RSC NEWS 9 December 2005

Vol 36 :   Issue No. 17

Editors -- Marilyn Holloway and Sue Riches

This will be the final edition of RSC News for 2005, and I would like to thank all contributers of the past year and encourage more interaction for 2006. We get plenty of 'funnies' but we would like to see more about RSC people, their activities, particularly research highlights, special events, etc. and some inside stories as well.

We would like to congratulate the receipients of the annual staff awards that were presented by the Dean at the RSC Christmas party this week, namely:

	Bob O'Brien	on winning the 2005 RSC General Staff Excellence Award
	Kevin Cooper	on winning the Inaugural Ray Withers Sartorial Elegance Award, namely a taste(full/less) tie
	Paul Gugger	on being presented with the RSC 25 year medal

Speaking of the Christmas Party, it seems pertinent here to thank the RSC Social Club for its outstanding work to put on the 2005 party, despite huge last minute setbacks which made things very difficult.

The Committee were: Valeska Ting, Okanya Kokas, Luisa Fearnside, Nathan Kilah (there in spirit only).

People who helped out on the day were: Viki Withers, Lena VanKampen, Joan Smith, Matthew Jones, Jonothan Foot, Jacki Kitching, Amy Philbrook, Zac Watts, Kurt Russell, Steve, Paul (glass blower), Adam Perriman, Matthew Smith, Emma Pearson, Ray Withers, Joseph Hughes, Colin Jackson, Elmars Krausz, all the members of the workshop ( they set up the shade and helped clean up), and Kim on reception who sold most of the tickets.

I realise there are people whose names are not on the list, you're efforts didn't go unnoticed, you helped out with grace and willingness without which there would have been no party. Thanks to all of you.

Sue and I wish you a very happy and safe Christmas and New Year.

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS

CONGRATULATIONS
To the following completing PhD scholar:

Ms Heather Joy Kitto BSc Canterbury NZ
Conformational Control in Dinuclear Metal Helicates and Related Complexes Containing Tetra(tertiary phosphines)
Supervisor:   Professor S B Wild
Submitted 17 November 2005

Dr Mick Sherburn has been awarded the Australian Academy of Science's, Le Fevre Prize. This Prize is given for basic research in chemistry, carried out by a researcher who is normally under the age of 40. This is a great honour for Mick and it caps off a wonderful year for him!

Mr Neil Bayley has recently completed his Bachelor of Information Technology degree and will graduate on 16 December. Neil has studied part-time for the past 7 years whilst working full-time in the Business Office. Congratulations, Neil!

Ms Emma Pearson (Sherburn group) won a prize for best student lecture, A computational and experimental investigation into the intramolecular Dies-Alder reaction, at the Halpern Symposium, University of Wollongong, 28-30 November.

RECENT ARRIVALS

A sincere welcome is extended to the following Summer Research Scholars who have joined us since our last issue:

Mr Thomas Oh from Monash University (room E205, ext. 54181)

Mr Christopher Wanty from University of Canterbury (room E207, ext. 55061)

Ms Yeng Lee from Deakin University (room 111, ext. 53640)

Ms Kathryn Sedgwick from Deakin University (room 2, ext. 53572)

Mr Thomas Fallon from Flinders University (room 1.47 Chem., ext. 53762)

Ms Pamela Gan from Monash University (room E205, ext. 54181)

Ms Dianna Ley from ANU (room 51 ext. 53772)

Ms Anna McConnell from University of Canterbury (room 123, ext. 54334)

Mr Tristan Reekie from ANU (room 118, ext. 57728)

Ms Jessica Rowley from University of Queensland (room 1.47 Chem., ext. 53762)

Ms Xanthe Spindler from University of Newcastle (room E105, ext. 55411)

Mr Gregory Wilson from University of Queensland (room 110, ext. 53490)

Mr Daniel Scott from University of Sydney (room E205, ext. 54181)

Mr Caspar Schneider from Monash University (room 109, ext. 54207)

Mr Tim Mak from Monash University (room E206, ext. 54181)

Mr Mark Anastasas from University of Western Australia (room E4B, ext. 56508)

Ms Donna Hallam from La Trobe University (room E206, ext. 54181

Mr Morgan Sheridan from ANU (room E207, ext. 55061)

