one
2014
NEWSLETTER
Serving Electrochemical Science, Technology and Engineering within
the catchment of
The Royal Society of Chemistry
and
The Society of Chemical Industry
Published by the SCI Electrochemical Technology, the RSC Electrochemistry and the
RSC Electroanalytical Sensing Systems Groups © [2014], all rights reserved.
Contents
Editorial
3
Call for Nominations
4
Electrochem 2014
5
Obituary: W. John Albery
7
Obituary: Sir Graham Hills
10
Meetings
11
Meeting Report: 15th Topical ISE Meeting, Niagara Falls
18
Meeting Report: Pittcon, USA
21
Meeting Report: Midlands Electrochemistry Group
23
Student Conference Bursaries
28
Echem.net
29
Summer & Winter Schools
32
Echem Book Rev (new & classic)
36
Diffusion des Savoirs : Electrochemistry Calendar
34
Job Opportunities
45
New Product Information
46
RSC Electrochemistry Group Poster
59
2
Editorial
This issue includes two obituaries, for W. John Albery and for Sir Graham Hills, both of
which made huge contributions to the field of electrochemistry in the UK and at
international level. I thank Professor Mike Lyons and Professor Laurie Peter for
contributing these obituaries, which serve to highlight and celebrate major achievements
and lasting legacies in terms of knowledge and in terms of “academic offspring” and
influence.
During Electrochem 2014 7th to 9th September 2014
the symposium on fundamental electrochemistry will
be dedicated to the celebration of Professor W. John
Albery’s work and influence. As one of the highlights
during this symposium, the first W. J. Albery lecture
will be presented by Dr. Tim Albrecht from Imperial
College London.
For further details about Electrochen 2014 Upul
Wijayantha (email U.Wijayantha@lboro.ac.uk) at the
University of Loughborough is the main contact and
local organiser. In the run-up to this event there will be
local one-day conferences with student presentations
selected for sponsored oral contributions to
Electrochem 2014.
The Faraday Discussion 172 on Carbon in Electrochemistry will be held in July
at the University of Sheffield to bring together specialists in nano-carbon materials and
electrochemical applications of novel carbon systems.
More events and activities are listed in the electrochemical calendar below. This issue
offers the usual mix of information on conferences and new electrochemistry products,
books, newsletter reports from international conferences attended by bursary students,
admin info, and some highlights of recent & classic books and publications. I welcome
any feedback and suggestions or contributions from readers for future issues.
If you wish to notify the editor with your view on the material or the content of any item
in this issue, or if you wish to contribute to the newsletter, please write to the Editor-inChief (Frank Marken, Department of Chemistry, University of Bath) at:
f.marken@bath.ac.uk
Missed a copy? You can catch up on all the news via our webspace hosted by the Royal
Society of Chemistry at the following URL.
http://www.rsc.org/Membership/Networking/InterestGroups/Electrochemistry/news.asp
3
Call for Nominations....
RSC Electrochemistry Group
The RSC Electrochemistry Group Committee membership changes regularly and
in 2014, during the Electrochem 2014 event, the following positions will have to
become vacant:
before the Electrochem 2014 event or participate directly at the AGM September
2014, which will be held during Electrochem 2014 at Loughborough University.
•
Group Chairperson
for up to a three year duration
•
Industry Representative
for up to a three year duration
Please send nomination to the current RSC Electrochemistry Group Secretary,
Dr. Upul Wijayantha (email: U.Wijayantha@lboro.ac.uk),
before the Electrochem 2014 event or participate directly at the AGM
September 2014 at Loughborough University. In the event of more than one
candidate standing for either of these position, an election will be held during the
group AGM.
4
Electrochem2014
5
6
Obituary
Wyndham John Albery FRS
5 April 1936 – 3 December 2013.
W. John Albery, WJA, is no longer with us, and Physical
Chemistry/Electrochemistry is very much the poorer for his
passing. John passed away on 3 December 2013 after a long
battle with cancer. He was 77. His obituary in the Telegraph was
headlined by the very apt statement that John was ‘a
distinguished chemist who matched achievement with
irreverence’ as Master of University College Oxford’. H is
legacy is enormous and by that we will remember him.
John Albery FRS was educated at Winchester College and
Balliol College Oxford. He undertook his D.Phil with Ronnie
Bell, starting in 1960. He was appointed to a Weir Junior Research Fellowship in October 1962
and then to a Fellowship and Praelectorship in Chemistry at University College Oxford (Univ) in
October 1963. John was the quintiessential ‘College Man’. He served Univ as Junior Dean and
Dean, and was Tutor for Admissions from 1968 – 75. This period culminated in Univ coming top
of the Norrington Table in 1975. John formed a l arge and active research group which was
characterised both by the intellectual quality of its members and its productivity as w ell as an
excellent Group Espirit de Corps engendered by John’s sense of fun and enjoyment of people.
Coming from the theatrical Albery family, John had a presence and a sense of the dramatic. He
was an enthusiastic senior member of University College Players, organizer of the (in)famous
Univ Review, held in the College Hall, and script writer for Experimental Theatre Club reviews
staged by the Etceteras. Early in his career in 1962 he wrote for the ground breaking and not to be
forgotten BBC satirical comedy TV show ‘That Was the Week that Was’.
In 1978 J ohn left Oxford and was appointed as Professor of Physical Chemistry at Imperial
College London. Here he again formed a very large and active research group. Again the
excellent scientific development of group members was balanced by an equal emphasis on social
interaction both on the playing fields of Kensington Gardens, at group birthdays and Christmas
parties. John was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1985.
In 1989 John returned to Oxford to be Master of University College. He took pleasure in seeing
the College’s First Eight go Head of the River in 1990 – the first time since 1914, and indeed
retain the prize in the next year. Notably he hosted the visit of President Bill Clinton (a former
Rhode’s Scholar in the 1960’s at Univ) and his wife Hilary Clinton to the College in June 1994.
John served Univ with energy, enthusiasm and élan until his retirement in 1997.
John was elected an Honorary Fellow of Univ on his retirement, and he took up a senior research
fellowship , the Barrer Fellow in Chemistry, at Imperial College, London. To celebrate his 75th
birthday in 2011 a conference was held in Oxford, attended by some 120 people, with lectures
given by friends and former students. A dinner in Univ attended by many former students and
friends was a highlight of this marvellous celebration.
