Prof. Chow Cheuk Fai, Stephen’s research interests lie mainly in influential areas of supramolecular analytical chemistry such as sensors and catalysts, which contribute to the field of environmental studies. 

           

Prof. Chow has been the Principal Investigator of various successful external research projects in the area of analytical chemistry and the environment, with total funding of over HK$10 million. He was awarded 3 General Research Fund grants from the Research Grants Council in 2012, 2015, and 2016. He also obtained Knowledge Transfer Fund grants from the Hong Kong Government (ITC) in 2017 and the PRC Guangdong Province and Ministry in 2013 to lead projects that aimed to detect toxic pollutants in food and drinking water in a sensitive and selective way.

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In 2016, he successfully received a grant of nearly HK$3 million from the HSBC Foundation for transferring his research results into an environmental education project that aims to educate our next generation about the importance of plastic waste management. 

         

Over the past years, Prof. Chow has published over 100 international refereed journal papers/ patents/ book chapters/ books with more than half ranked within the top 10% in the SCI, SSCI and SJR international databases. Eight articles on sensing or molecular recognition are highly recognised and highlighted as the cover stories in Chemical Science, Chemical Communications, Journal of Material Chemistry, Chemistry-A European Journal, Journal of Material Chemistry C, and Analyst,  (all ranked in the top 10%). In addition, he successfully filed and get granted five patents by using his research in these areas.

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To further enhance the impact of university's research through knowledge transfer (KT), Prof. Chow has held the KT Directorship since July 2014 to facilitate the enhancement of university's policies and initiatives on KT. His vision is to not only transfer his academic results to the community, but also to support his university’s KT at-large.

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RESEARCH AREAS    

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1. C-H and C-C activation and oxidation of plastic wastes.

2. Indicator/Catalyst Displacement Assay – Molecular sensors/catalysis for biological, environmental and food contaminant monitoring.

3. Bimetallic complexes: MD-bridge-MA [MD = Fe(II), Ru(II), Os(II), Re(I); bridge = CN, N3, NCS; MA = Fe(II), Fe(III), Ni(II), Cu(II),  Zn(II), Pt(II), and Ln(III)].

4. Smart materials – molecular imprinting polymers, supramolecular polymers, dynamic polymers.

5. Environmental education.