2014.