The Australian Academy of Science website has an excellent interview with Em Prof Robin Stokes, the foundation Professor of chemistry at UNE.

Chemistry welcomes back 2009 Honours students, Nick Ballam and Wayne Dillon who have recently embarked upon new Ph.D. programs with an industrial flavour.

Nick  will be working in the Catalysis group of Associate Professor Trevor Brown.

Catalysis is a vital field within chemistry and will become increasingly important in a world of environmental issues such as climate change and
rapidly depleting reserves of fossil fuels. There is a paucity of information on heterogeneous basic catalysts. This project will investigate the kinetics and acid-base properties of the catalytic decomposition of 2-butanol over magnesium oxide, zirconium dioxide, vanadium pentoxide, beryllium oxide and calcium oxide using a low-pressure steady-state technique, which will also be used to investigate the
pretreatment of these catalysts at high temperatures.

Research into the surface chemistry of each of the metal oxides will also  be carried out.

Wayne Dillon is working with Dr Peter Lye in the development of functionalised optical fibres for remote metal ion sensing .

Wayne Dillon

The development of technologies with high sensitivity, short response times and selectivity is of increasing importance for applications in industrial processing and environmental monitoring. This project is an investigation into a potential technology that will allow the detection or sensing of metal ions using photonics. The chief goal of the project will be to develop an optical fibre system capable of detecting the presence, and concentration, of metal ions in solution. This will be achieved by grafting macrocyclic polyamine ligands onto the surface of silica core optical fibres. Macrocyclic polyamine ligands have been shown to have high levels of selectivity for metal ions. Additionally, the incorporation of diazo functional groups to these ligands would allow metal ion detection based on colour changes resulting from the ligand and not the metal complex.

The design and synthesis of the attaching ligands will be of particular interest, as will the determination of such values as formation constants, formation kinetics and surface coverage.

Mr Ali Al-Hamzah’s PhD project on polymeric scale inhibitors for desalination plants has been recognised by the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission in Australia as one of the top projects being carried out by students from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Australia.

The Arabic text in the link may be translated as follows: “In one of the most important achievements of the Saudi students in Australia, Ali Alhamzah has synthesized novel scale inhibitors as polyacrylic acid for using in desalination plants; it may contribute to reduce the cost in case of its use in desalination plants . Mr. Alhamzah presented a scientific paper that is the first of its kind in the world in scale inhibitors research, its title “Apparent Inhibition of Thermal Decomposition of HCO₃^- and Hydrolysis of CO₃^2- by Poly (Acrylic Acid). The Effect of Molecular Weight and End-Group” at the scientific conference of the Pacific countries, which concluded recently. In a speech by Al-Hamzah who is sponsored by Saline Water Conversion Corporation he offered sincerely thanks and appreciation to the Saudi Government and Cultural Mission of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Australia for supporting his study. Special thanks were directed to his supervisor, Dr. Chris Fellows who provides him with inspiration at academic and professional levels.”

The first of several publications from PhD student Ms Nisha Aravind’s work has appeared in the journal Cereal Chemistry:

“Quality of Fibre-enriched Spaghetti containing Microbial Transglutaminase”
Michael J. Sissons, Nisha Aravind and Christopher M. Fellows, Cereal Chem, 87(1), 57-64 (2010)

Chemistry PhD student Nisha Aravind’s presentation, ‘Effect of Dietary Fibre enrichment in Spaghetti – An Enzymatic and Structural Study’ has been chosen as one of the six finalists who will advance to the next round of the 2010 American Association of Cereal Chemists (AACC) International Best Student Research Paper Competition. The competition will take place on Tuesday, October 26 from 8:30 – 11:00 am during the AACC International Annual Meeting in Savannah, Georgia, USA. Winners of the competition will be announced at the Closing Session and Farewell Reception on October 27. Congratulations to Nisha and best of luck in the next round!

