Edman Tsang

Tutorial Fellow in Inorganic Chemistry; Professor of Inorganic Chemistry

Teaching

In Chemistry Department, I teach the first year chemistry students on acid-base and redox chemistry and for the third year chemistry students, I teach selected topics and do revision classes on periodicity of elements. At Univ, I give tutorials to the first- and third years of the college students for Inorganic Chemistry and carry out revision classes and collections in the same subject. I am interested to complement traditional approaches in lectures with more innovative tutorials to facilitate in-depth learning. I offer research training for final year (part II) chemistry students and I host my own research group with MSc, MPhil and DPhil students and postdoctoral researchers.

As a professor and a tutor in chemistry, my role is to support and liaise the Director of Studies in Chemistry and senior tutor at Univ. for the organisation of the undergraduate Chemistry.

Research

Our research is on both fundamental and applied aspects in Novel Chemistry Materials and Catalysis; Work involves synthesis, testing and characterisation of novel solid state materials for a wide range of applications particularly in the areas of energy and environment. Uses of well-defined single atoms, layer structures or nanomaterials as building blocks for synthesis of functional materials including development of novel core-shell nanoparticles, 2-D layers of controllable composition, size and morphology as nanocatalysts; hollow carbon nanotubes as a nano-scale test tube for separation, storage, magnetic and electronic applications; immobilized biomolecules on nanoparticles as new sensors, etc. In the catalysis area, we work on new catalytic techniques for sustainable energy systems (fuel cells catalysts, photocatalytic solar cells, biomasses to fuel conversion, wind-to-ammonia, hydrogen storage, cleaner catalytic combustion, carbon dioxide activation, capture, storage and subsequent conversion into useful chemicals/materials (reduction in carbon emissions), etc.

Selected Publications

Structural Studies of Bulk to Nano-size Niobium Oxides with Correlation to Their Acidity Kreissl, H.; Li, M.M-J.; Peng, Y-K.; Nakagawa, K.; Hooper, T.; Hanna, J.; Shepherd, A.; Wu, T-S. ; Soo, Y-L.; Tsang, S.C. E. JACS, 2017, DOI: 10.1021/jacs.7b06856.

Hydrodeoxygenation of Water-Insoluble Bio-Oil to Alkanes using a Highly Dispersed Pd-Mo Catalyst, H. Duan et al., Nature Comm., 2017, DOI:10.1038, 591.

A New Route for De-carboxylation of Lactones over Zn/ZSM-5 catalyst: Elucidation of Structure and Molecular Interactions, L. Ye, Q. Song, B.T.W. Lo, J. Zheng, D. Kong, C.A. Murray, C.C. Tang and S.C.E. Tsang, Angew Chem. Int. Ed., 2017, 56, 10711–10716.

MoS2 monolayer catalyst doped with isolated Co atoms for the hydrodeoxygenation reaction, S.C.E. Tsang and co-workers, Nature Chem., 2017, DOI: 10.1038/nchem.2740.

From Biomass-Derived Furans to Aromatics with Ethanol over Zeolite, S.C.E. Tsang, et al. Angew Chem. Int. Ed., 2016, 55, 13061 (and journal cover); Elucidation of Adsorbate Structures and Interactions on Brønsted Acid Sites in H-ZSM-5 by Synchrotron X-ray Powder Diffraction, S.C.E. Tsang, et al. Angew Chem. Int. Ed., 2016, 55(20), 5981-5984. (and journal cover).

Interstitial Modification of Palladium Nanoparticles with Boron Atoms as a New Alternative Green Catalyst for Ultra-selective Hydrogenation Reactions, S.C.E. Tsang et al,  Nature Comm.,  2015, 6, 6487.

Shape and Size Effects of ZnO Nanocrystals on Photocatalytic Activity, S.C.E.Tsang, et al. JACS, 2009, 131(35), 12540-12541; Trimethylphosphine-Assisted Surface Fingerprinting of Metal Oxide Nanoparticle: A Zinc Oxide Case Study, S.C.E. Tsang et al. JACS, 2016, 138 (7), pp 2225–2234.

Rational Design of Nano-catalysts via Chemisorption Evaluation in Liquid Phase, Karaked Tedsree, Chun Wong Aaron Chan, Simon Jones, Qian Cuan, Wei-Kun Li, Xue-Qing Gong and Shik Chi Edman Tsang, Science, 2011, 332, 224-228.

Hydrogen Production for Portable Fuel Cells from Formic Acid Decomposition over Ag Core-Pd Shell Nano-catalyst at Room Temperature, S.C.E. Tsang et al, Nature Nanotechnology, 2011, 6, 302-307.

A Simple Method of Opening and Filling Carbon Nanotubes, S.C. Tsang, Y.K. Chen, P.J.F. Harris and M.L.H. Green, Nature, 1994, 372, 159-162; Thinning and opening of carbon nanotubes by oxidation using carbon dioxide, S. C. Tsang, P. J. F. Harris, M. L. H. Green, Nature, 1993, 362, 520-522.