News
Well done Sam!
Congratulations to Sam Cobb for winning the PCCP poster prize at the inaugural Faraday Joint Interest Group Meeting 2017, as well as the Best Talk prize at the Midlands Electrochemistry Group Conference 2017!
Julie receives Royal Society Innovation Award!
Professor Julie Macpherson has been award the new Royal Society Innovation Award, for her work on water quality monitoring with carbon materials. Her team have been investigating a new carbon material – synthetically grown boron doped diamond (BDD) - for its electrochemical sensing capabilities, a material which could be used as a pH and chlorine sensor for water quality control and safety.
BDD has all the material attributes of diamond – non-corrosive, scratch resistant, but can electrically conduct due to the boron. This enables BDD to be used as an electrode and placed in solutions other more traditional electrodes, such as metals, couldn’t survive. Currently, the most widely used pH sensor is a fragile glass bulb pH electrode which is based on technology that is over 100 years old.
The award is given to scientists to develop a proven novel concept or prototype into a near-market ready product – and Professor Macpherson will receive £250,000. The research is being undertaken in conjunction with Professor Mark Newton (Director of the UK’s centre for doctoral training centre in Diamond Science and Technology) and the industrial company Element Six.
Professor Macpherson comments:
“I am delighted to receive this award, it represents a tremendous opportunity to fully realise the commercial potential of the diamond based sensors that we are currently developing.”
Commenting on the awards, Dr Hermann Hauser KBE FREng FRS, science entrepreneur and co-chair of the Royal Society’s Science, Industry and Translation Committee, says,
“We are delighted to announce the first winners of the Royal Society’s newly expanded Innovation and Translation Awards. These awards support some of the very best, innovative researchers in UK universities to increase their chances of entrepreneurial success. The process of translating research from academia into commercially viable products can be challenging and we are proud to help bridge the journey for nine researchers this year.”
The prizes were presented at "Labs to Riches" on 30 March - an event which focused on the role of science in the UK’s industrial strategy and contribution to economic growth.
The evening brought together leading scientists, engineers, industrialists and policymakers to celebrate the achievements of some of the UK’s most innovative researchers.
Chem-Art continues!
Mary Courney was Warwick Chemistry's artist in residence throughout 2016, funded by the Leverhulme Trust. Being based in the electrochemistry group, we worked with her to pioneer a chemistry artistic collaboration to help promote science to the public.
The work and images she has produced during her time here are being showcased in the department and beyond, including...
...Verse Reaction, a project which took research images from science and presented them as beautiful works of art...
https://outsideinpallant.wordpress.com/2016/04/18/verse-reaction-art-in-chemistry/
...images which were displayed at the opening of Warwick's brand new teaching and learning building...
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/pressreleases/new_teaching_and
...as well as The Herbert art gallery, including a discussion with Mary and Pat...
http://www.theherbert.org/whats_on/78/herbert_illumination_art_of_the_micronosphere
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcOIQbjnS2E&feature=youtu.be
...which culminates in an awe-inspiring 20 minute movie that you can watch here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM7bQpoBMrY&feature=youtu.be
Congratulations Sharel!
The November PhD viva finale! Many congratulations go to Sharel E Pei San for passing her viva and completing her PhD on the 29th November 2016. We all wish her good luck for the future.
Congratulations David!
Many congratulations go to David Perry for passing his viva and completing his PhD on the 18th November 2016. We all wish him the best of luck for the future, both as he continues on in the group to do a postdoc, and beyond.