7
John Albery was a very distinguished Physical Chemist and scholar who had a unique scientific
approach and style. He wore his learning easily and had the rare ability to inspire generations of
students, many of whom have attained notable success both in Academia and in Industry both at
home and throughout the world. All WJA graduates share his unique imprint. John believed very
strongly in encouraging his students to develop their scientific abilities to the maximum extent.
Herein lies his rich human legacy. He made fundamental contributions to numerous areas of
electrochemical science in its broadest sense. He published prolifically. His papers carried the
characteristic WJA imprint of physical insight coupled with cogent mathematical analysis usually
resulting in an approximate analytical solution which enabled a prediction to be made which
could then be subjected to experimental verification using simple chemical systems. An Albery
‘screed’ was often anxiously awaited by many a g raduate student which on receipt, would
subsequently be examined line by line to illuminate a pressing research problem.
Doing science is great fun but like all fun activity, it must be paid for. John was very successful at
the latter as evidenced by the fact that his researchgroup whether in Oxford or Imperial was
always very large. It should be noted that John’s contribution to, and impact at the SRC or ESRC
(as EPSRC was then) was substantial. His highly sensible suggestions delivered at the latter fora
ensured that scarce resources were always directed to where they would do most good.
John Albery and co-workers (largely Stanley Bruckenstein and Mike Hitchman) will forever be
associated with a series of masterful scholarly papers on the complexities of hydrodynamic
voltammetry using the rotating ring disc electrode geometry. A key achievement was the
development of a full analytical expression for the collection efficiency of the ring disc electrode.
These papers were written largely during his tenure in Univ during the 1960’s and 1970’s. This
work was summarised in a now difficult to obtain book on the Ring Disc electrode co-authored
with Mike Hitchman. His important work on the hydrodynamics of tubular electrodes under
laminar flow and the development of electrochemical esr with Richard Compton was also
performed in Oxford during this time. His papers on the physical electrochemistry underlying
photoelectrochemical and photogalvanic cells (Mary Archer, Russ Egdell and Phil Bartlett) are
classics and straddle his Oxford and Imperial College years. I n Imperial College in the early
1980’s, John and Rob Hillman developed a full physicochemical understanding of transport and
kinetics within chemically modified electrodes which served as a v ery useful counterpart to the
analysis developed at the same time by Andrieux and Saveant in Paris. This work resulted in the
development of complex three dimensional kinetic case diagrams which were supberb examples
of the way that approximate analytical expressions could be visualized in a useful geometric
manner in a 3D parameter space. Also during the mid 1980’s, John in collaboration with Phil
Bartlett and Derek Crayston amongst others, developed in a number of papers, the theoretical
modelling of immobilized enzyme systems on electrode surfaces. This seminal work arose from a
series of earlier papers co-authored with Jeremy Knowles of Harvard on the catalytic function of
enzymes. The enzyme electrode work, although developed by many other workers worldwide,
still serves as the basis of our current understanding of enzyme modified electrodes. In the late
1980’s early 1990’s John’s attention was drawn to understanding the transport and kinetics of
charge carriers (electrons and counterions) in polymer modified electrodes. The work of John and
Andy Mount on the development of dual rail transmission line models attracted controversy and
vigorous discussion in the literature of the time and again forms the basis of our current
understanding of the area. A foray into oxygen evolution and electroreduction electrocatalysis at
transition metal oxides in collaboration with Brian Steele, Ernesto Calvo and the present author is
also of note for the early realisation of the importance of surface hydrated layers as the active
regions defining the catalytic activity of these technologically important materials.
8
In addition to the latter topics John Albery also made very significant contributions to transdermal
drug delivery in collaboration with Jon Hadgraft and Richard Guy. His work on chemical sensing
was very important. The detection of anaesthetic gases with Clive Hahn of the Oxford Infirmary
with Bill Brooks as student and the work on the detection of neurotransmitters in rat’s brains with
Marianne Filenz and Robert O’Neill at Oxford with Bill Beck as a student readily spring to mind.
He also pioneered the early work on using computers in sensing applications ably aided by people
such as Humphrey Drummond, Barry Haggett and Rob Svenberg in Imperial College. The
mixing of hydrodynamics and analytical chemistry as evidenced by a series of papers describing
the the Wall Jet electrode in collaboration with Ana Maria Brett and Chris Brett was of note. The
study of liquid/liquid interfaces with Peter Fisk; the electrochemistry of semiconductor particles
and transparent microelectrodes under illumination (Colin Boxall) and, finally, the application of
Marcus Theory to understand the physical organic chemistry o f proton transfer reactions (a
topic very dear to John’s heart) further indicate John’s broad interests and wide contribution to
Chemistry . We readily can conclude that John Albery had a rare and multifaceted talent, and
was very much the Renaissance Man.
John Albery was a marvellous teacher and an inspiration to generations of his students both
Undergraduate and Post Graduate in Oxford and in Imperial. His legacy remains in his excellent
little textbook entitled ‘Electrode Kinetics’, published by OUP in 1975, in which the content both
informs and entertains in equal measure. Indeed the book is a cl assic and will stand the test of
time as a testament to a humane teacher and scholar the like of whom will not be seen again.
We finish with a short quote from a poem entitled ‘Ballade on my 75th’ written by John for his
75th Birthday Dinner held at Univ in 2011 which was a really special night for those of us lucky
to be there:
‘Rotating discs are what you need
To answer problems every day,
And I must publish – this my creedIn journals such as Faraday :‘The precedent this work creates’You urge on us the need for speed.
But hold the press – the world yet waits –
Until it has been refereed’.
This Ballade, so typical of John, is a fitting endnote to a life well lived.
