The 44th South African Chemical Institute’s National Convention took place between 8 – 13 January 2023. Over the course of these 5 days, the conference was home to plenary and parallel sessions covering all areas of chemistry, though the overarching theme was chemistry for sustainable development in Africa. The event was part of the International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development – SA IYBSSD 2022.
RSC Advances, along with Dalton Transactions, were pleased to sponsor six poster prize winners and four flash presentation winners. We are delighted that the conference was such a success and we would like to wish a huge congratulations to all of the winners!
Poster prize winners:
• PA5 Geyan Kempkes, University of Pretoria
Development of a novel graphene-based passive air sampler for mercury monitoring
• PI5 Taryn Golding, University of Cape Town
Ferrocenyl aminoquinoline-benzimidazole molecular hybrids as antiplasmodial agents
• PA43 Derrick Sipoyo, University of Venda
Synthesis of naphthalene derivatives as bifunctional electrolyte additives for lithium-ion batteries
• PP14 Kgalaletso Otukile, University of the Free State
First-principles based evaluation of rate constants for R + O2 reactions with R = ethyl, isopropyl, isobutyl, t-butyl and neopentyl
• PO30 Trégen Snayer, Stellenbosch University
Studies towards resolving racemic C4-symmetric inherently chiral calix[4]arenes
• PI33 Shira Zinman, University of Cape Town
Expanding the versatility of aminoquinoline organometallic complexes as anticancer and antibacterial agents
Peter Mallon (SACI previous president), Geyan Kempkes, Trégen Snayer, and Catharine Esterhuysen (Chair of 44th SACI National Convention)
Flash presentation winners:
• PO27 Ursula Ralepelle, University of Limpopo
Reduction of alkynyl carbonyl compounds using SnCl2 and computational investigation of the reaction mechanism
• PO37 Sarah Wright, University of the Witwatersrand
Phenylcyclobutenone annulation reactions as new entry towards total syntheses of aglycones gilvocarcins
• PP8 Mofeli Leoma, Rhodes University
Better insights into the squalene monooxygenase inhibitors for lowering cholesterol in cardiovascular biology using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations
• PI12 Luccile Mbonzhe, University of Venda
A Zinc-based 3D mixed ligand metal-organic-framework with stepwise CO2 adsorption at low temperature
Peter Mallon, Ursula Ralepelle, Sarah Wright, Mofeli Leoma, and Catharine Esterhuysen
Find out more about the Pan Africa Chemistry Network, which seeks to create a self-sustaining science base in Africa, helping to build capacity, solve local challenges and contribute to global knowledge.
This conference will provide the opportunity for established and emerging researchers from academia and industry around the world to come together and share their research on biocatalytic amine synthesis. It will showcase recent advances in biocatalysis research, covering various cutting edge topics in the field, from the identification and engineering of amine forming enzymes and their application to the development of new enzymatic cascades.