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March 2012 Issue 3
The newsletter of the University of Sussex
Chemistry Department
Sussex Chemistry and Beyond
News in brief...
Chemistry Experience Days: geometric isomers add a twist to
A level learning!
Spectroscopy in the Far East
Over two days in March, Sussex Chemistry hosted around 100 sixth form students
from local schools and colleges to experience undergraduate laboratory experiments
and spectroscopic techniques. The Chemistry Experience Day provides A-level
students with hands-on practical skills in chemistry and exposure to apparatus and
instrumentation that they may not normally have access to in the classroom.
Following successful isomerisation reactions and recrystallization of products, the
students gain access to our state-of-the-art NMR, mass spec, UV and IR facilities to
explore how isomers can have very different physical properties despite being
chemically identical!
Dr Mark Osborne presented an invited
talk
on
the
Single
Molecule
Spectroscopy of Quantum Dots this
month at AnalytiX-2012 in Beijing,
China. The conference brought
together over 500 specialists in
chemo- and bio-analytical techniques
with forums ranging from NMR and
mass-spec to microfluidics and
imaging.
Research Grant Success
The Translational Drug Discovery
Group, in collaboration with scientists
in the Genome Damage & Stability
Centre and the Brighton & Sussex
Medical
School
(BSMS),
has
successfully secured funding from
Cancer Research UK to identify
inhibitors
of
Tyrosyl
DNA
phosphodiesterase-1 (TDP-1) and
understand more fully the biological
consequences
of
inhibiting
the
enzyme. The target compounds are
expected to interfere with the ability of
cancer cells to survive and replicate.
Beyond the chemistry, students get the chance to talk to our dynamic undergraduate
student demonstrators and over lunch experience the bustling campus life. The
March dates form part of a series of experience days that have been regularly held in
December, March and June for more than five years, bringing over 300 students
through our chemistry labs each year. A further 100 gifted and talented pre-GCSE
students attend the Salters’ Chemistry Camp held regularly each Summer, forming
part of a wider portfolio of schools activities that include Widening Participation (WP)
events and activities promoted to partner schools from across Sussex and London.
For
general
information
on
WP
Events
and
Activities
visit
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/wp/schoolsandcolleges
In at the deep end …
For the new Professor of Organic Chemistry
Professor Mark Bagley joined Chemistry at Sussex in February
2012 and heads the Organic Chemistry Group. He is distinguished
by his research in heterocyclic chemistry, the use of new reaction
technology such as microwave heating and flow chemistry, and
chemistry
research into understanding and reversing cellular ageing. Since his arrival, he has
taught second, third and fourth year undergraduates and by all student accounts they
are inspired by his energetic, passionate, and contagious love of chemistry. And it’s
not just the students who are enchanted by his enthusiasm … already he has set
about putting together many large research grant applications, bringing together other
members of our vibrant organic chemistry group and inviting theoreticians,
spectroscopists, inorganic chemists, medicinal chemists and biologists from the
school to contribute their expertise in tackling key topical issues at the frontiers of
metal-catalysed organic synthesis, materials chemistry and in developing new
innovative treatments and diagnoses for age-related diseases. Mark says:
“This is such an exciting place to live and work! There aren’t many chemistry
departments around the world where Nobel Prize-winning Chemists have made their
breakthroughs but this is one of them. What a great forum with which to inspire our
students to achieve!”
Trip to Wembley
Chemistry PhD Student Dan Lester
has organised a group of scientists
from Sussex and BSMS to attend the
Fisher “Science World 2012” event in
London this April. Dan says that the
event, which brings together 80
leading
laboratory
suppliers and
fascinating guest speakers, promises
to be “an excellent opportunity for
networking and for
discovering
new equipment and techniques useful
to all areas of scientific research.”
Hot off the press
Moderating the acidity of Pb(II)-Water
complexes through the coordination of
non-aqueous ligands: A computational
study. Georgina D.C. Aitken, Hazel
Cox, Anthony J. Stace, J. Phys. Chem.
A, 116 (2012) 3035−3041.
This paper from the Cox group uses
quantum chemistry to understand how
the immediate environment of a metal
ion at a molecular level can influence
local acidity. It demonstrates that the
acidity of Pb(II)-bound water can be
altered through metal ion coordination
to oxygen- and nitrogen-coordinating
ligands and provides insight into the
mechanism proposed for the Pb(II)induced hydrolysis of tRNA.