Professor Mike Lyons, Trinity College Dublin
27 January 2014
9
Obituary
Sir Graham Hills
9.4.1926 – 9.2.2014: A Personal Note
Sir Graham Hills, known as “GJ” to many of his colleagues, died earlier this month. His
early career took him from Westcliffe High School near Southend-on-Sea via Birkbeck
and Imperial College to the Chair of Physical Chemistry at Southampton University in
1962, where he remained until 1980. His 18 years at Southampton saw the expansion of
the Electrochemistry group to become a leading centre in Europe, attracting many visitors
from overseas and remaining at the forefront of international research. His subsequent
move to Strathclyde came at a time when government cuts were beginning to bite deep
into university budgets, and these were challenging times. Sir Graham saw Strathclyde
through this difficult phase into an era of expansion that still continues. Knighted in 1988
for his services to education, Sir Graham used his retirement, to push for the
establishment of a University of the Highlands and Islands, a cause dear to his heart.
As one of Graham’s PhD students (from 1966-1969), I grew to respect and like him as a
“renaissance man” with a deeply civilized nature who recognized the importance and
richness of life outside the ivory tower. He had the knack of making you feel at ease
whilst still challenging you with difficult, often philosophical, questions. As Head of
Physical Chemistry, he created a unique atmosphere in which students felt part of the
international upsurge of research in electrochemistry, and as a young research student, it
was a great experience to sit in seminars with Ernest Yeager and John Randles in the
audience – both spending sabbaticals at Southampton at the same time. As a man of
action, Graham was a consummate politician with a clear vision who taught me - and I
suspect many of his other students and colleagues - how to deal with difficult and
challenging issues. His powers of persuasion were formidable but always exercised with
extraordinary charm and grace, underpinned by an impish sense of humour. Many of his
colleagues never quite understood quite why they finished up agreeing with whatever he
was proposing.
I am sure that I speak on behalf of all of those who were his PhD students, postdocs and
academic colleagues over the years when I say that “GJ” will be remembered with great
affection as a formative influence on our lives. He will be greatly missed.
Laurence Peter
(first published in Chemistry World 2014)
Professor Laurence M. Peter FRSC, CChem
Department of Chemistry
University of Bath
Bath BA2 7AY
United Kingdom
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Meetings:
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More Meetings:
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More Meetings:
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More Meetings:
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More Meetings:
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More Meetings:
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More Meetings:
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Meetings Reports (International):
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Meetings Reports (International):
Pittcon 2014, 2-6 March, Chicago, IL, USA
Chi Leng Leong, Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London
Hosted in the windy city of Chicago, Pittcon 2014 was attended by more than 17,000 scientists
from all over the world. It is the annual premier conference of analytical chemistry. Just to give
an idea of the scale and depth of the conference, this year there were 2200 presentations
showcasing the latest measurement technologies and techniques in applications ranging from
nano-materials to environmental analysis, forensic science to neurochemistry, and single cell
analysis to point-of-care diagnostics. With the generous support from the RSC Electrochemistry
group, I had the opportunity to attend this conference.
The five-day technical program was organized into research focus themed sessions, ranging from
symposia, oral presentations, workshops and poster sessions. The latter categories allow the
attendees to become more involved, ask questions and discuss ideas in more depth and
informally. The growing interest in microfluidics was reflected by the large number of themed
symposia and oral sessions, and I was fortunate to have an abstract accepted for oral presentation
in the microfluidics and monitoring session. It was very exciting to present and promote my
research to an international audience. At the same time, I have received many interests from
fellow researchers and constructive feedback for future development.
The interesting and intensive program of Pittcon meant that attendees were hopping from talks to
talks – I often found myself running from one end of the McCormick Convention Center (the
largest convention center in the USA!) to the other just to make it in time for the next
electrochemistry talk. Through the conference, I have learnt so much about analytical chemistry,
especially in my interest areas of electrochemistry and microfluidics, covering from new
materials, methodologies as well as novel applications. Electrodes and electrochemical sensors
are often used for in vivo measurement in tissues, for example probing the dynamic
neurochemical response in the brain. A major hurdle and puzzle is the fading signal with time. In
Professor Tracy Cui’s talk, she has shown using two-photon microscopy the rapid activation of
microglia, the macrophage representatives in the brain, in response to electrode implantation.
Microglia extend their processes towards the foreign body and form a diffusional barrier
occluding the electrodes from the surrounding healthy tissue. Working in collaboration with
Professor Adrian Michael’s group, they are investigating the mitigating effects of local antiinflammatory drugs on gliosis.
In resource-poor environment, fast, easy-to-use and low-cost diagnostics are desirable. Paper, a
readily available material, and electrochemistry, a r eliable technique with potential for
miniaturization, present themselves as the solution. Professor George Whitesides and Philippe
Buhlmann presented a paper-based ion-selective electrode for potassium. Using ink-jet printing,
electrodes and hydrophobic microfluidic channels can be rapidly deposited on filter paper. The
ion-selective membrane can then be drop-casted on paper. The non-convective mixing property
of the paper matrix can be utilized to create a salt bridge for a stable reference. With low-cost
hand-held electronics, potentiometric determination of ions can be performed in real-time in lessresourceful settings.
The growing interest of 3D printing technology in biological research is also reflected by the
large number of presentations. In Professor Dana Spence’s talk on 3D printed microfluidic
21
devices for cell culture, his has shown that the technology is capable of producing and
standardizing complex structures, with quality superior to the currently commonly used
photolithographic technique. The challenges of fluidic connection in microfluidic devices can
also be overcome by 3D-printed low dead volume fittings.
(Clockwise from top left) Pittcon 2014 was held at the McCormick Convention Center, Chicago, IL. The
Boutelle lab on the exposition floor. View of Chicago city from the Navy Pier. The Cloud Gate sculpture,
more commonly known as the Bean, at the Millennium Park.
Learning aside, the extensive technical program was complemented with many networking
opportunities and a huge trade exposition. Thousands of exhibitors were showcasing their latest
technology and facilitating commercial ideas with conference attendees on the exposition floor. It
was exciting to see the presence of RSC at Pittcon, promoting its membership and journals across
the Atlantic. In addition, it was comforting to learn that the freezing temperatures (at -16°C Lake
Michigan remained frozen) could not stop networking between research groups over Chicago
deep-pan pizza or cocktails at the top of the Hancock Tower.
Finally, I would like to thank the RSC Electrochemistry group for their generous support, without
which this trip would not have been possible. Pittcon 2014 had not only been a great opportunity
to present my research to a wide audience and learn about the latest development in the field, but
also a great platform to meet other researchers and facilitate ideas and collaborations. Therefore, I
would like to encourage fellow PhD students and researchers in the field of electrochemistry to
attend this conference in the future.
