The Faculty of Science Excellence award goes to... Chantal!

Kudos to Chantal who received the Faculty of Science Excellence award, a testament to her exceptional contributions to our graduate students and department at large over the past 38 years. Chantal's work is multifaceted, and the success of our nowadays well over 230 Graduate Student Population hinges in great part on her relentless work in our department.

Nanoplastics in Water: Artificial Intelligence-Assisted 4D Physicochemical Characterization and Rapid In Situ Detection

For the first time, The Ariya lab present a much-needed technology for the in situ and real-time detection of nanoplastics in aquatic systems. We show an artificial intelligence-assisted nanodigital in-line holographic microscopy (AI-assisted nano-DIHM) that automatically classifies nano- and microplastics simultaneously from nonplastic particles within milliseconds in stationary and dynamic natural waters, without sample preparation. AI-assisted nano-DIHM identifie

A para- to meta-isomerization of phenols

Phenols are a common functional group of many naturally occurring and biologically active molecules, including many that are part of the human diet. In 2020 alone, ~60% of small molecule drugs approved by the FDA contained a phenol or a closely related phenolic ether, underscoring their importance to the pharmaceutical industry.

Night Lights and Scientific Delights: Nuit blanche at McGill

by Phuong Hoang, Faculty of Science Communications Assistant 

True to its name, Montréal’s Nuit blanche is an annual celebration of the vibrant culture of the city, with thematic itineraries and extended business hours that ensure festival-goers a night of endless excitement.

McGill Magnetic Resonance Facilities (MMRF) are now recycling helium

In late April 2021, a helium recovery system was installed for the Chemistry NMR/EPR Facility in Otto Maass and the QANUC high-field NMR facility in Pulp and Paper.  This technology, one of only a few in Canada, allows for up to 90% of the helium used in the facilities to be recycled, thus protecting a valuable, and limited, natural resources, and limited greenhouse gas emissions.  Funding was obtained fr

NMR facilities managers trying to solve helium problem

Department members Tara Sprules, manager of the national high-field NMR facility QANUC, and Robin Stein, chemistry department (MC2) NMR/EPR manager, have just had an article published in the CIC newsletter about helium. Together, they use about 2900 L of helium annually to make their eight NMR spectrometers function, and recent cost increases have left them feeling nervous about the future.