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Newsletter 237, 31st
May 2013
Chemistry Update
Calendar of Events
Second Year Careers Symposium
Date: Monday 10 June
Time: 10.15pm - 2.15pm
Location: A101
All second year undergraduate students welcome.
Dalton Northern Division Meeting
Date: Monday 24 June
Time: 9am - 6pm
Location: A101 & A102
Demonstrator Awards (CODYs)
Date: Thursday 27 June
Time: 4.30pm - 6pm
Location: A102
Organic Synthesis Plenary
Date: Friday 28 June
Time: 2.15pm - 5pm
Location: A101
Chemistry Open Day
Date: Wednesday 3 July
Inside this Issue
Date of Next Issue: 28th
June 2013
2013 Royal Society of Chemistry
Organic Stereochemistry Award
2-3
Dr Martin Cockett Awarded VC's
Teaching Award
3
O’Brien Group News 4
Hamilton Group News 5
The Essential Chemical Industry -
Online
6
New Instrumentation for Chemistry
Teaching Laboratory
7
Researchers’ Day 21st May 8-9
Year 1 Undergraduate Photo 9
You Can Count on Chemistry 10
First Forensic Chemistry Workshop
– Was it a suicide or murder??
11
Interview with Dr. Nick Wood 12
Interview with Dr. Rob Thatcher 13
Barbara Jones’ Retirement 14-16
New Starters 17
Chemistry York@50 team 18-19
2013 Northern England
Postgraduate Chemistry
Conference - Friday 21st July
20
Seen in Green Chemistry Cylinder
Cage
Building Progress 21
2013 Royal Society of Chemistry Organic Stereochemistry
Award
This has been awarded to Prof Peter O’Brien for his important
contributions to asymmetric synthesis, particularly the development
and applications of the (+)-sparteine surrogate.
Prior to the O’Brien group’s work, the key limitation in sparteine-
mediated asymmetric reactions was that only one enantiomeric
series was accessible, since sparteine exists in Scotch broom plants
only as its (–)-antipode. The early pioneers of sparteine chemistry
(Beak, Hoppe) did not address this problem but the O’Brien group
found a solution by designing a readily-synthesised pseudo-
enantiomer of (–)-sparteine, the so-called (+)-sparteine surrogate.
The synthetic route starts from naturally occurring (–)-cytisine which is extracted from the seeds
of the Laburnum tree (see picture). The original disclosure (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2002) has been
cited 140 times to date.
Over the last 10 years, the
O’Brien group has published a
series of 20 papers on the (+)-
sparteine surrogate. These
papers have received 627
citations (average of ~31
citations per paper). The group
published an Organic
Syntheses (2006) preparation
fn the (+)-sparteine surrogate
and it is now commercially
available from Sigma-Aldrich.
Page 2
The (+)-sparteine surrogate has been used by many other research groups around the world.
Within the context of natural product synthesis, these examples relied on the (+)-sparteine
surrogate to set up the naturally occurring stereochemistry: (–)-kainic acid (Fukuyama, Org. Lett.
2006); (–)-amurensinine (Stoltz, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2008); (–)-decarestrictine D (Aggarwal,
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2009); (–)-erogorgiaene (Aggarwal, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2011) and
(+)-sclerotiorin (Porco, J. Org. Chem. 2011). In addition to the O’Brien group’s work, the
(+)-sparteine surrogate has also been used to develop new methodology: synthesis of
P-stereogenic phosphines (Kann, Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2004); synthesis of the VAPOL ligand
(Wulff, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2009), asymmetric lithiation-borylation methodology (Aggarwal,
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2007) and asymmetric carbolithiation (Clayden, Org. Lett. 2013).
For more information, see: P. O’Brien, Chem. Commun., 2008, 655.
Page 3
Dr Martin Cockett Awarded VC's Teaching Award
Dr. Martin Cockett has received a Vice Chancellor's
Teaching Award for his highly reflective approach to the
teaching of physical chemistry and the resulting excellent
feedback from undergraduate students. The impact of his
Maths for Chemists textbooks both within and without the
University was also recognised as was his contribution to
leadership within the Department.
