Chemistry in Australia magazine

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November 2017

IUPAC’s centenary: creating the common language of chemistry

By Mary Garson

Preparations for the centenary of IUPAC in 2019 are already under way, reports Mary Garson.

The RACI’s centenary this year is a milestone – a unique opportunity to recognise what RACI has accomplished and to acknowledge its ongoing role and responsibility in the future of chemistry, both nationally and internationally.

In 2019, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) will likewise celebrate 100 years.

By University of Sydney

Cornforth tribute

Australia’s only Nobel Prize-winner in Chemistry, Sir John Cornforth, died four years ago, the year after his wife Rita, also a University of Sydney chemistry alumnus, passed away – and to mark what would have been his 100th birthday, Google created a ‘Doodle’.

By George Koutsantonis and John D. Wade

Australian Journal of Chemistry

After more than 18 months in the role of editors-in-chief of Australian Journal of Chemistry and handling a large number of submissions, we have been periodically both startled and bemused by fortunately rare examples of poor behaviour on the part of authors. The pressure to publish in a Western journal of established international repute remains very high for many scientists, but particularly for those hailing from countries where research funding and defined career paths remain difficult. This has led to recourse by some authors to dubious or unethical means to have their submissions accepted and CVs correspondingly enhanced.

Chemical companies fail to comply with EU regulations

Chemical companies are required to document that their chemicals are safe but the majority withhold or submit incomplete information to the European authorities, allowing dangerous substances to stay on the market.

Out, damned purple spot!

What’s under that purple spot? Italian researchers working in the Secret Vatican Archive had been struggling to read a five-metre long parchment written in 1244 because it’s covered in purple spots. Sparing ancient documents from the ravages of time is a difficult process, and while they are now kept in rooms with carefully controlled environmental conditions, many have already been attacked by water, air and even microbial life for centuries.

Templating coordination nanotube assembly

Molecular structures with 1D channels, known as nanotubes, have potential applications in gas sorption, separation and storage. Recently, Brett Paterson, Brendan Abrahams, Paul Donnelly and colleagues from the University of Melbourne used host–guest interactions to direct the assembly of coordination complexes into nanotubes that can act as hosts for small molecules.

Supporting women in chemistry

The RACI Victorian Branch’s Women in Chemistry (WinC) committee is one of the most active groups of the branch, regularly running networking and career development events throughout the year. At the recent RACI Centenary Congress in Melbourne (23–28 July 2017), WinC had an active presence throughout the conference. They held two events over the course of the week, and found the engagement with local, interstate and international colleagues to be highly rewarding.

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October 2017

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AJC: celebrating 70 years of chemical science publishing

By Jennifer M. Foster

Next year, the Australian Journal of Chemistry will celebrate 70 years of publishing research papers from all fields of chemical science, with a focus on multidisciplinary chemistry and emerging areas of research.

In 2018, the Australian Journal of Chemistry (AJC) will achieve the milestone of reaching 70. To appreciate where AJC now stands, it is important to understand its roots.

By Simon Copland

Profile: Dr Brendon Hammer

It’s fair to assume that the most likely outcome of a degree in chemistry is a life in the laboratory. While the lab can lead to a lifetime of discovery, chemistry can also open up doors to all sorts of careers. Even international diplomacy. Don’t believe it? Just ask Dr Brendon Hammer, a Research School of Chemistry (RSC) alumnus and Australia’s current Ambassador to Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Hungary, Kosovo, Slovakia and Slovenia.

By Peter Junk

RACI Centenary Congress wrap-up

The RACI celebrated its 100th birthday at the Centenary Congress in Melbourne, 23–28 July 2017. The conference was an outstanding success, and right from the outset I would like to thank the CEO of the RACI, Roger Stapleford for his inexhaustible contributions. Roger oversaw much of the logistics of this congress, and, as one could imagine, the organisational aspects were enormous.