Sustainable Nanomaterials:

Design, Synthesis and Application to Catalysis

Welcome to the Moores Research group website!

Since 2007, my research group in the Department of Chemistry at McGill University works at the interfaces between the fields of nanoparticle science, material chemistry, coordination chemistry and organic synthesis.

McGill is located on unceded lands which have traditionally served as a site of meeting and exchange amongst diverse indigenous peoples. The Kanien’kehà:ka/People of the Flint (Mohawk) who are a founding nation of the Haudenosaunee/People of the Longhouse (Iroquois) Confederacy are recognized as the traditional stewards of the lands and waters.

Farewell to Audrey and Galen from the Saito Group at U Tokyo 2024

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Latest News

Welcome to Yasmeen Jaberi and Renzo Favaro! Renzo started in July working with Galen on the polysaccharide functionalization project. Yasmeen is a new MSc Student and is joining Team Chitin! September 5 2024

We’re sad to say goodbye to Angelica Mucaria, a visiting PhD student from the Università di Bologna who was with us for 4 months to work on beta chitin crystallization. August 27 2024

Congratulations to Olivia Hengelbrok for securing a CCVC undergraduate summer research award to work on microplastics and metals. Well done! April 12 2024

Today we officially received our Sustainable Lab Certification from the McGill Office of Sustainability! (✨platinum✨!) We’re excited to be one of the first labs to have completed the process! November 8 2023

Research

We conduct research in the domains of 1) catalysis using both the heterogeneous and homogeneous approaches and 2) sustainable nanoparticle and material synthesis. We have a special interest in magnetic particles and nanocrystallites of cellulose, chitin and chitosan in catalysis. We are developing solid phase syntheses of nanoparticles and nanomaterials. We are also studying plasmonic nanocatalysts and biomass transformations.

Training

Training is at the heart of what we do. All my trainees become experts in a suite of characterization tools, which includes: transmission and scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectrometry, X ray diffraction, and inductively coupled plasma, and on organic molecule characterization, which includes: nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared spectroscopy, gas chromatography, and mass spectroscopy. They also develop soft skills such as team work, leadership, and oral and written communication.

Keywords

Green chemistry

Nanoparticles

Catalysis

Transition metals

Hydrogenation

Ionic Liquids

Oxidation

Nanocrystallites of Cellulose

Iron

Copper

Mechanochemistry