As a teacher of Physical Chemistry, Martin has to convey
some of the most challenging concepts in our chemistry
degree, and the feedback he gets from students is quite simply outstanding. In fact, one of our
own undergraduates described him as the 'Lionel Messi of Physical Chemistry teaching'. In
addition to his exceptional lecturing and teaching skills, Martin is co-author of a textbook which
aims to teach Maths to chemists in a contextualised and integrated way, which can easily be
understood by chemists with a wide range of mathematical backgrounds. The Chair of the Board
of Studies, Prof Dave Smith said, 'The Department of Chemistry here in York prides itself on the
impact its academic staff have on our undergraduates - Martin's award is very well deserved and
goes to show the ability of our talented staff to enthuse students with challenging subject matter.'
The award will be presented at one of the University's Summer degree ceremonies.
Giacomo Gelardi, a 3rd
year PhD student, was selected to give an oral presentation at the 24th
SCI Regional Graduate Symposium on Novel Organic Chemistry in Leeds. Some of the group
went along to cheer Giacomo on and his talk went down very well.
Ten members of the organic synthesis group (including Richard Taylor, Peter O’ Brien and Paul
Clarke) attended the RSC Grasmere Heterocyclic Conference on 9th-13
th May. Paul gave a
lecture and there were poster presentations from Giacomo Gelardi and James Firth. York
scooped a poster prize with James Firth’s poster being chosen as one of the best at the meeting
– congratulations to James. The weather was a bit mixed as shown by the photograph below –
there are hills in the background – honest!
O’Brien Group News
Page 4
At the start of March, Dr Jacqui Hamilton, Prof Ally Lewis, Dr Richard Lidster and Dr Noelia
Ramirez went to the 10th GCxGC symposium in Palm Springs, California. Jacqui gave a talk
entitled “Development of nitrogen chemiluminescence as a powerful detector for GCxGC” and
Richard was awarded a travel grant and presented a talk on his work entitled “From the Olympics
to the North Sea Gas Fields – Using GCxGC to Investigate Atmospheric Complexity”. The
conference was joint with the 37th International Symposium on Capillary Chromatography and
included some really interesting presenters. Palm Springs was a great place to visit and everyone
enjoyed the margaritas and Mexican food.
Kelly Pereira, a third year PhD student in the Hamilton
group spent most of May working in Paris at LISA
(Laboratoire Interuniversitaire des Systèmes
Atmosphériques), a mixed research laboratory between
Paris-Est Créteil University (UPEC), Paris Diderot
University (UPD) and Centre National de la Recherche
Scientifique (CNRS). During her 4 week stay, Kelly
learnt how to use and design further programs for an
atmospheric model, called the atchem box model. The
atchem box model is designed to simulate the chemistry
of both gaseous and particulate phase compounds
formed for the atmospheric oxidation of volatile
precursors investigated in experimental chambers. The comparison of model simulations to
experimental results will allow us to investigate whether the atmospheric oxidation processes
occurring are fully understood or whether further improvements are needed.
Hamilton Group News
Page 5
The Essential Chemical Industry - Online
CIEC's Promoting Science group have recently compiled a comprehensive online reference
library of the world's principal industrial chemicals.
The library is intended for school, college
and university students and their teachers,
as well as industrial chemists and
employees of chemical companies requiring
a quick reference or overview.
This new web-based edition has been
developed from the latest (5th) edition of the book The Essential Chemical Industry.
There are 76 units, divided into six sections, which describe key aspects of the chemical industry
in a concise way, with easy cross-referencing and drill-down capability.
The six sections are:
An introduction
Industrial processes (such as catalysis and green chemistry)
Materials and applications (including biofuels and nanomaterials)
Basic chemicals (from ammonia to urea)
Polymers
Metals (from aluminium to zinc)
Written by members of CIEC staff, and with the advice of over 200 experts in the field, the site is
systematically reviewed and updated to ensure that it remains relevant and authoritative. The
units are illustrated with over 220 photographs and diagrams, many companies providing recent
and specially commissioned photographs to illustrate specific points raised in the text.