2 Sussex Chemistry News
The French Connection
Jess’s Journey
News from the Viseux lab
… to Spain
The Viseux group has a history of fruitful collaborations with
universities in France and welcomes students every year from the
ENSI of Caen and Montpellier and from the Université Pierre et Marie
Curie, Paris. This year, two students have joined the Viseux research
group to work on organometallic
research projects. Andrea, a
Masters Student, is working on a
novel microwave-assisted goldcatalysed
enantioselective
cascade
reaction
to
access polysubstituted
indoles
fused
with
cyclopropanes,
reactions that are catalysed by
complexes
designed
and
developed within the Viseux group. Hubert is investigating the use of
chiral complexes of Hf(IV) as a synthetic tool to enantioselectively
convert carboxylic derivatives into 3-, 5- and 7-memberedcycloalkyl
alcohols and amines.
Recently I attended the European F-Element
Network (EUFEN) conference in Tarragona,
Spain. This was my first conference and I was
scheduled to present a poster, but at the last
minute a member of my group who was also
attending was not able to come along, so I was
offered the talk slot originally assigned to him. I
presented my talk early on the first day and
before I'd had time to get nervous, I stood up in
front of 100 people and talked for 20 minutes
about my area of research, uranium(IV) alkyl and
hydride chemistry. It was all a bit of a blur, and
standing only a few feet away from academics
whose papers I read in journals was a daunting
experience but one I ultimately thoroughly
enjoyed. I felt proud to present the work that I've
spent so many hours on, and having the chance
to then discuss ideas with others at the poster
session in the evening shed light on things I
hadn't considered before.
Last year's students had great success within the group and are coauthors on a series of papers, one of which has just been accepted for
publication.
Fay’s story
Life as a Mature Student
As a mature student having grown up 20 miles from
Brighton I already had an attachment to the area.
Impressed by Chemistry’s teaching and research
reputation and the support the university has in
place for mature students, I knew that this was the
environment for me to focus on my studies.
My favoured subjects have been on the inorganic and physical side –
overcoming my irrational fear of maths has been a rewarding challenge
and will continue to be a lifetime pursuit. I recently volunteered at the
Brighton Science Festival, which furthered my interest in science
communication, materials and green technologies and influenced my
choices for my final year options.
Now with the realisation that I have just over a year left, I wish to enjoy
every minute I have at Sussex as it has been a voyage of selfdiscovery. I have met some wonderful, inspiring people who have
helped make my university experience a positive one.
Jess explains her
research to Prof
Bill Evans, from
the University of
California
The rest of my time at the conference was spent
listening to interesting talks, browsing posters of
PhD and Postdoc students, and socialising with
other attendees. With delegates from all around
the world there was no shortage of conversation
topics! Overall my first conference experience
was fantastic - I thoroughly enjoyed meeting lots
of interesting people and hearing about their
work, and also sharing my findings with people
who have a comprehensive understanding of felement chemistry. Daunting? Yes. Challenging?
Yes. But great fun? Absolutely. I can't wait to
head off to my next conference.
Matt’s Mingle
Second Year MChem student
Last year I was voted as the first year student
representative for the Chemistry department. At times
it was a challenging role as I had to balance my
studies with meetings involving members of staff from
both our department and the School of Life Sciences,
as well as the occasional meeting with the ViceChancellor. These were fantastic opportunities for us
to share what we felt was good about our courses,
and to submit constructive criticism through the correct
channels.
Chemistry
Sudoku
This year, I decided to step-down as student rep and apply for a committee
position in the C60 society, and was appointed Parties and Socials Secretary.
The main role of the C60 society is to bring together students, staff and alumni
who have an interest in chemistry, but this doesn’t mean that we can’t have a little
fun as well. We have hosted a large number of socials and trips throughout the
year – all of which have brought people closer together within the department.
Sussex Chemistry News is produced by the Chemistry Office with contributions from Chemistry students and faculty, and edited by Dr H Cox, email
[email protected]. If you prefer to receive an electronic copy please email [email protected], or download at www.sussex.ac.uk/chemistry