Green Chemistry @ MUN


CSC (Canadian Chemistry Conference) in Calgary

Chris, Fran, Khaled and Nduka have been enjoying the science and Albertan hospitality at the CSC

Chris and Fran spoke in the metal-mediated polymerization symposium organized by Mike Shaver and Paul Hayes. Nduka presented his poster in the same symposium on Sunday evening and Khaled presented his poster in the Industrial division on Monday night.

Thanks to all the organizers and volunteers for a fantastic meeting.

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Congratulations to Nduka and Christian!
March 29, 2012, 3:54 pm
Filed under: Group News, Science, Students | Tags: , , , , , ,

A second paper by group members has been accepted today for publication. This time in Dalton Transactions.

The paper is called: Ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone by lithium piperazinyl-aminephenolate complexes: Synthesis, characterization and kinetic studies

Dalton Trans., DOI:10.1039/C2DT30276D

Nduka is a PhD candidate in our group and Christian was a visiting student from Germany who joined our group last summer on a DAAD RISE scholarship.  They worked really hard to get all the kinetic data and the MALDI-TOF spectra presented in this paper. Thanks also to Louise for the two structures included.



Congratulations to Marcus, Khaled and Jen!
March 29, 2012, 2:43 pm
Filed under: Group News, Science, Students | Tags: , , ,

Their manuscript has just been accepted for publication in RSC Advances. (This is a new interdisciplinary journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry)

RSC Adv., DOI:10.1039/C2RA20578E

Khaled is a PhD candidate in the MUN Green Chemistry & Catalysis Group. Marcus obtained his results during an NSERC USRA in the group during summer 2011 and Jen held a SWASP position in the group at the same time.



Congratulations Justin!

HSAB Periodic Table of Cupcakes!

Justin Bélanger (M.Sc. candidate, Kozak group) received a prize for 2nd place in the graduate student poster competition at the recent Atlantic Inorganic Discussion Weekend (AIDW) held in Charlottetown, PEI. Well done Justin for representing the MUN Green Chem. & Catalysis Group!



Article in “The Scope” features the Green Chemistry and Catalysis Group

The St. John’s arts and entertainment magazine, “The Scope”, recently published an article in their on-line edition on some of the work occurring in the MUN Green Chemistry and Catalysis Group. Entitled “Great future in green plastics“, the article by Dave Jerome describes the research on degradable plastics that is being performed by Justin Belanger and other students in the group.Image



Honours thesis presentations
March 17, 2012, 10:51 am
Filed under: Group News, Science, Students | Tags: , ,

Good luck to Lisa, Marcus and Michelle with their presentations today!

Lisa N. Saunders (C. Kozak) “Synthesis and Reactivity of Amine-bis(phenolate) Complexes of Germanium and Tin”

Michelle E. Pratt (C. Kozak) “The Synthesis and Reactivity of Amine-bis(phenolate) Calcium and Magnesium Complexes”

Marcus W. Drover (F. Kerton) “From Bismuth(III) Boats to Lithium Ladders and Beyond: The Structural, Catalytic and Spectroscopic Features of Main-Group Clusters”

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VT NMR of Li complex



Chitosan as a biorefinery feedstock

The first paper from Khaled’s PhD research has been accepted for publication by Green Chemistry.

It is called “Hydrolysis of Chitosan Into Levulinic Acid and 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural In Water Under Microwave Irradiation”

It describes our first efforts at converting biopolymers that can be obtained from fishery waste into potentially useful small molecules. This proof of concept will hopefully lead to these natural materials being used alongside agricultural and forestry wastes as the starting point for chemicals with a wide range of purposes including, fuels, agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals and plastics.

Some of the results were obtained in collaboration with Jessica Besaw (NSERC USRA 2010, Kerton group) who Khaled acted as mentor to.  Congratulations Khaled and Jess!

Aminopolysaccharides (Chitin) are available in the shells of crustaceans (lobsters, crabs, shrimps). Khaled has shown that valuable 'Platform' chemicals can be made from them

Green Chem., DOI:10.1039/C2GC35048C



New Year Publications
January 31, 2012, 4:13 pm
Filed under: Group News, Science, Students

Zhenzhong’s (Kerton group) copper coordination chemistry paper “Coordination chemistry of α-ω-di(pyridyl-imine) ligands containing flexible linkers with copper(I)” has been accepted for publication in the European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry. Special thanks to Louise Dawe for the X-ray structural determination and Celine Schneider for solid-state NMR and diffusion studies.

Rebecca and Kamrul (Kozak group) and a suite of collaborators have had their iron coordination chemistry paper accepted by Dalton Transactions: “Magnetic, electrochemical and spectroscopic properties of iron(III) amine-bis(phenolate) halide complexes”

Congratulations to them all and here’s to many more excellent publications in 2012!



Happy Christmas
December 15, 2011, 10:53 pm
Filed under: Group Photos, St. John's, Students

Today the group went out for Lunch together…..a good time was had by all. I hope you all enjoyed your secret santa gifts :)



2 days and 2 new PhDs
December 14, 2011, 12:41 pm
Filed under: Group News, Group Photos, Students

Zhenzhong defended his thesis on Monday, December 12.  Thank you to Dr. Tom Baker (UOttawa), Dr. Erika Merschrod S. (MUN) and Dr. Louise Dawe (MUN) for examining his thesis, and Dr. Patrick Byrne for chairing the defence. Congratulations Zhenzhong!

This was followed by Kamrul’s thesis defence on Tuesday, December 13. Thank you to Dr. Audrey Moores (McGill), Dr. Karen Hattenhauer (MUN) and Dr. Dave Thompson (MUN) for examining his thesis, and Dr. Paul Gillard for chairing the defence. Congratulations Kamrul!

Dr. Zhenzhong Hu, examiners, supervisor and chair at the end of his defence

 

Happy supervisor and new PhD at the end of the defence

Thank you to Ruby and all in Grad Studies for the photos and organizing the defences.

In hommage to Zhenzhong’s (Dr. Hu’s) defence, here is a link to the BBC’s Dr Who website and a short intro/clip featuring the other Tom Baker:




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