Saturday the 21st of October saw the graduation of three PhD students.
Dr Theresa Hedderman
Solubilisation, Purification and Processing of Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes using Organic Molecules
Single walled carbon nanotubes are tubes of carbon which are less than a thousand times thinner than a human hair. They have been vaunted as candidates for fillers in composites, templates for drug delivery and even nanowires, in the general area of emerging nanotechnologies. The problem is that they are a dirty material and are insoluble in most solvents.
Theresa’s project, which was co-supervised by Dr Gordon Chambers of the School of Physics, therefore explored the use of small molecules to selectively process these materials. The project was successful and she showed that we could selectively process metallic versus semiconducting tubes which is of great importance for potential applications in the electronics industry. She published 4 papers in international journals and presented her work at numerous international and national conferences. Theresa’s achievement is particularly notable as she undertook the project part time while working as a Research technician in the Focas Institute.
Dr. Sinead Keogh
Spectroscopic Characterisation of SWNT Polymer Composites
Sinead’s project, carried out in the Focas Institute and initially in collaboration with TCD, used organic polymers or plastics to overcome the problem of solubilising nanotubes and in doing so showed how they could be processed and purified. Indeed the results also indicated that the processing was diameter selective - important for their physical properties and potential applications. The study illuminated much of the physics behind these composites and Sinead published 4 papers in high ranking international journals and presented her work at numerous conferences around the world including Australia.
Dr. Eoghan O Faoláin
Potential of Vibrational spectroscopy in the diagnosis of human tumours
This project was carried out under the joint supervision with Dr Fiona Lyng of the radiation and Environmental Science Centre in the Focas Institute. It is based on the use of spectroscopic techniques (ie the use of light and colour) to detect cancers in humans. The technique has much promise as it is non-invasive, with no need for a biopsy, is far more objective and accurate than the current techniques.
Eoghan showed that it was possible to differentiate cancerous and normal cervical tissue, and even precancerous tissue using spectroscopy. The work was carried out in collaboration with the National Maternity Hospital in Holles Street and as part of a wider European consortium. His work has also been published in several international journals and presented at many international conference where he invariably won the prize for best presentation. The work has really put Ireland on the world map in terms of research in this exciting area.
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