“This is a book that every school library ought to have - and possibly every chemistry classroom”.
Review of the 5th edition of ECI: School Science Review, 2011, 92(341), 129.
Page 6
As part of a continuing programme of investment in our teaching laboratories, the Department of
Chemistry has committed a further £60k to purchase new laboratory instrumentation and
equipment this summer.
New purchases will include four gas chromatography
(GC) systems, including autosamplers, software and
hydrogen detectors. An additional attenuated total
reflection accessory will also be purchased to
increase our capacity for ATR infrared (IR)
spectroscopy.
This investment follows on from an investment of around £150k last summer, in new
instrumentation for our teaching laboratory, which helps to ensure that our students are trained
on the most modern state-of-the-art spectrometers.
Dr Anne-Kathrin Duhme-Klair (Teaching Laboratory Equipment and Infrastructure Officer) noted:
"With these new GC instruments, we now have the capacity to increase the number of practical
experiments that rely on GC detection. The instruments allow training in both manual injection
techniques and the use of auto-samplers for high throughput analysis".
Page 7
New Instrumentation for Chemistry Teaching Laboratory
Caption Competiton
A prize for the best caption to the photo.
Researchers’ Day 21st May
We held our 4th successful researchers day on 21
st May. Over a hundred staff and students
attended the day to hear talks from postdocs across the department. The day started with Dr
Andy Parsons, Deputy HoD, giving an update on developments in the Chemistry Department,
and Professor Robin Perutz telling us about progress on Athena SWAN.
The Postdoc speakers gave excellent and varied talks. They were:
Tim Hurst (Organic Chemistry – Richard Taylor’s group): Synthesis of Oxindoles by Copper-
Catalysed C-H/Ar-H Coupling
Sarah Moller (Atmospheric Chemistry): The Science of Air – A Simple Story of Endless
Complexity
Barbara Procacci (Inorganic Chemistry – Simon Duckett/Robin Perutz’s groups): Competitive
Small Molecule Activation at Rhodium
James Sherwood (Green Chemistry – James Clark’s group): Knowledge Based Bio-based
Products’ Pre-Standardization
Glyn Hemsworth (York Structural Biology Laboratory): Structural Studies of a Bacterial Lytic
Polysaccaride Monooxygenase
Ananya Sen (Physical Chemistry – Caroline Dessent’s group): Chiral Recognition in Neutral and
Ionic Molecular Complexes Page 8
It was great to see some of our newer postdocs
taking up the opportunity to speak about their
previous research as well as what they are working
on now.
We had 19 poster contributions and an audience
vote of the best poster went to Thomas Ronson.
A big thanks to Dr Rob Thatcher for putting the
programme of speakers together, and to Alice
Duckett, Rachel Crooks and Jenny Hudson for
organising the day, the lunch and the wine
reception.
Dr Sue Couling
Page 9
Year 1 Undergraduate Photo
The Get fit @50 team underwent virtual teleportation to Rio last Thursday with Copa Cobana
cocktails, Brazil nuts, pineapple and chocolate in the Chemistry tea room. The South American
carnival city is the starting point for the 3 month challenge, taken on by the team of 7 including 3
keen cyclists and a spinner who in spite of not having wheels in contact with terra firma will be
able to clock up the miles, as will the swimmers, on their international journey.
By Monday their collective steps had taken them to La Laja in the Chilean rain forest where there
are 2.4 billion ants per sq mile – that should keep them moving.
The team plan to hold more coffee time celebrations as the journey progresses and will be
keeping tabs on the 24 other University teams entering into the spirit of adventure.
You Can Count on Chemistry
Page 10
This year saw the introduction of the first Forensic
Chemistry workshop as part of the Year 3 Option
Module Analytical and Forensic Chemistry. The
students entered the workshop to find a staged
crime scene, with a deceased male (Bob the
Chemist), who appeared to have shot himself in
the head. Students were split into groups and had
to develop strategies to collect and analyse the
evidence at the scene. Finally the students had to
prepare a witness statement for a criminal court.