Chi Leng Leong
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Meetings Reports (National):
ISE Satellite Student Regional Symposium on Electrochemistry:
The Midlands Electrochemistry Group (MEG 2014) Postgraduate Students’ Meeting
Loughborough University, 1st April 2014
This one-day annual postgraduate students’ meeting was held at Loughborough University, with
over 80 students and 10 supervisors/PDRA attendees from Bath, Birmingham, Leicester,
Loughborough, Nottingham, Nottingham Trent and Warwick Universities. The scientific
programme comprised 1 keynote and 12 postgraduate student talks and 13 postgraduate student
poster presentations. We are grateful for sponsorship of the meeting to the RSC Electrochemistry
Group, the International Society of Electrochemistry (ISE), Alvatek and Metrohm.
Following registration with coffee, tea and Danish pastries, Professor Roger Mortimer
(Loughborough) chaired the morning session of talks, which had electrochemistry in ionic liquids
as a common theme. Professor Karl Ryder (Leicester) presented the keynote talk, Novel Battery
Technologies using Zinc, Conducting Polymers and Deep Eutectic Solvents. Karl described the
charge and ion transport dynamics of the polymer membrane studied using a combination of
electrochemical, microgravimetric and neutron reflectivity methods. In related work, the
University of Leicester, as a p art of an international team, has recently reported a significant
advance; a non-aqueous zinc–polymer secondary battery, fabricated with polyaniline as a cathode
and zinc metal as an anode in an electrolyte consisting of zinc-bis(trifluoromethyl-sulfonyl) imide
dissolved in propylene carbonate. This battery, which combines conducting polymer technologies
with hybrid ionic liquids, was very good in extended cycle life trials (greater the 1700 cycles).
The first student talk, Electrodeposition and Characterisation of Novel Ni-NbOx Composite
Coatings from Glycol-based Electrolytes as a Diffusion Barrier for Liquid Solder Interconnects,
was presented by Jing Wang (Loughborough). Jing described a novel electrochemical route to
produce Ni-NbOx composite coatings of good uniformity, smoothness, compactness and purity.
The electrolyte derives from a Type IV eutectic solvent consisting of NbCl5 and propylene glycol
(PG). The addition of a small amount of Ni ions (molar ratio: Ni : Nb = 1 : 30) enabled the codeposition of Nb species. The addition of NaBH4 into the electrolyte elevated the maximum
deposit thickness (above 15 µm), yet at the tolerable expense of the co-deposited Nb content.
The effects of cathodic current density, metal precursor concentrations and NaBH4 concentration
on the surface morphology, composition and thickness of the coatings were examined. E ssa
Ahmed (Leicester) next described Lubrication and Corrosion Studies of some Deep Eutectic
Solvents (DESs), formulated from quaternary ammonium salts and hydrogen bond donors. The
DESs studied (ethaline, reline and glyceline) had higher viscosity indices, lower friction
coefficients and pour points than mineral base oil and very low corrosion rates. Sean Goodwin’s
(Nottingham) talk concerned The Role of Adsorbed Anions during Electrocatalysis in Ionic
Liquids. Protic ionic liquids (PILs) are being investigated for use in proton exchange membrane
fuel cells. Fundamental studies have been carried out relating to the development of
electrocatalytic materials for the oxygen reduction reaction. Sean described a CO displacement
23
technique for probing the strength of anion adsorption in each PIL by determining the potential of
zero total charge. In the final talk before lunch, Barak Aaronson (Warwick) described High
Resolution Electrochemical Imaging in Ionic Liquids: Surface Structure Effects on Triiodide
Reduction at Platinum Electrodes. Barak noted that room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) are
emerging as promising alternatives to the volatile and toxic solvents employed in dye sensitised
solar cells (DSSCs), which in turn are attracting attention as low cost alternatives to standard
silicon-based solar cells. However, efficiencies of DSSCs are still to be improved significantly in
order to become commercially viable. B arak presented his scanning electrochemical cell
microscopy (SECCM) results in which a sub-micron sized droplet, creating a co nfined
electrochemical cell, is scanned across a surface of interest. S ECCM allows investigation of
spatial variations in electro-activity across a sample in RTILs, not only to identify the best
catalyst for the DSSC counter electrode, but also to provide a new platform for structure-activity
investigation in RTILs.
Following an excellent lunch (choices included chicken, salmon, spinach & ricotta cannelloni,
soup/salad bar) and coffee in the Linford Restaurant, attendees returned for networking and the
postgraduate student poster session. A wide range of topics was covered, comprising,
Electrochemical Oxidation of Small Organic Molecules on Au Nanoparticles with Preferential
Surface Orientation (Francisco Javier Monzó, Birmingham), Ion Exchange Characteristics of
Polyaniline in a Deep Eutectic Solvent (Abdulcabbar Yavuz, Leicester), Encapsulation of Cr3C2
in Nickel Composites on Cu and Ni Substrates (Jamil Juma, Leicester), The Effect of ZnO Seed
Layer Thickness on the Performance of Flexible ZnO Dye Sensitised Solar Cells (Hussain Alessa,
Loughborough), Utilising Nanoscale Clusters for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting (Andrew
McInnes, Loughborough), Electrodeposition and Characterisation of Novel Ni-NbOx Coatings as
a Diffusion Barrier Layer for High Temperature Electronics Packaging (Jing Wang,
Loughborough), Photocathodes for Solar Devices (Gareth Summers, Nottingham), The Hydrogen
Evolution Reaction in Protic Ionic Liquids using Nickel and Molybdenum Disulfide
Electrocatalysts (Andinet Ejigu, Nottingham), Surface Electrochemical Activity Study on Highly
Oriented Pyrolytic Graphite (HOPG) via Quinone Adsorption (Guohui Zhang, Warwick), Laser
Heated Diamond Electrodes (Lingcong Meng, Warwick), Quantitative Acid Dissolution of
Enamel Surfaces using Scanning Electrochemical Cell Microscopy (Alexander Parker, Warwick),
Controlled Functionalisation of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Network Electrodes for the
Enhanced Voltammetric Detection of Dopamine (Sharel Pei E, Warwick), and In Situ Control of
Local pH using a Boron Doped Diamond Ring Disc Electrode: Optimising Heavy Metal
Detection in Neutral Solutions (Tania Read, Warwick).
