Ming-Tsz Chen graduated in 2003 with a B.Sc. degree in Applied Chemistry from Providence University in Taiwan. He studied for a PhD with Professor Chi-Tien Chen from the National Chung Hsing, University in Taiwan. During his PhD he focused on the design, preparation and characterisation of novel metal complexes for application in various catalytic systems during his PhD. The main interests were:
Ring opening polymerization of cyclic esters,
Cross coupling reactions
Coordination chemistry

Ming also has a short fabrication experiences on DRAM manufacturing in ProMos Inc, Taiwan. Ming started his first postdoctoral role with Professor Chi-Tien Chen’s group in 2009 to synthesize of catalysts for ring-opening polymerization for cyclic esters. He then completed postdoctoral studies with Professor Oscar Navarro at University of Hawaii at Manoa. The focus was on the design and synthesis of novel NHC catalytic systems.

In February 2012, Ming took up his role as a research associate in the research group of Professor Michael Turner. He is a part of the Organic Materials Innovation Centre(OMIC) and is currently working on graphene.

Patent:

Alkylamines as “throw-away” ligands in the synthesis of organometallic complexes with catalytic properties, Invention Disclosure filed, 2011.

Publications:

Well-Defined (N-Heterocyclic Carbene)–Ag(I) Complexes as Catalysts for A3 Reactions, Chen, M.-T. Brant L. and Navarro, O.*, Org. Biomol. Chem. 2012, 10, 2206-2208. (Selected for Front Cover of its Issue.)

Palladacycles Bearing Tridentate CNS-type Benzamidinate Ligands as Catalysts for Cross-Coupling Reactions, W.-C. Wang, K.-F. Peng, M.-T. Chen, and C.-T. Chen, Dalton Trans. 2012, 41, 3022-3029.

C-H bond activation and catalytic behaviors of palladium complexes featuring pendant benzamidinate ligands, M.-T. Chen, K.-M. Wu and C.-T. Chen*, Eur. J. Inorg. Chem., 2012, 4, 720-726.

Inhibited Catalyst Activation in (N-Heterocyclic carbene)PdCl2(diethylamine) Complexes by Intramolecular Hydrogen Bonding, Chen, M.-T.; Vicic, D. A.; Chain, W. J.; Turner, M. L.; Navarro, O.* Organometallics, 2011, 30, 6770-6773.

(N-Heterocyclic Carbene)PdCl2(NEt3) Complexes: Studies on the Effect of the “Throw-Away Ligand in Catalytic Activity Chen, M.-T.; Vicic, D. A.; Turner, M. L.*; Navarro, O.* Organometallics, 2011, 30, 5052-5056. ( 2nd Most Read article in September 2011)

Structural and Catalytic Studies of Zinc Complexes Containing Amido-Oxazolinate Ligands, M.-T. Chen and C.-T. Chen*, Dalton Trans. 2011, 40, 12886-12894.

Magnesium Complexes Containing Bis-amido-oxazolinate Ligands as Efficient Catalysts for Ring Opening Polymerisation of L-lactide, M.-T. Chen, P.-J. Chang, C.-A. Huang, K.-F. Peng and C.-T. Chen*, Dalton Trans., 2009, 9068-9074.

Synthesis, Characterization, and Catalytic Application of Aluminum Anilido-Oxazolinate Complexes, C.-T. Chen,* H.-J. Weng, M.-T. Chen, C.-A.Huang, and K.-F. Peng, Eur. J. Inorg. Chem. 2009, 2129-2135.

Preferential Formation of Homochiral Helical Sandwich-Shaped Architectures through the Metal-Mediated Assembly of Tris(imidazoline) Ligands with a Set of d3-d10 Transition-Metal Ions, L.Yan, Z. Wang, M.-T. Chen, N. Wu, J. Lan, X. Gao, J. You,* H.-M. Gau, and C.-T. Chen,* Chem. Eur. J., 2008, 14, 11601-11609.

Palladacyclic Complexes Containing C,N-type Ligands as Catalysts in Cross-Coupling Reactions, M.-T. Chen, C.-A. Huang and C.-T. Chen,* Eur. J. Inorg. Chem., 2008, 3142-3150.

Syntheses, Characterization and Catalytic Application of Palladacycles Containing Phosphane or Phosphane Oxide Functionalities, K.-F. Peng, M.-T. Chen, C.-A. Huang and C.-T. Chen,* Eur. J. Inorg. Chem., 2008, 2463-2470.

Zinc Anilido-Oxazolinate Complexes as Initiators for Ring Opening Polymerization, C.-T. Chen,* C.-Y. Chan, C.-A. Huang, M.-T. Chen and K.-F. Peng, Dalton Trans., 2007, 4073-4078.

Synthesis, Charactrerization and Catalytic Application of Palladacyclic Complexes Bearing C,N,S-Donor Ligands, M.-T. Chen, C.-A. Huang, and C.-T. Chen,* Eur. J. Inorg. Chem., 2006, 4642-4648.

Palladacyclic Complexes Bearing CNN-type Ligands as Catalysts in Heck Reaction, C.-T. Chen,* Y.-S. Chan, Y.-R. Tzeng, and M.-T. Chen, Dalton Trans., 2004, 2691-2696.