The students took on the challenge really well and
played their parts with gusto.
First Forensic Chemistry Workshop – Was it a suicide or
murder??
Page 11
Teaching Fellow
I started as a Teaching Fellow in the Department in
2006, a few months after finishing my PhD. Initially
my job was to cover some tutorials and
demonstrating for Dr. Anne-Kathrin Duhme-Klair,
while she was on research leave. As time has gone
on, my role has evolved; I still do tutorials and
laboratory demonstrating, but I also run some
practical courses, deliver a couple of lecture
courses, and I've taken on various teaching-related
administrative roles.
My main administrative role is as Director of Studies
for two of our teaching colleges, Pauling and
Woodward. This involves working out the best
solution for matching academic colleagues to
teaching commitments, monitoring student
attendance and performance, and trying to support students (and supervisors) as much as I can.
I've been involved with organising practical work since 2007, working with the technical staff and
the course organisers to ensure that the practical courses run as intended. I've recently handed
this role over (to Prof. Peter O'Brien), although I still help out, especially with writing and
implementing new experiments.
I have just taken over as Chair of the Staff-Student Committee, having been a member for
several years. This is one of the main ways that students can give us their opinions on the
degree course, and we get some very valuable feedback from it. Chairing this committee means
that I also sit on the Departmental Teaching Committee.
I've been in York since 1997, going from my undergraduate degree into a PhD, and then into my
current position. I really enjoyed the laboratory demonstrating I did during my PhD, and so I was
very fortunate that the teaching fellowship opened up when it did.
I live a short walk from campus, with my wife Laura (who sometimes provides me with cake to
bring in) and my daughter Rebecca (nearly 2, who sometimes helps with the cake), in a house
with more books than shelf space. My non-work hours are mostly spent trying redress this
imbalance (by making shelves, rather than destroying books).
Interview with Dr. Nick Wood
Page 12
Post-Doc, Chechik Group
I started working with Victor at the start of 2012 on a project
looking at the biological activity of gold nanoparticles. It
was a completely new area for me, and one that I didn’t
really know anything about, so it was quite surprising when
I was offered the job. My work is mainly synthetic chemistry
although I also spend a large amount of time with the
Genever group in Biology, where we test our materials on
various cell lines. Aside from research, I have also carried
out some tutorial work and helped in the running of the
undergraduate physical-organic labs.
I was also involved in the organisation of the Researchers’
Day held on the 21st May with talks from post-docs and a
PhD poster session – I hope everyone who attended
enjoyed the day.
I am the post-doc representative on the Communications Group for the Department so if any
researchers have any issues or suggestions to raise about communications within the
Department then please let me know.
I grew up in Lochgilphead on the West coast of Scotland and went to university at Glasgow,
where I originally studied for a degree in pure mathematics. A few years later I realised I’d made
a grave mistake and changed my course to a Masters Degree in ‘Chemistry with Medicinal
Chemistry’. As part of my degree, I spent a year in industry with GlaxoSmithKline in Harlow,
Essex, researching drug candidates for treatment of Schizophrenia. After graduating, I moved to
York and carried out my PhD with Richard Douthwaite studying novel nitrogen-donor ligands
and their coordination chemistry. During this time, I also held the position of student technician
for the small molecule X-ray crystallography service, working with Adrian Whitwood. Shortly
after, I made the move (3 metres across the corridor in B-Block) to the Chechik group.
Interview with Dr. Rob Thatcher
Page 13
Barbara Jones retired on Friday 17 May after 18 years in the Department working in various roles
including support for Chemistry and Physics Review and short courses. More recently Barbara
provided support for REF and was the Examinations Administrator.
A tea party was held on Friday
afternoon to say goodbye to Barbara
and thank her for all her work over the
years. Thanks to Jo for the
organisation of the party and to
everyone else who provided cakes,
props and helped set up and tidy away
on the day.
Barbara Jones’ Retirement
Page 14
We wish Barbara a very happy retirement.
Page 17
New Starters
Sarah Holberry, Undergraduate Assessment Administrator.
