Two outstanding scholars, Hsuan-Hung Liao and Cheng-chau Chiu from the Department of Chemistry at NSYSU, are honored with the Ta-You Wu Memorial Award
2025-09-10
The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) has announced the recipients of the 2025 Ta-You Wu Memorial Award, with National Sun Yat-sen University (NSYSU) claiming the only two honors available nationwide in the field of chemistry. Associate Professors Hsuan-Hung Liao and Cheng-chau Chiu of the Department of Chemistry both received the award in recognition of their outstanding contributions to innovative areas of chemical research. Liao focuses on light- and electricity-driven organic synthesis strategies and the development of potential drug compounds, while Chiu works on kinetic modeling strategies in computational chemistry that transform abstract energetics into observables that can be directly compared to the experiment and uses these to study systems of relevance for industrial applications. Their research not only demonstrates academic excellence but also delivers practical applications, showcasing the university's strong research capacity.
Liao's research team is pioneering new green drug synthesis strategies powered by light and electricity. By harnessing clean and sustainable energy sources such as visible light catalysis and electrochemical processes, his group develops innovative organic synthesis methods that replace costly and polluting traditional chemical reagents. Their work allows for the efficient construction of complex three-dimensional molecular frameworks under simple conditions, overcoming conventional limitations and enabling the synthesis of crucial chiral scaffolds in drug molecules. This research not only demonstrates the forward-looking potential of green chemistry but also brings new possibilities for drug discovery, achieving the dual goals of scientific innovation and environmental sustainability.
Upon receiving the award, Liao expressed heartfelt gratitude to his family, every member of his laboratory, and NSYSU for their longstanding support and encouragement. He emphasized that he will continue advancing sustainable energy-driven synthesis strategies, contributing to human health and social well-being.
Chiu highlighted that computational simulations are indispensable in modern chemical research. However, traditional computational studies often focus on reaction and activation energies that cannot be directly observed in experiments, making it challenging to compare simulation and experiment. To overcome this issue, he applies methods like kinetic Monte Carlo and microkinetic modeling to transform energetics obtained from quantum-mechanical calculations into observables and phenomena that can be easily compared with the experiment. Chiu not only contributed to the advancement of the field of computational chemistry by developing these new modeling strategies, but also successfully applied these approaches to investigate systems of academic or industrial interest, such as the study of catalyst aging and deactivation processes, the analysis of gas separation mechanisms in porous materials, as well as the exploration of the fragmentation processes of sugar molecules in mass spectrometry.
Chiu said he felt deeply honored to receive the Ta-You Wu Memorial Award, stressing that this award is not only a recognition of his personal work, but rather reflects the result of years of dedication by every member of his laboratory. He acknowledged the invaluable support of his students and assistants, as well as the mentorship he received at the Technical University of Munich and the Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences, Academia Sinica. He also expressed gratitude for funding support through the NSTC Young Scholars Program, which enabled him to establish his own research portfolio. Finally, Chiu thanked NSYSU, particularly the Department of Chemistry, for being one of the few institutions that allowed him to explore and grow as a scientist. He noted that the department's liberal academic atmosphere, combined with the productive yet healthy competition among peers, fostered an environment where impactful achievements could be made and recognized.
NSYSU emphasized that the Ta-You Wu Memorial Award, established by the NSTC in 2002, is one of the most prestigious honors for early-career scholars under the age of 42, nominated by the panel of each academic discipline. With only two slots available nationwide in the field of chemistry, NSYSU proudly secured both this year. The university affirmed its commitment to continuing strong support for outstanding faculty and fostering more cutting-edge, innovative research.
The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) has announced the recipients of the 2025 Ta-You Wu Memorial Award, with National Sun Yat-sen University (NSYSU) claiming the only two honors available nationwide in the field of chemistry. Associate Professors Hsuan-Hung Liao and Cheng-chau Chiu of the Department of Chemistry both received the award in recognition of their outstanding contributions to innovative areas of chemical research. Liao focuses on light- and electricity-driven organic synthesis strategies and the development of potential drug compounds, while Chiu works on kinetic modeling strategies in computational chemistry that transform abstract energetics into observables that can be directly compared to the experiment and uses these to study systems of relevance for industrial applications. Their research not only demonstrates academic excellence but also delivers practical applications, showcasing the university's strong research capacity.
Liao's research team is pioneering new green drug synthesis strategies powered by light and electricity. By harnessing clean and sustainable energy sources such as visible light catalysis and electrochemical processes, his group develops innovative organic synthesis methods that replace costly and polluting traditional chemical reagents. Their work allows for the efficient construction of complex three-dimensional molecular frameworks under simple conditions, overcoming conventional limitations and enabling the synthesis of crucial chiral scaffolds in drug molecules. This research not only demonstrates the forward-looking potential of green chemistry but also brings new possibilities for drug discovery, achieving the dual goals of scientific innovation and environmental sustainability.
Upon receiving the award, Liao expressed heartfelt gratitude to his family, every member of his laboratory, and NSYSU for their longstanding support and encouragement. He emphasized that he will continue advancing sustainable energy-driven synthesis strategies, contributing to human health and social well-being.
Chiu highlighted that computational simulations are indispensable in modern chemical research. However, traditional computational studies often focus on reaction and activation energies that cannot be directly observed in experiments, making it challenging to compare simulation and experiment. To overcome this issue, he applies methods like kinetic Monte Carlo and microkinetic modeling to transform energetics obtained from quantum-mechanical calculations into observables and phenomena that can be easily compared with the experiment. Chiu not only contributed to the advancement of the field of computational chemistry by developing these new modeling strategies, but also successfully applied these approaches to investigate systems of academic or industrial interest, such as the study of catalyst aging and deactivation processes, the analysis of gas separation mechanisms in porous materials, as well as the exploration of the fragmentation processes of sugar molecules in mass spectrometry.
Chiu said he felt deeply honored to receive the Ta-You Wu Memorial Award, stressing that this award is not only a recognition of his personal work, but rather reflects the result of years of dedication by every member of his laboratory. He acknowledged the invaluable support of his students and assistants, as well as the mentorship he received at the Technical University of Munich and the Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences, Academia Sinica. He also expressed gratitude for funding support through the NSTC Young Scholars Program, which enabled him to establish his own research portfolio. Finally, Chiu thanked NSYSU, particularly the Department of Chemistry, for being one of the few institutions that allowed him to explore and grow as a scientist. He noted that the department's liberal academic atmosphere, combined with the productive yet healthy competition among peers, fostered an environment where impactful achievements could be made and recognized.
NSYSU emphasized that the Ta-You Wu Memorial Award, established by the NSTC in 2002, is one of the most prestigious honors for early-career scholars under the age of 42, nominated by the panel of each academic discipline. With only two slots available nationwide in the field of chemistry, NSYSU proudly secured both this year. The university affirmed its commitment to continuing strong support for outstanding faculty and fostering more cutting-edge, innovative research.
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