Current commercially available dental resin composites use the monomer BisGMA that uses a toxic bisphenol A (BPA) as the starting material, causing potential environmental and health problems. We aim at replacing BPA with bile acids, natural compounds in the new synthesis of new dental monomers. We are also making new inorganic fillers that provide the strength of the material. The latter is the area of expertise of our collaborators at Donghua University.

The successful commercialization of the automotive fuel cell requires lowering costs of key components in the fuel cell stack, such as the catalyst materials at the centre of the electrochemical cell generating the energy. Nanoparticles of platinum supported on mesoporous carbons are typical materials being used for the current generation of the fuel cell stack. To meet the cost targets for commercialization we must be able to design catalysts that can increase their activity, be used more effectively, and last the lifetime of the fuel cell car.

Recently we have demonstrated that multicore-shell nanoparticles, made of cadmium telluride and zinc oxide, have great potential to be applied into the field of renewable energies due to the ability to split water into H+ and · OH upon irradiation of visible light. Herein we originally propose the utilization of those nanoparticles for a new lightassisted cancer therapy, that is, photogenerated · OH can lead to the DNA damage of of cells.

The proposed project focuses on the research & development of efficient electrode materials for use in an electrochemical process that produces high-value chemicals for use in a variety of industrial applications. As an electrochemical process, significant portions of the production costs are attributable to electrical power consumption; therefore, improvements in energetic efficiency would result in appreciable reductions in production costs.

The chemistry, thermodynamics, and transport phenomena of sulfur compounds in upstream petroleum operations is important as it impacts materials used in the production and processing systems, health and safety plans, treatment processes, and transport of petroleum. In offshore operations these impacts are magnified due to the remoteness of the operations and infrastructure limitations on the platform. Sulfur is introduced into offshore reservoirs through the injection of seawater containing sulfate and/or existing organic sulfur compounds in the reservoir.

Research into understanding and controlling microscopic quantum mechanical phenomena has led to revolutionary new quantum devices, including quantum sensors and actuators that have unprecedented levels of sensitivity, efficiency, and functionality for a wide variety of tasks. A particularly compelling example is high quality factor (high-Q) superconducting resonators for magnetic resonance. These new devices will be substantially more sensitive than current devices in widespread use.

The work will develop a simple blood test that will enable the detection of a valuable Natural Health Product, Curcumin, that is commonly found in Tumeric, to be detected in blood samples from only a simple finger prick. It is believed that curcumin has important medicinal effects such as anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities. However, it is known that Curcumin absorption is quite low from simple consumption of turmeric and as a result a simple blood test will enable proper estimation of body absorption amounts for this valuable Natural Health Product.

Numerous industries and government agencies carry out analyses every day using inductively coupled plasma (ICP) instruments that typically waste 95% of the sample and consume large amounts of argon. A greener approach would not generate any sample waste and reduce expensive argon consumption. The first year will be devoted to making a viable commercial product from an infrared-heated sample introduction system for inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). If the prototype can be developed as a financially feasible product, the company would patent it.

Sugarbush Spa is a London-based company that specializes in the removal of unwanted body hair by a method known as sugaring. The method, used for centuries in the Middle East, has several notable advantages over traditional waxing. Commercially available sugaring pastes suffer from inconsistency in production and unsatisfactory performance. At its core, the creation of sugaring paste is a synthetic organic chemical reaction, hydrolyzing the disaccharide sucrose to the two monosaccharides glucose and fructose.

The build-up and transport of contaminants in aquifer systems occurs through a variety of processes. The leaching of contaminants from industrial waste and debris in landfill sites during rainfall events represents a major source of water borne contaminants which threaten ground and surface aquifer systems. This internship research involves the design of nanofiltration media which involve studies of their equilibrium and time dependent uptake properties toward leachate samples obtained from a landfill site in Mexico.