Professor Pat Unwin (Warwick) chaired the early afternoon session. Robert Channon (Warwick)
first described A New Electrochemical Approach for the Determination of Trace Carcinogenic
Impurities in Pharmaceuticals. Robert noted that carcinogenic impurities cost the pharmaceutical
industry billions of pounds a year, are highly toxic, and are often difficult and expensive to detect
and remove from active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) down to safe levels. Current
techniques for the detection of carcinogenic impurities such as mass spectrometry and high
pressure liquid chromatography are labour intensive and suffer from long analysis times. T o
overcome this problem, Robert described the detection of the carcinogenic impurity hydrazine in
24
the presence of excess API using an electrochemical approach, namely metal nanoparticlefunctionalised boron doped diamond electrodes. Yuanyang Rong’s (Bath) title was Intrinsically
Porous Polymer Protects Catalytic Gold Particles for Enzymeless Glucose Oxidation. Yuanyang
noted that electrochemical oxidation of glucose has driven tremendous research efforts due to
practical applications in glucose sensors and biological fuel cells. An enzymeless redox process
readily occurs on na no-gold electrocatalyst at pH 7, but it is highly susceptible to poisoning
(competitive binding), for example from protein or chloride. Yuanyang demonstrated that gold
nanoparticle catalyst electrodeposited onto tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) can be protected against
poisoning by use of a polymer of intrinsic microporosity. Yaxiang Lu (Birmingham) next
described Temperature-controlled Growth of Pt Nanowires for High Performance Catalyst
Electrodes in Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells. In this work, gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs) with
integrated Pt nanowires grown at different temperatures from 5 t o 50°C were fabricated and
tested in a 16 cm2 hydrogen-air single-cell fuel cell. Polarisation and electrochemical impedance
spectroscopy (EIS) measurements were performed to check the GDE performance. SEM analysis
was conducted to investigate the morphology-property relationship of the as-prepared electrodes.
The results showed that the Pt nanowire growth temperature played a vital role, thus influencing
their properties. In the final talk of the early afternoon session, James Weber (Bath) described
Hydrogen Evolution in Saturated Salt Solutions. In his work a platinum-platinum micro-trench
junction was developed as a n ovel analytical tool for the sensitive detection of the
proton/hydrogen redox system. The theory of dominating transport effect of “slow diffusers” was
compared with experimental data, with good agreement at higher proton concentration, despite
nucleation and bubble formation occurring within the micro-trench.
The early afternoon session ended with Professor Rob Hillman (Leicester) saying a ‘few words’
in recognition of Professor Roger Mortimer’s ‘25 Glorious Years’ at Loughborough. Roger, who
began at Loughborough University on 1 st April 1989, was gracious in his acceptance of Rob’s
kind comments, and noted that last year had
been the 50th anniversary of the first journal
paper from (the late) Professor Noel Hampson
(applied electrochemistry – 252 journal
papers), who, with Dr Arnold Fogg
(electroanalytical chemistry – 213 journal
papers) had initiated electrochemistry research
at Loughborough. C oincidentally, the subject
of Professor Hampson’s first journal paper
(The Anodic Behaviour of Zinc in Potassium
Hydroxide Solution. I. Horizontal Anodes, N.
A. Hampson and M. J. Tarbox, J. Electrochem.
Soc., 110 (1963) 95) related to that of the MEG
2014 keynote talk! Roger was presented with
a cake, expertly decorated with a cy clic
voltammogram by Andrew McInnes.
25
Following a b reak where coffee, tea, biscuits and cakes were served, Professor Rob Hillman
(Leicester) chaired the late afternoon session. Vanessa Silvestre-González (Loughborough/
Nottingham) first presented her talk Carbon Dioxide: from an Atmospheric Pollutant to a useful
Chemical Feedstock. She noted that carbon dioxide emissions per year have risen exponentially
and the contribution of this gas to Global Warming is well known, so storage/utilisation of carbon
dioxide has become a topical issue and an emerging research area. Electrochemical conversion of
carbon dioxide is currently being studied by the scientific community as a ch eap and efficient
protocol for reuse. Vanessa described her work concerning the use of carbon dioxide in the
electrochemical conversion of epoxides into useful carbonates. Christopher Wood (Nottingham)
next described Red-absorbing Cationic Acceptor Dyes for Photocathodes in Tandem Solar Cells.
Christopher noted that tandem dye sensitised solar cells (DSSCs) are a promising modification to
existing n-type DSSCs, wherein a dye sensitised photocathode is used in place of the passive
counter electrode, enabling the absorption of a broader range of photons. He said however that
the majority of high performance dyes for photocathodes absorb higher energy photons causing
spectral overlap with the n-type photoanode. He has synthesised and studied a series of new
donor-π-acceptor dyes which absorb towards the red region of the visible spectrum. The optical
and electrochemical properties of these dyes which incorporate indolinium cationic acceptor units
show the energy levels are better matched for use with the triiodide redox couple in NiO-based ptype DSSCs. Steven Street’s (Birmingham) talk concerned the Effect of NaNO3 on Salt Layers in
Pitting Corrosion of 304 Stainless Steel using Synchrotron X-ray Diffraction. Steven noted that
stainless steels have excellent general corrosion resistance but are still vulnerable to localised
attack, such as p itting corrosion. N itrate can either enhance or inhibit localised corrosion of
stainless steel, depending on the nitrate/chloride ratio. J ust below a c ritical potential for pit
passivation, stable current oscillations have been observed in one-dimensional pit systems that
have been attributed to development of a nitrate-rich salt film at the metal interface. Steven has
found similar oscillations, and has characterised the salt layers in one-dimensional pits by using
in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction at the Diamond Light Source. I n the final talk, Sophie
Kinnear (Warwick) discussed Scanning Ion Conductance Microscopy as a Tool for Surface
Charge Mapping. S canning ion conductance microscopy (SICM), a powerful non-contact
technique used to measure topography, uses as a probe a glass nanopipette, which has an opening
of <100 nm. T he probe is filled with an electrolyte solution and a quasi-reference counter
electrode (QRCE) then placed in a bath containing the sample to be imaged and a second QRCE
in bulk. T opographical imaging is achieved by measuring the ion current between the two
QRCEs. S ophie’s work takes SICM and repurposes it to image surface charge, which is of
importance for understanding electrode behaviour and other interfacial processes. She
demonstrated surface charge mapping using SICM on model surfaces with patterned selfassembled monolayers (SAMs) terminated with different functional groups, as well as a glass
surface coated with a thin (~30 nm) incomplete polystyrene film. The ion current response was
shown to be sensitive to surface charge.
