December 2009
Kharkov National University of Radio Electronics awards RGC an Honorary Doctorate
Professor Richard Compton would like to thank the academic board at Ukraine's Kharkov National University of Radio-Electronics for electing him as an Honorary Doctor of the University.
http://kture.kharkov.ua/opencms/opencms/KNURE/index.html?__locale=en

October 2009
Highlighted paper in Analytical Chemistry
The paper 'Microarrays of Ring-Recessed Disk Electrodes in Transient Generator-Collector Mode: Theory and Experiment' by Denis Menshykau, Aoife M. O'Mahony, F. Javier del Campo, Francesc Xavier Munõz and Richard G. Compton (Anal Chem, 10.1021/ac9017633) is currently a highlighted paper in this issue of Analytical Chemistry. Congratulations Denis et al.!
Abstract:
The fabrication, characterization, and use of arrays of ring-recessed disk microelectrodes are reported. These devices are operated in generator-collector mode with a disk acting as the generator and the ring as the collector. We report experiments and simulations relating to time-of-flight experiments in which material electrogenerated at a disk is diffusionally transported to the ring. Analysis of the current transient measured at the latter when it is potentiostatted at a value to ensure diffusionally controlled 'collection' is shown to sensitively reflect the diffusion coefficients of the species forming the redox couple being driven at the generator electrode. The method is applied to the ferrocene/ferrocenium couple in the room temperature ionic liquid [N6,2,2,2][NTf2], and the results are found to agree with independent measurements.
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ac9017633

8th October 2009
淵上壽雄教授 (Professor Toshio Fuchigami) lectures in PTCL
淵上壽雄教授 (Professor Toshio Fuchigami) of Tokyo Tech. presented his lecture on 'Organic Electrosynthesis Towards Green Sustainable Chemistry'.
Professor Fuchigami is the current Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the Electrochemical Society of Japan and has published over 300 original papers and 30+ books/chapters on organosynthesis and organic electrosynthesis. His current role is of Senator at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. The Fuchigami research group is 20+ strong and publishes frequently in high-impact factor journals. Professor Fuchigami is the recipient of many electrochemical awards, including the 2007 Excellent Papers Award of The Electrochemical Society of Japan and the 2008 Electrochemical Society of Japan Award.
The Compton Group would like to thank Professor Fuchigami for his visit and excellent presentation.
http://www.echem.titech.ac.jp/~fuchi/fuchigami.html

September 2009
Kathryn Toghill and Aoife O'Mahony to attend Prague Electrochemistry Conference
Kathryn Toghill and Aoife O'Mahony are to attend an Electroanalysis conference in Prague this December.
The Prague conference is a Nobel Prize memorial meeting based on the pioneering work of Professor Jaroslav Heyrovský, who invented polarography. The meeting will deal with a wide range of contemporary trends in electroanalysis, from important theoretical and methodological developments to the most recent practical applications. The oral presentations by participants will represent the views of individual speakers on the role, possibilities and limitations of modern electroanalytical techniques and their future prospects spanning over the whole wide field of electroanalysis.
Kathryn will discuss the use of metal nanoparticle modified BDD (boron-doped diamond) electrodes in electrochemistry, and how the relatively new electrode material has much potential in electroanalysis, with only a small number of modifications so far researched. Specifically the work by our own group will be discussed, as the Compton group have done the majority of metal nanoparticle modification of BDD. BDD and modified BDD have been used to much the same purpose as the hanging mercury drop electrode in electroanalysis, which links back to Heyrovský who first used the latter electrode material.
The conference runs from the 9th to 13th of December.
http://www.natur.cuni.cz/heyrovsky/

August 2009
Visit from Dr. Ozoemena (South Africa)
Dr. Kenneth Ozoemena from CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research), South Africa, will visit during 2010. Dr. Ozoemena has focus on photoelectrochemistry for dye-solar cells, and RTILs for Lithium-Ion battery research.
http://www.csir.co.za/msm/energy_and_processes/staff_kenneth.html