Nisha’s work is part of the Primary Industries Innovation Centre, a collaboration between the University of New England and the New South Wales Department of Industry and Innovation.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=info&ref=mf&gid=268508463530

Second-year unit at UNE Armidale for those seeking an understanding of chemistry at the most fundamental level.  Also see the Course and Unit Catalogue at:

http://www.une.edu.au/courses/2010/units/CHEM210

AD Wallace, A Al-Hamzah, CP East, WOS Doherty, CM Fellows, “Effect of Poly(acrylic acid) End-group Functionality on Inhibition of Calcium Oxalate Crystal Growth“, Journal of Applied Polymer Science 116 (2010) 1165-1171

CP East, AD Wallace, A Al-Hamzah, WOS Doherty, CM Fellows, “Effect of Poly(acrylic acid) Molecular Mass and End-group Functionality on Calcium Oxalate Crystal Morphology and Growth“, Journal of Applied Polymer Science 115 (2010) 2127-2135

The Pacific Polymer Conference is the pre-eminent meeting of the Pacific Polymer Federation, the alliance of the polymer societies and polymer divisions of chemical societies from the nations around the Pacific rim.  On December 6th-10th 2009  the event was hosted in Australia at the Cairns Convention Centre, a fine venue for a splendidly organised meeting with a fantastic array of speaker.

The Applied Polymer Chemistry group presented three papers at the 11th Pacific Polymer Conference.

Dr Fellows presented a lecture entitled “Effect of Poly(acrylic acid) Molecular Mass and End-Group Functionality on Calcium Oxalate Crystallisation“ Authors  CP East, AD Wallace, A Al-Hamzah, WOS Doherty and  CM Fellows.

Mr Al-Hamzah presented a lecture entitled “Apparent Inhibition of Thermal Decomposition of Bicarbonate and Hydrolysis of Carbonate by Poly(Acrylic Acid). The Effect of Molecular Weight and End-Group Functionality.“
Authors A Al-Hamzah and CM Fellows.

Mr Prangley presented a poster entitled “The truth about surface grafting. A quantitative investigation into ATRP “surface grafting” on commercial Poly(Dimethylsiloxane) substrates.“
Authors RP Prangley, AD Wallace and CM Fellows.

An excellent and productive time was had by all!

Cam will be returning to Chemistry at UNE on an Endeavour Research Fellowship in 2010 to work on a biofuels project in collaboration with Trevor Brown, Amy-Sue Alston and PIIC.

The Endeavour Research Fellowships provide financial support for postgraduate students and postdoctoral fellows from participating countries to undertake short-term research (4-6 months), in any field of study, in Australia.

The Endeavour Research Fellowships aim to:

* enable high achieving scholars from participating countries to undertake research in Australia

* further develop Award Holders’ knowledge and skills in their field of research

* strengthen bilateral ties between Australia and the participating countries

* showcase Australia’s education sector

* strengthen mutual understanding between the people of Australia and Award Holders’ home countries

* build international linkages and networks

Official logo of the International year of Chemistry

The United Nations Organisation has declared 2011 as the International Year of Chemistry. Promoted by IUPAC, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, the governing body of chemistry world-wide, 2011 seeks to celebrate the achievements of Chemistry.   The specific goals of this celebration,  as outlined by Australia’s Prof David StC. Black, the Secretary General of IUPAC, are to:

• Increase the public appreciation of chemistry in meeting world needs
• Increase interest of young people in chemistry
• Generate enthusiasm for the creative future of chemistry
• Celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Mme. Curie Nobel Prize and the 100th anniversary of the founding of the International Association of Chemical Societies.

IUPAC has created a dedicated website at which you can discover the events and activities that will roll out before and during 2011 ( to go to the site click <http://www.chemistry2011.org>or type into your browser) .

In his column in the May-June 2009 edition of Chemistry International, the news magazine of IUPAC, David highlights how Australia might kick of the International Year of Chemistry in spectacular style with the Sydney New Year Fireworks display, which is “nothing if not chemistry in action”. Not only are the fireworks Chemistry, he writes, but people watching the display world-wide on television, are dependent upon chemical technology. Thousands of people will photograph the fireworks making use of the chemistry intrinsic to color photography, be it traditional or digital.  Even those who just look at the fireworks to enjoy the wonderful colours will do so because of the chemistry involved in vision itself (photo-isomerisation of retinaldimine in the eye by light energy is responsible for the visual stimulous).

Chemistry at UNE will be participating in the International Year of Chemistry in 2011.