The meeting finished with closing remarks from Dr Upul Wijayantha (Loughborough), who also
presided over the talk and poster prizes presentations – sponsored by Metrohm and the RSC
Electrochemistry Group. The independent judges panel (Dr Vicky Black (Metrohm), Dr Emma
Smith (Nottingham Trent), Professor David Walton (Coventry)) noted the very high standard of
26
all talks and posters, both in terms of scientific content and presentation skills, and how difficult it
had been to make the decisions. Barak Aaronson (Warwick) won the best talk prize, with Sean
Goodwin (Nottingham) as runner up. Jing Wang (Loughborough) won the best poster prize, with
Lingcong Meng (Warwick) as runner up. All received cheques from Metrohm, with Barak also
receiving free student registration to ELECTROCHEM 2014, also to be held at Loughborough
University (7th – 9th September 2014). Upul, as Chair of the Organising Committee, said he looks
forward to welcoming everyone again to Loughborough, and wished all a safe journey home.
Barak Aaronson (Warwick) best talk prize
Jing Wang (Loughborough) best poster prize
Professor Roger J. Mortimer, Loughborough University, (MEG 2014 Meeting Organiser)
27
Student Conference Bursaries
The Student Bursary Scheme provides financial support to promising
postgraduate students to attend a m ajor electrochemistry conference abroad.
This includes UK based students travelling to a conference abroad and students
based abroad wishing to attend a co nference in the UK. The Bursary Scheme is
open to all postgraduate student members of the RSC's Electrochemistry Group
undertaking research in electrochemistry. Applications shall consist of:
(i)
the application form (see
http://www.rsc.org/ScienceAndTechnology/Funding/TravelGrants/InterestGroups.asp),
(ii) the abstract submitted to the conference organisers,
(iii) one A4 page curriculum vitæ stressing academic and scientific
achievements (e.g., research articles, oral and poster presentations made
by the applicant).
Applications may be made at any time of the year and shall be submitted to the
Group Secretary in electronic form.
The selection committee of the Electrochemistry Group shall decide
the sum awarded. Under normal circumstances this sum shall not
exceed £300.
Successful applicants shall produce a conference report article for the
Newsletter.
Candidates should submit their applications directly to the RSC
Electrochemistry Group Secretary:
Dr. Upul Wijayantha (email: U.Wijayantha@lboro.ac.uk).
Related: also see RSC travel bursaries
http://www.rsc.org/Membership/Networking/InterestGroups/Electrochemistry/StudentBur
saryScheme.asp
28
Echem.NET
Electrochemical Science and Technology
Information Resource (ESTIR)
The ESTIR and related websites operate under the auspices of the Ernest B.
Yeager Centre for Electrochemical Sciences (YCES), Case Western Reserve
University.
Currently around 50 UK Electrochemistry Groups are featured on this website.
Check them out, update your profile or add your group at the following URL.
http://electrochem.cwru.edu/estir/grads.htm
or
http://electrochem.cwru.edu/estir/history.htm
For more information, contact:
Zoltan Nagy, Visiting Scholar
Department of Chemistry, Campus Box 3290
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3290, USA
Telephone: USA-(919) 272-2228
E-mail: nagyz@email.unc.edu
29
ISE REGIONAL
STUDENT
MEETINGS
Graduate Students who are members of ISE and intend to organize a Regional Student
Meeting can apply for ISE financial support. Regional Student Meetings are typically oneday meetings involving graduate students active in the geographic area where the meeting takes
place.
The format of the meeting (oral presentations, posters, discussion sessions, other) is
autonomously decided by the organizers who will be responsible for securing a venue and
collecting registrations. No registration fee should be requested. No later than one month after
the meeting, the organizer(s) will send to the ISE Office a report on the event, including the
names and the e-mail addresses of the participants. The participants will be encouraged to apply
for ISE membership. An overview of the report accompanied by suitable pictures if available will
be posted on the ISE website under Student Activities.
Applications for ISE support must be sent by e-mail to the ISE Office (info@ise-online.org),
with a copy to the Regional Representative of the country where the meeting is organized, 3-12
months before the meeting date, using the application form (q.v. page 19). The local ISE
Regional Representative (Dr. Tim ALBRECHT of Imperial College London, for the
United Kingdom), if requested, will assist the potential meeting organizer in the preparation of
the application. Applications will be analyzed by a committee consisting of (i) ISE Secretary
General, (ii) ISE Treasurer, (iii) ISE Vice President responsible for Educational Activity and (iv)
ISE Vice President responsible for Regional Sections.
The response will be communicated to the applicant and to the relevant Regional Representative
no later than 1 month after the application submission.
The maximum financial support will be 600 €; the expected use of the funds must be specified in
the application. Co-sponsoring by other Societies and/or institutions is possible.
Find out more:
http://www.ise-online.org
30
Future RSC Events (Editors Selection)
31
Summer and Winter Schools
32
Summer and Winter Schools
33
Summer and Winter Schools
34
Summer and Winter Schools
35
Echem Book REV (new)
“Understanding Voltamemtry: Simulation of
Electrode Processes”
By Richard G. Compton, Eduardo Laborda,
and Kristopher R. Ward
Imperial College Press 2014
A new book to follow up the classic
“Understanding
Voltammetry”
aimed
at
postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers with
the desire to develop a better understanding of
methods
in
numerical
simulation
of
electrochemical processes. Without going into
the depths of the numerical procedures, this book
reviews and captures recent progress and it helps
finding access to this topic, which is often
essential in the practical analysis of voltammetry
data.