Extension number: 2512, Room: C/A111,
Email: [email protected]
Charlotte Brannigan, Research Technician, working for Dr
Avtar Matharu in Green Chemistry.
Extension number: 4549, Room: C/B018,
Email: [email protected]
Dr John Darby, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, working for Prof Roderick Hubbard in YSBL.
Extension number: 8276, Room: B/K266, Email: [email protected]
Dr Martyn Ward, Experimental Officer, working for Prof Lucy Carpenter.
Extension number: 2565, Room: A023d, Email: [email protected]
Victoria Wren, EDRF Project & Contracts Officer, working for Dr Fabien Deswarte in the
Biorenewable Development Centre (BDC).
Extension number: 327825, Room: Biocentre 2.89b, Email: [email protected]
Darren Phillips, Process Development Unit Technician, working for Dr Mark Gronnow in the
Biorenewable Development Centre (BDC).
Extension number: 561568, Room: Biocentre 2.52, Email: [email protected]
Barbara Procacci, Postdoctoral Resaerch Fellow, working with Prof Simon Duckett.
Extension number: 8894, CHM/115, Email: [email protected]
Jane Harrison, Administrative Assistant in YSBL.
Extension number: 8259, Room: B/K167, Email: [email protected]
Welcome to Professor John Spencer from Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand, who is
spending six weeks in Duncan Bruce's group.
Duncan Bruce Group News
Six chemistry staff have got together to form the Chemistry York@50 team. Angela Longman,
Helen Burrell, Sally Lewis, Sandra Greive, Adrian Whitwood and a new recruit, Tim Ganderton.
Most of the cycle team! Sally, Helen, Adrian and Sandra
The York@50 sporting challenges are sponsored events and not only provide the participants
with a good time and a chance to push their fitness but also make a difference to young people in
York. There are two charities: Achieving Excellence Bursaries—helping students from low-
incomes to come study at York, and Project Snowball—improving the facilities at Snowball
Plantation, a scout camp used by many youth organisation such as cubs, scouts, brownies and
guides; St John ambulance cadets; and YUSU’s flagship volunteering project Kids' Camp, which
has given a break to some of York’s most vulnerable children over the last 50 years. More
information can be found online at
http://www.yorkspace.net/york50
York@50 has two challenges. The first was a 10
km fun run which took place a few of weeks
ago. Angela Longman competed in this. You
can still sponsor her though.
Angela in action!
Chemistry York@50 team
The second challenge is a bike ride with various
distances; the chemistry cycle team are doing the
longest, 52 mile, route. Helen and Adrian have been
for a couple of training rides with Helen’s husband,
Paul, providing encouragement. As well as enjoying
the views, near Wetherby they discovered a secret
weapon - a tardis. It’s neat to arrive before you’ve
left!
Sponsorship can be done online at:
https://www.justgiving.com/Adrian-Whitwood or sign
the forms in the coffee room, teaching labs, YSBL or
porter’s desk.
Helen & Paul near Low Ouseburn
Paul and Adrian with the tardis!
PLEASE SPONSOR US! Page 19
Page 20
Seen in Green Chemistry Cylinder Cage
What we would all like to know is how do the birds know to build their nest on a cylinder that is
only changed every six months!
The Department of Chemistry is hosting this conference which is open to research students in
any area of Chemistry. Abstracts are invited from those interested in giving a talk or displaying a
poster. We hope to attract research students from a wide range of areas, and give them the
opportunity to showcase their work to other research students in the region.
Further information is available on the website and registration is now open:
http://www.york.ac.uk/chemistry/postgraduate/2013northernenglandpostgraduatechemistryconference/
2013 Northern England Postgraduate Chemistry
Conference - Friday 26th July
There has been little visible progress on the new F-Block
building since the last issue.
On the Wolfson Atmospheric Chemistry Laboratory building
the steel structure and pre-cast concrete items have been
installed.
The builders, Simpsons, have provided some
photographs, including one of the internal
staircases and a view from the roof of the
building towards the main Chemistry building.
Page 21
Building Progress