Dr Hussein Kanbar has joined the group of A/Prof. Michael Holmboe and will  be working on the molecular mechanisms behind the immobilization and preservation of sedimentary and ancient DNA (aDNA) by clay minerals.

A paper by Marie Lucas, Merve Yesilbas, Andrey Shchukarev and Jean-François Boily

“Protonation and water exchange kinetics in sandwich polyoxometalates”

in Dalton Transactions, 2018, 47, 13602-13607. Link.

C. André Ohlin, Magda Pascual-Borràs

Abstract: Density functional theory is used to explore the locus and consequences of protonation in [Zn4(H2O)2(PW9O34)2]¹⁰⁻ . The results are used to explain recent observations regarding the contrasting pH effects on the water-ligand exchange in [Mn4(H2O)2(P2W15O56)2]¹⁶⁻ and [Co4(H2O)2(P2W15O56)2]¹⁶⁻ , and the general effect of protonation on solvent exchange in metal oxides is discussed.

Many of us in Molecular Geochemistry participated to the Gaussian
workshop at HPC2N on May 14-15!

PECA  collaboration with JF Boily and Thomas Wågberg (Physics, Umeå University),
with lead author Alagappan Annamalai. Paper here

Merve Yesilbas defended her Ph.D. thesis on April 13 th.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

from left to right:   Staffan Sjöberg, Jan Pettersson (Gothenburg University), JF Boily, Merve Yesilbas, Grégory Lefèvre (CNRS-Paris)

 

Check out link here: Yesilbas Press Release

Mark Ramabaran has joined the Ohlin group as a PhD student. He will be looking at the solution chemistry of polyoxometalates and their use as models for reactions on extended metal oxide surfaces.

Merve nailed her Ph.D. Thesis “Thin Water and Films on Minerals: A Molecular Level Study” on March 23rd.

She will defend her thesis on April 13th at Umeå University (info here).

Opponent: Grégory Lefèvre (Chime ParisTech)

Evaluation Committee: Stina Jansson (Chemistry, UmU), Jan Pettersson (University of Gothenburg), Alexandr Talyzin (Physics, UmU)

Wei is a visiting Ph.D student from Khalil Hanna‘s group (Rennes).
During her 6-month stay, she will be studying water vapour binding on
organically-coated minerals with JF Boily.