Abstract

For over three decades, our team has been pioneering green and sustainable technologies, drawing inspiration from nature's methods of building complex molecules in water. We've developed biocompatible reactions that work under mild conditions—like room temperature and neutral pH—without relying on metals or catalysts. In this talk, I'll showcase how these innovations have led to practical applications, from breakthroughs in biologics to advancements in plastic recycling. I'll also share our progress in creating reversible bonds and novel catalysts for efficient bond cleavage. This journey from discovery to real-world impact highlights the powerful role of green chemistry in shaping a more sustainable future.

Biography

Professor Loh Teck-Peng is a Distinguished University Professor at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, a Fellow of the Singapore National Academy of Sciences and the Academy of Sciences Malaysia. His contributions to green and sustainable chemistry have been acknowledged through numerous awards, including the GSK-SNIC Award in Organic Chemistry (Singapore, 2010), the 1000 Talent Award (USTC China, 2010), the Yoshida Prize (Japan, 2017), and the President’s Science Award (individual) in 2018, Singapore’s highest research honor.  Over the past three decades, his research has encompassed asymmetric organic synthesis reactions, organic transformations of biomass molecules, total synthesis of bioactive natural products and drugs, and new reactions, mechanisms, and concepts in organic synthetic chemistry. His pioneering work has led to the creation of novel biological agents, new catalysts for plastic recycling, and green synthesis of pharmaceuticals, addressing various societal needs in a sustainable manner. Professor Loh has published over 500 papers in internationally peer-reviewed journals, with his research cited more than 25,000 times, resulting in an H-index of 89. He holds over 10 patents in new drug research and development. He also serves as an Associate Editor for The Journal of Organic Chemistry and Green Synthesis & Catalysis, and sits on the advisory boards of many journals. As a Harvard alumnus under the tutelage of Nobel laureate E. J. Corey, Professor Loh has been instrumental in founding key academic departments and institutes. He served as the founding chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry at Nanyang Technological University and established both the Institute of Advanced Synthesis at Nanjing Tech University and the College of Advanced Interdisciplinary Science and Technology at Henan University of Technology.