Echem Book REV (classic)
“Analytical and Physical Electrochemistry”
By Hubert H. Girault
EPFL Press 2004
When looking for clear explanations and
mathematical derivation this is a fantastic
resource. A wide range of topics are covered
including impedance, pulse, and transient
methods. With references and examples, this is a
very good way into the physicochemical basics of
electrochemical
phenomena
and
their
applications.
36
Diffusion des Savoirs: Electrochemistry Calendar
25-29 May 2014
47th Heyrovsky Discussion – 2014
Electrochemistry of Organic and Bioactive Compounds
Třešť, Czech Republic
Co-Chairs: Tomáš Navrátil, Miroslav Fojta
Secretariat: hd2014@jh-inst.cas.cz
http://www.jh-inst.cas.cz/~hdisc/2014/
26-28 May 2014
Electrochemistry at the Nanoscale: From Basic Aspect to Applications (Elecnano6)
Paris, France
Chair: Fethi Bedioui
Secretariat: infos@elecnano.fr
http://www.elecnano.fr
26-30 May 2014
Solid State Ionics: Thin Films for Energy and Information Applications
(E-MRS 2014 SPRING MEETING – Symposium C)
Lille, France
Contact: Jennifer L.M. Rupp
jennifer.rupp@mat.ethz.ch
http://www.emrsstrasbourg.com
27-30 May 2014
Biosensors 2014
Melbourne, Australia
Chair: Anthony P.F. Turner
http://www.biosensors-congress.elsevier.com/
1-5 June 2014
10th International Symposium on Electrochemical Impedance Analysis
Borovetz, Bulgaria
Co-Chairs: Daria Vladikova, Zdravko Stoynov
eia10.2014@gmail.com
http://www.bas.bg/cleps/eia10/
9-12 June 2014
3rd Ertl Symposium on Surface Analysis and Dynamics
Berlin, Germany
Contact: Jaeyoung Lee
ertl@gist.ac.kr
http://env1.gist.ac.kr/ertl/new/ERTLCenter/
37
10-14 June 2014
17th International Meeting on Lithium Batteries (IMLB 2014)
Como, Italy
Secretariat: imlb@electrochem.org
http://www.imlb.org/
11-15 June 2014
15th International Conference on Electroanalysis
Malmö, Sweden
Chair: Lo Gorton
Secretariat: david@chemsoc.se
http://www.eseac2014.com
15-20 June 2014
20th World Hydrogen Energy Conference 2014 (WHEC2014)
Gwangju Metropolitan City, Korea
info@whec2014.com
http://whec2014.com
23-26 June, 2014
10th ECHEMS Meeting “Electrochemistry in Molecular Understanding”
Wells, Somerset, UK
Frank Marken
http://www.old.chem.au.dk/echems/Meetings.html
23 June 2014
Electrochemistry North West
Liverpool, UK
Contact: Laurence Hardwick
hardwick@liverpool.ac.uk
24-25 June 2014
Energy Systems Conference - When Theory Meets Reality
London, UK
http://www.energysystemsconference.com/
30 June – 2 July 2014
XVI Iberic Meeting of Electrochemistry and XIX Meeting of the Portuguese
Society of Electrochemistry
Aveiro, Portugal
Co-Chairs: Mário Ferreira, Mikhail L. Zheludkevich
demac-electrochemistry@ua.pt
http://19spe.web.ua.pt/
1-4 July 2014
11th European SOFC Forum
Lucerne, Switzerland
Co-Chairs: Niels Christiansen, John Bøgild Hansen
forum@efcf.com
http://www.efcf.com
38
6-9 July 2014
13th International Conference on Inorganic Membranes (ICIM2014)
Brisbane, Australia
Chair: Joe da Costa
http://www.icimconference.com/
13-18 July 2014
Tools and Techniques for Corrosion Assessment
(Gordon Research Conference 2014)
New London, NH, USA
Chair: Narasi Sridhar
Contact: Narasi.Sridhar@dnv.com
http://www.grc.org/
14-16 July 2014
Electrochemistry for Environment and Energy
(XXXV GERSEQ and I E3 Mediterranean Symposium)
Burgos, Spain
Chair: Julia Arcos Martínez
Secretariat: 35gerseq@ubu.es
http://www3.ubu.es/35gerseq/index.php
28-30 July 2014
Carbon in Electrochemistry (Faraday Discussion 172)
Sheffield, UK
Chair: Katherine Holt
http://www.rsc.org/ConferencesAndEvents/RSCConferences/FD/FD172/index.asp
3-8 August 2014
Fuel Cells - Technological Progress and New Scientific Insights
(Gordon Research Conference 2014)
Smithfield, RI, USA
Co-Chairs: Peter N. Pintauro, Elena R. Savinova
Contacts: peter.pintauro@vanderbilt.edu, elena.savinova@unistra.fr
http://www.grc.org/
7-9 August 2014
International Conference on Electrochemical Science and Technology - 2014
(ICONEST 2014)
Bengaluru, India
Chair: E.S. Dwarakadasa
Secretariat: ecsocind@gmail.com
http://www.ecsi.in, http://www.electrochem.in
39
24-28 August 2014
Advanced Batteries, Accumulators and Fuel Cells (ABAF 15th)
Brno, Czech Republic
Chair: Jiri Vondrak
vondrakj@feec.vutbr.cz
http://www.aba-brno.cz
24-29 August 2014
14th International Symposium on Polymer Electrolytes (ISPE-14)
Geelong, Australia
Co-Chairs: Maria Forsyth, Douglas MacFarlane
Secretariat: mahaela.jackson@deakin.edu.au
http://www.ispe14.com/
31 August - 5 September 2014
65th Annual Meeting of the International Society of Electrochemistry
Lausanne, Switzerland
Contact: Hubert Girault
hubert.girault@epfl.ch
events@ise-online.org
7-9 September 2014
Electrochem 2014
Loughborough, UK
Upul Wijayantha
www.electrochem2014.com
7-10 September 2014
International Workshop on Electrogenerated Chemiluminescence (ECL’2014)
Bertinoro, Emilia Romagna, Italy
Chair: Francesco Paolucci
francesco.paolucci@unibo.it
http://www.ciam.unibo.it/ecl2014
7-10 September 2014
13th Symposium on Electrokinetic Remediation 2014 (EREM2014)
Malaga, Spain
Chair: Jose Miguel Rodriguez-Maroto
Secretariat: info.EREM2014@uma.es
http://www.erem2014.uma.es/
