Michael Chong

Michael Chong's research is focused on developing new methodology for organic synthesis. Much of what Michael Chong's research team does is related to the preparation of compounds with defined stereochemistry. This can involve asymmetric synthesis, the use of enantiomerically-pure starting materials or resolutions. Stereochemistry is particularly important when dealing with biologically active materials such as pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals where apparently small changes can have major effects.

Organometallic reagents play a major role in their research. Organometallic reagents are particularly useful in organic synthesis since they can be used to make new carbon-carbon bonds, often with stereochemical consequences. They have used organic derivatives of aluminum, boron, copper, lithium, magnesium, tin, and zinc to effect asymmetric transformations. While a wide range of metals is used, the underlying theme is the same: to make new carbon-carbon bonds with control of stereochemistry.

• Synthetic organic chemistry
• Development of new methods for stereoselective synthesis
• Carbon–carbon bond forming reactions
• New chiral ligands
• Organometallic reagents
• Insect pheromones
• Devices and analytical methods
• Synthetic chemistry and catalysis

• 1983 Ph.D., Synthetic Organic Chemistry, University of British Columbia, Canada
• 1979 B.Sc., Honours Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of British Columbia, Canada

• 2013-present, Executive Committee member
• 2005-16 Chem 13 News Editorial Board Member
• 1996-2015 Science Open House Chemistry Magic Show Coordinator
• 2009-11 Science Faculty Council – chemistry representative
• 2005-11 Associate Graduate Officer/Chemistry 794 coordinator
• 2007-10 Canadian Society for Chemistry Accreditation Board member
• 2006-09 Director, (GWC)2
• 2009 Ontario Council on Graduate Studies external consultant

• CHEM 262 - Organic Chemistry for Engineering
  • Taught in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
• CHEM 264 - Organic Chemistry 1
  • Taught in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
• CHEM 265 - Organic Chemistry 2
  • Taught in 2021
• CHEM 400 - Special Topics in Chemistry
  • Taught in 2023
• CHEM 764 - Synthetic Organic Reactions
  • Taught in 2019, 2023
• CHEM 766 - Organic Spectroscopy
  • Taught in 2020

* Only courses taught in the past 5 years are displayed.

• Challenges of Pheromone-based Mating Disruption of Cydia strobilella and Dioryctria abietella in Spruce Seed Orchards. G. P. Svensson, H.-L. Wang, E. V. Jirle, O. Rosenberg, I. Liblikas, J. M. Chong, C. Löfstedt, O. Anderbrant. J. Pest Science, 91, 639–650 (2018).
• Chemical Modification of Polyisobutylene Succinimide Dispersants and Characterization of Their Associative Properties. S. Pirouz, Y. Wang, J. M. Chong, and J. Duhamel, J. Phys. Chem B, 119, 12202-12211 (2015).
• Synthesis of E-Vinyl Iodides via Hydrostannation of Terminal Alkynes. A. Darwish and J. M. Chong, Tetrahedron, 68, 654-658 (2012).
• Binaphthol-Catalyzed Asymmetric Conjugate Arylboration of Enones.H. M. Turner, J. Patel, N. Niljianskul and J. M. Chong, Org. Lett, 13, 5796-5799 (2011).
• Selective Adsorption and Thermal Evolution of Bifunctional Carboxylic Acids: Competition of O-H Dissociation and other Reaction Products in Acrylic Acid and Propanoic Acid on Si(100)2×1., M. Ebrahimi; M. Chong, K. T. Leung, J. Phys. Chem. C, 114, 2947-2957 (2010).

• "Production of Fluorene Compounds", U.K. Patent Application filed June 1988 with G. Lajoie and the University of Waterloo CDO.