(TCLS= Thursday Chemistry Lunch Seminar: 12.15-13 @ Tripletten
For ALL employees at the Chemistry Department!
Hello everyone!
I am Amrita Panigrahi. I am an organic chemistry graduate from Bengaluru, India. I am starting my PhD research on frustrated Lewis pairs in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and their properties towards hydrogen and nitrogen activation in the Dietzel group. I have previously worked at Jubilant Biosys as a research associate in synthetic organic chemistry and analysis. You can find me in Room no. 2002, 2nd Floor.
TMS Starting Grant. Foto: Eivind Senneset, UiB
On the 1st of August 2022, Mali’s TMS Starting grant project, Recyclable Catalysts for Sustainable Polymers from CO2 and Bio-based Epoxides (ReCat4Polymer), officially started. On Friday the 23rd of September she officially received her TMS badge from the Trond Mohn Foundation. The event was the TMS alumni night at Tårnsalen at the University Museum. Our rector Margareth Hagen was also present to celebrate the three new grant holders, Mali from Chemistry, Suzette Flantua at the Department of Biological Sciences and Carina Strell at the Centre for Cancer Biomarkers (CCBIO).
The aim of the generous funds from the Trond Mohn Foundation and the University of Bergen is to build up a research group to study recyclable catalysts for the production of sustainable plastics, where CO2 will be used as one of the raw materials.
TMS Starting Grant. Foto: Eivind Senneset, UiB
Mali will develop efficient and fully recyclable catalysts for the sustainable production of modern materials without the use of fossil raw materials. The project focuses specifically on the development of recyclable catalysts for the production of sustainable polymers, where CO2 and bio-based epoxides will be used as raw materials. This will be an important contribution to the UN’s 12th sustainability goal; «Responsible consumption and production». The key to obtaining suitable and recyclable catalysts lies in introducing polyoxometalates (POMs). POMs are a special class of inorganic compounds that is one of Mali’s specialties from her PhD at the University of Glasgow, Scotland. PhD student Leah Kristen Rai is already in place at the institute.
Hi, my name is Leah Kristen Rai and I am from India, Chennai, Tamilnadu.
I am a passionate Chemist with my Bachelors from Stella Maris College and Masters in Inorganic Chemistry from University of Madras. My area of interest is mainly on catalysis, and I also have experience with computational analysis and experimental work. I worked as Junior Research Fellow for a brief period at Anna University in the project “Production of JP-8 range fuels and chemicals using nanostructured catalysts” (DST Indo-Norway project). My other activities include travelling, photography, drawing…………….. and I am a lover of nature and animals.
Looking forward to pursue my research at UiB with confidence and perseverance!
TCLS this week focused on Biogas; the gas mixture of methane (50-70%) and carbon dioxide (50-30%) that many of the local buses use for fuel. Assoc. Prof. Vasan Sivalingam and PhD-student Gudny Flatabø visited from Department of Process, Energy and Environmental Technology at the University of South-Eastern Norway (https://www.usn.no/english/about/contact-us/employees/vasan-sivalingam), and Vasan presented his research on how to advance methane yield in biogas by integration of fermentation of syngas (mixture of H2, CO2 & CO) and microbial electrosynthesis (MES). In return, Stian Hegdahl, phd-student at our department, explored and explained how to wrestle bio-oil from residues from the biogas production. He also exemplified the fate of pharmaceutical drugs when exposed to conditions needed for hydrothermal conversion of feedstock to make Bio-Oil.
The Nobel prize this year is split equally between K. Barry Sharpless (Scripps Research, USA), Morten Meldal (Københavns universitet) and Carolyn R. Bertozzi (Stanford U., USA); the two first for laying the foundations of click chemistry, and prof. Bertozzi for putting it to good use in mapping living cells.
The principle of click chemistry is illustrated in the scheme, ”© Johan Jarnestad/The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences”. The reaction between an azide and an alkyne, in the presence of catalytic amounts of copper, produces quickly and without byproducts the corresponding substituted triazole, even in water and in the presence of air.
For a pop-sci introduction to this fascinating topic, please go here. A more in-depth exposition is to be found here.
It should be mentioned that this is prof. Sharpless´ second Nobel prize in chemistry. He also won in 2001, for his contributions to the development of «broadly useful and commercially viable catalytic oxidation chemistry for the selective production of bioactive chiral molecules.»
Hydrogen and ammonia are the foci of two new Senters for Environmentally-Friendly Energy Research: HyValue and HYDROGENi. HyValue is led by Norce Research, with Dept of Chemistry a strong contributor to work package 1, led by prof. Vidar R. Jensen. 
The two centra were opened and celebrated in a common kick-off meeting in Oslo today, with greetings and expectations delivered by the the minister of petroleum and energy, Terje Aasland, pro-rector at UiB, Pinar Heggernes, and secretary general of the European Energy Research Alliance, Adel Gammal, and others.
Last Friday, Ingrid Schiager Skinnarland successfully defended her thesis «Investigations of intermediates and byproducts formed in an industrial process – structure elucidation and mechanistic studies» for the degree of ph.d. She has been an enterprise phd-student («nærings-PhD») at our department, and her project has been carried out both at GE Healthcare Lindesnes Fabrikker and at the Department of Chemistry. She has been supervised by Prof. em. Leiv K. Sydnes and Dr. Torfinn Håland. We congratulate!
On September 15, Illimar Rekand successfully defended his thesis «Structure-based Druggability Predictions of RNA Binding Sites and Design of RNA Ligands» for the ph.d. degree. Illimar has a background in organic synthesis from our department, and the PhD project was carried out at the departments of biomedicine and chemistry. His supervisors have been profs. Ruth Brenk and Bengt Erik Haug. We extend warm gratulations!
On September 16, for the first time since Covid-19 made its entry, a fully physical and normal dissertation ceremony was held at the department of chemistry. On this happy day, Frida Johanne Lundevall, engineer and PhD-student at our department, successfully defended her thesis «Synthesis and Method Development of Silver N-Heterocyclic Complexes as Cytotoxic Agents» for the degree of ph.d. The best of gratulations to the new doctor in town!
Hopefully you have all experienced an enjoyable summer vacation and that you have managed to dispose of stress hormones earned during the Spring term, and also stored up energy, ideas and inspiration to invest in the new academic year!
Foto/ill.: Eivind Senneset
This week we are receiving new and returning students in chemistry, nanotechnology, medicinal technology, pharmacy, energy studies and in the teacher education, to name those programs where chemistry is most heavily invested. As for numbers, the chemistry program is bouncing back very nicely and we expect to fill all the places offered with well motivated students. Nanotechnology is also looking promising, and the Med-tech program gives medicine, odontology and psychology a real competition for which program is the hardest to get accepted into!
Choosing UiB and our programs is a strong expression of trust which translates into a great responsibility. We accept this responsibility with dedication to quality in our study programs, both in the individual courses, the programs, and the social learning environment. Let us continue the proud tradition of the Chemistry Department in welcoming the students in a friendly, helpful and efficient manner!