Welcome to the F. Y. KWONG Research Team! Research in the KWONG Laboratory is focused on the advanced development of tailor-made catalysts and its application in cross-coupling reactions for organic synthesis. Prof. Kwong has expanded the methodologies for phosphine ligand design, and in the process built a library of such catalysts, thus providing a resource which can be used by the wider academic community and industry.
Sept 2026: Prof. Kwong received the prestigious 2026 Outstanding Alumni Award at both Faculty of Science and Department of Chemistry in The Hong Kong Polytehcnic University due to his distinguished research achievements and visionary academic leadership. Congratulations to Professor Kwong on this well-deserved honor!.
Publication: Iron-Catalyzed Defluorinative Alkylation for Accessing Cyclic Acetal−gem-Difluoroalkenes
Sept 2026: Congratulations to Xiaotong, Pearl and Chi Wai on the publication of Iron-catalyzed defluorinative alkylation in Organic Letters. Read more about this publication in Org. Lett..
Event: Congratulations to Junya & Yanbo for their PhD Graduation
Sept 2026: Congratulations to Junya & Yanbo for their PhD graduation!!!
Event: Congratulations to Herman for his PhD Graduation
Aug 2026: Congratulations to Herman for his PhD graduation!!!
Publication: Unlocking the Alkynyl Bromide Radical Anion With Alternating Current for Inverse Sonogashira C─H Coupling
Jul 2026: Congratulations to Junya, Xiaozhou and Pearl on the publication of the pallada-electrocatalysis of inverse Sonogashira coupling in Advanced Science. Read more about this publication in Adv. Sci.. (Updated: Adv. Sci. 2026, e76881).
Event: Welcome our new PhD students!
Aug 2026: Welcome our new members: Ken (CUHK-Awardee of HKPhD Fellowship), Yuhang and Niya!!
Event: Welcome our new Postdoctoral Fellow!
Jul 2026: Welcome to join our research team: Michael NGAN (UCLA)!!
Publication: A Room-Temperature Rh-Catalyzed Kinetic Resolution Pathway for Expedient Access to P-Stereogenic Cyclic Phosphinates
Apr 2026: Congratulations to Xiaodong and Pearl on the publication of the Rh-catalyzed enantioselective ring-closing hydrofunctionalization of alkynylphosphinates that directly constructs kinetically favored, nonarene-fused P-stereogenic five-membered rings. Read more about this publication in JACS Au. (Updated: JACS Au 2026, 6, 2618–2626).
Achievement: Congratulations to Xiaotong: Outstanding Graduate TA Award!
Mar 2026: The Outstanding Graduate TA Award is given each semester to Teaching Assistants/Demonstrators that demonstrates exceptional performance and devotion to duty while acting on behalf of the department. It is a prestigious honour that serves to recognise the best of the best within our ranks. The awardees’ teaching performance, contribution to Department and character are considered during the selection process. Again, congratulations to Xiaotong.
Achievement: Congratulations to Chem Ping Pong: 1st Runner-up of "Dean's Cup - Table Tennis 2026"!
Mar 2026: Ten amazing teams composed of science teachers, students, and alumni came together for the "Dean's Cup - Table Tennis 2026" held on March 14, 2026. The team Chem Ping Pong, represented by Prof. KWONG, Prof. XIA, and two postgraduate students, attained the 1st Runner-up position in the competition. Congratulations to Chem Ping Pong on this excellent performance!.
Event: Welcome our new Visiting Scholar!
Feb 2026: Welcome our new member: Prof. Peiyuan LI (Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine)!!
Event: Welcome our new Postdoctoral Fellow!
Jan 2026: Welcome back our alumni (CUHK-Undergraduate Thesis) : Ivan WONG (Oxford University)!!
Publication: Indole-Based π-Extended Monophosphine Ligands for Enhanced Palladium-Catalyzed Sonogashira Coupling
Jan 2026: Congratulations to Smarco & Chun Pong on the publication of the Pd-catalyzed Sonogashira coupling. Read more about this publication in Journal of Heterocyclic Chemistry. (Updated: J. Heterocycl. Chem. 2026, 63, 727-737).
Achievement: Congratulations to Professor Michael KWONG: World's Top 2% Scientist according to Stanford citation ranking!
Sept 2025: According to metrics compiled by Stanford University, Prof. Kwong is listed among the top 2% of the world's most highly cited scientists, reflecting the high academic standard of our research tema's excellent research performance. Again, congratulations to Prof. Kwong. Read more about this ranking: Elsevier official webpage.
Event: Welcome our new Postdoctoral Fellow!
Aug 2025: Welcome our new member: Xiaodong (HKBU)!!
Publication: Recent advances in light-driven synthesis of complex trifluoromethylated aliphatic amines and derivatives
Aug 2025: Congratulations to Xiaotong & Chi Wai on the publication of the review of light-driven synthesis of complex trifluoromethylated aliphatic amines. Read more about this publication in Chemical Communications. (Updated: Chem. Commun. 2025, 61, 14002-14021).
Event: Welcome our new PhD students!
Aug 2025: Welcome our new members: Smarco (CUHK-Awardee of HKPhD Fellowship), Chun Pong (CUHK-Awardee of HKPhD Fellowship) and Jiayi (South China University of Technology)!!
Event: Welcome our new Research Assistant!
Jul 2025: Welcome our new member: Yuhang (Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine)!!
Mar 2025: The awardees were selected by a panel of judges consisting of representatives from six universities. Junya was awarded the "Best Poster Presentation Award". Again, congratulations to Junya.
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Room G56, Department of Chemistry, Ma Lin Building,
Science Centre South Block, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Email: fykwong@cuhk.edu.hk
Phone: +(852) 3943 6257 (office); +(852) 3943 1173 (laboratory)