40
7-11 September 2014
25th International Conference on Diamond and Carbon Materials
Meliá Castilla, Madrid, Spain
Chair: Ken Haenen
Secretariat: conferences@mail.elsevier-alerts.com
http://www.diamond-conference.elsevier.com
7-12 September 2014
XXV National Meeting of the Italian Chemical Society - Symposium of the
Electrochemistry Division
Arcavacata di Rende (CS), Italy
Contact: Marco Musiani
m.musiani@ieni.cnr.it
http://sci2014.unical.it/
21-23 September 2014
ELECTROCHEMISTRY 2014: Basic Science and Key Technology for Future
Applications
Mainz, Germany
Secretariat: s.kirrwald@gdch.de
http://www.gdch.de/electrochemistry2014
24-26 September 2014
7th International Workshop on Impedance Spectroscopy (IWIS)
Chemnitz, Germany
Chair: Olfa Kanoun
http://www.tu-chemnitz.de/iwis
28 September to 2 October 2014
10th European Symposium of Electrochemical Engineering
"CURRENT electrochemistry: the POTENTIAL for a challenging future"
Cagliari – Chia, Italy
www.10thesee.it<http://www.10thesee.it>
5-10 October 2014
226th Meeting of The Electrochemical Society (ECS)
Cancun, Mexico
Secretariat: meetings@electrochem.org
15-17 October 2014
1st Gerischer-Kolb Symposium: Electrochemical Surface Science, an International
Bunsen Discussion Meeting
Harnack-Haus in Berlin, Germany
http://www.gerischer-kolb.de/
41
4-9 October 2015
66th Annual Meeting of the International Society of Electrochemistry
Taipei, Taiwan
Contact: Bing Joe Hwang
bjh@mail.ntust.edu.tw
events@ise-online.org
26-29 October 2014
International Symposium on Electrocatalysis: Explorations of the Volcano
Landscape
Whistler, BC, Canada
Chair: Michael Eikerling
Secretariat: ecat2014@sfu.ca
http://www.sfu.ca/ecat_2014
5-8 November 2014
10th International Symposium on Electrochemical Micro & Nanosystem
Technologies (EMNT2014)
Okinawa, Japan
Chair: Tetsuya Osaka
Secretariat: EMNT2014@list.waseda.jp
http://emnt2014.org/
9-12 November 2014
3rd Ertl Symposium on Surface Analysis and Dynamics
Berlin, Germany
Contact: Jaeyoung Lee
ertl@gist.ac.kr
http://env1.gist.ac.kr/ertl/new/ERTLCenter/
11-12 November 2014
10th Annual Lithium Battery Power Conference
Washington, DC, USA
Contact: Edel O’Regan
eoregan@healthtech.com
http://events.knowledgefoundation.com/lithium-battery-power/
17-20 November 2014
Second International Workshop on Nano Materials for Energy Conversion
(NMEC-2)
Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
Co-Chairs: Elisabeth Djurado, Vu Hai Quan, Nguyen Thi Phuong Thoa
Co-ordinator: Nguyen Thi Phuong Thoa
ntpthoa@hcmus.edu.vn
http://nmec.edu.vn
42
18-21 November 2014
International Scientific Conference CORROSION 2014
Gliwice, Poland
Co-Chairs: Maria Sozańska, Wojciech Simka
Secretariat: corrosion2014@polsl.pl
http://www.corrosion2014.polsl.pl/index.php?lang=en
23-27 November 2014
7th International Symposium on Macro- and Supramolecular Architectures and
Materials
Johannesburg, South Africa
Co-Chairs: Robert Tshikhudo, Kurt E. Geckeler
Secretariat: Jessie Pillay
jessiep@mintek.co.za
http://www.MAM-14.com
9-12 December 2014
Euro-mediterranean Hydrogen Technologies Conference (EmHyTeC2014)
Taormina, Italy
Chair: Gaetano Squadrito
Secretariat: emhytec@itae.cnr.it
http://www.itae.cnr.it/emhytec2014/
22-25 March 2015
16th Topical Meeting of the International Society of Electrochemistry
Angra do Reis, Brazil
13-15 April 2015
Corrosion Chemistry (Faraday Discussion)
London, UK
Chair: Robert Lindsay
http://www.rsc.org/ConferencesAndEvents/RSCConferences/FD/Corrosion-FD2015/
24-28 May 2015
227th Meeting of The Electrochemical Society (ECS)
Chicago, IL, USA
Secretariat: meetings@electrochem.org
31 May - 3 June 2015
17th Topical Meeting of the International Society of Electrochemistry
Saint-Malo, France
30 June - 3 July 2015
5th European PEFC & H2 Forum
Lucerne, Switzerland
forum@efcf.com
http://www.efcf.com
43
13-15 July 2015
Solid Oxide Electrolysis: Fuels and Feedstocks from Water and Air
(Faraday Discussion)
York, UK
Chair: John Irvine
http://www.rsc.org/ConferencesAndEvents/RSCConferences/FD/electrolysis-fd2015/
4-9 October 2015
66th Annual Meeting of the International Society of Electrochemistry
“Green Electrochemistry for Tomorrow's Society”
Taipei, Taiwan
Chair: Bing Joe Hwang
events@ise-online.org
http://annual66.ise-online.org/
11-16 October 2015
228th Meeting of The Electrochemical Society (ECS)
Phoenix, AZ, USA
Secretariat: meetings@electrochem.org
9-11 March 2016
18th Topical Meeting of the International Society of Electrochemistry
Gwangju, Korea
29 May-3 June 2016
229th Meeting of The Electrochemical Society (ECS)
San Diego, CA, USA
Secretariat: meetings@electrochem.org
21-26 August 2016
67th Annual Meeting of the International Society of Electrochemistry
The Hague, The Netherlands
9-14 October 2016
PRiME 2016
Honolulu, HI, USA
Secretariat: meetings@electrochem.org
27 August – 1 September 2016
68th Annual Meeting of the International Society of Electrochemistry
Providence, RI, USA
1-6 October 2017
232nd Meeting of The Electrochemical Society (ECS)
National Harbor, MD, USA
Secretariat: meetings@electrochem.org
44
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