Naomi Haworth Memorial Lecture: Prof. Michelle Coote; Flinders University
Friday, 18 November 3:00pm – 5:00pm
This lecture will be delivered in Sydney Nanoscience Hub (SNH).SNH Lecture Theatre 4002 (Messel) from 3-4pm and be followed by an afternoon tea outside the theatre. It is proposed as an in-person event, subject to any local COVID restrictions.
We would be delighted if you are able to join us, please register via the link below by COB Tuesday, 15th November 2022.
Afternoon Tea Registration: Eventbrite.
Please email chemistry.researchsupport@sydney.edu.au for zoom link and password if you are unable to join in-person.
Speaker: Prof. Michelle Coote; Flinders University
Host: Prof. Deanna D’Alessandro
Title: Naomi Haworth’s Contributions to Computational Chemistry
Abstract: Dr Naomi Haworth was a postdoctoral fellow in my research group between 2014 and 2017. During that time, she made many significant contributions to computational chemistry, ranging from the development and application of improved methodology for treating molecules in solution1,2 to helping to explain mechanical stretching-induced electron transfer reactions3 and helping to provide the first demonstration that electric fields can catalyse a chemical reaction4 (see Figure 1). This presentation will highlight her work and celebrate her contributions.
References
1) Haworth, N.L.; Wang, Q.; Coote, M.L., Modelling Flexible Molecules in Solution: A pKa Case Study Phys. Chem. A, (2017) 121, 5217−5225.
2) Ciampi, S.; Eggers, P.K.; Haworth, N.L.; Darwish, N.; Wagner, P.; Coote, M.L.; Wallace, G.G.; Raston, C.L.,Decoloration rates of a photomerocyanine dye as a visual probe into hydrogen bonding interactions Commun., (2015) 51, 4815-4818.
3) Li, Y.; Haworth, N.L.; Xiang, L.; Ciampi, S.; Coote, M.L.; Tao, N.J. mechanical stretching-induced electron transfer reactions and conductance switching in single molecules Am. Chem. Soc., (2017) 139, 14699-14706.
4) Aragonès, A.C.; Haworth, N.L.; Darwish, N.; Ciampi, S.; Bloomfield, N.J.; Wallace, G.G.; Diez-Perez, I.; Coote, M.L., Electrostatic catalysis of a Diels-Alder reactionNature, (2016) 531, 88-91.
Biography: Professor Michelle Coote is a Matthew Flinders Professor in Chemistry at Flinders University, having recently moved from the Australian National University (ANU). She completed a PhD in polymer chemistry at the University of NSW, followed by postdoctoral fellowships in polymer physics at the University of Durham, UK, and computational chemistry, at the ANU. She established her own research group at the ANU in 2004, where she served in various roles until early this year. She is a Georgina Sweet ARC Laureate Fellow, an Executive Editor of JACS, an elected fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, and is the 2021 recipient of the RACI Leighton Memorial Medal. Her group uses theory and experiment to design new synthetic methods and catalysts, with an emphasis on non-traditional methods of bond activation using electricity and light.