Patrick Sharp from ANU (room 126, ext. 55158)

Mr Kresten Nielsen from University of Queensland (room E114, ext. 54328)

Mr Nicolas Burns from University of Otago (room E4B, ext. 56508)

Ms Nicole Cain from Flinders University (room 111, ext. 53640)

Ms Chau Dao from University of Queensland (room E4B, ext. 56508)

Ms Kate Holden from ANU (room 242, ext. 54045)

Ms Qiong Luo from ANU (room 109, ext. 54207)

DEPARTURES

Farewell and best wishes to the following who have left the School since our last issue:

Mr Rian Dewhurst who leaves RSC this week to take up a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of California in Riverside.

Rebecca Warr, who leaves RSC to take up a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Nottingham, UK (via Hawaii naturally)

Our congratulations and very best wishes go to Dr Kiyoshi Ozawa who married Emiko in Japan recently.

and also our congratulations go to Viki and Ray Withers who celebrated their 25^th wedding anniversary on 29 November 2005.

Staff Publications since last issue as at 6 December 2005

Bartlett, M.J., Hill, A.F., Smith, M.K. A bimetallic complex spanned by the C₄H ligand: synthesis of [Cl(CO)₂L₂RuC≡CCH=C=RuL₂(η-C₅H₅)]PF₆ (L = PPh₃). Organometallics (2005), 24(24), 5795-5798. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/om050800o

Dewhurst, R.D., Hill, A.F., Smith, M.K. Regioselective dimetallapolycarbyl hydrometalation. Organometallics (2005), 24(26), 6295-6297. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/om050796g

Easton, C.J. Cyclodextrin-based catalysts and molecular reactors. Pure Appl. Chem. (2005), 77(11), 1865-1871. http://dx.doi.org/10.1351/pac200577111865

Espeau, P., White, J.W., Papoular, R.J. The structure of n-alkane binary mixtures adsorbed on graphite. Appl. Surf. Sci. (2005), 252(5), 1350-1359. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2005.02.091

Graham, L.D., Glattauer, V., Huson, M.G., Maxwell, J.M., Knott, R.B., White, J.W., Vaughan, P.R., Peng, Y., Tyler, M.J., Werkmeister, J.A., Ramshaw, J.A. Characterization of a protein-based adhesive elastomer secreted by the Australian frog Notaden bennetti. Biomacromolecules (2005), 6(6), 3300-3312. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/bm050335e

Goossens, D.J., Wu, X., Prior, M. Structural phase transition in d-benzil characterised by capacitance measurements and neutron powder diffraction. Solid State Commun. (2005), 136(9-10), 543-545. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ssc.2005.09.017

Lee, S.B., Lin, C.Y., Gill, P.M.W., Webster, R.D. Transformation of α-tocopherol (vitamin E) and related chromanol model compounds into their phenoxonium ions by chemical oxidation with the nitrosonium cation. J. Org. Chem. (2005), 70(25), 10466-10473. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jo0517951

Oakley, A.J. Glutathione transferases: new functions. Curr. Opin. Struct. Biol. (2005), 15(6), 716-723. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sbi.2005.10.005

Paddon-Row, M.N., Moran, D., Jones, G.A., Sherburn, M.S. On the origin of cis/trans stereoselectivity in intramolecular Diels-Alder reactions of substituted pentadienyl acrylates: a comprehensive density functional study. J. Org. Chem. (2005), 70(26), 10841-10853. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jo051973q

Petravic, J. Thermal conductivity of ethanol. J. Chem. Phys. (2005), 123(17), 174503/1-7. http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.2102867

Reid, J.C., Sevick, E.M., Evans, D.J. A unified description of two theorems in non-equilibrium statistical mechanics: the fluctuation theorem and the work relation. Europhys. Lett. (2005), 72(5), 726-732. http://dx.doi.org/10.1209/epl/i2005-10300-3

Wang, G.M., Carberry, D.M., Reid, J.C., Sevick, E.M., Evans, D.J. Demonstration of the steady-state fluctuation theorem from a single trajectory. J. Phys.: Condens. Matter (2005), 17(45), S3239-S3244. http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0953-8984/17/45/007

..................and Hye-Kyung Kim has sent us the following comparison of Yoga - Indian vs Irish style.