Nov/Dec 2007: ACCN, the Canadian Chemical News

l’actualité chimique canadiennecanadian chemical newsACCN NOvember/december | NOvembre/décembre • 2007 • vol. 59, No./no 10

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Ar ticles

Small Miracles—turning nanodreams into realityHigh-performance composites from carbon nanotubes—an integrated approach for success

Stéphane Dénommée, Jingwen Guan, Christopher Kingston, Yadienka Martinez-Rubi, and Benoit Simard, FCIC

Framing Nanotechnology NowHands-off or hands-on? CIELAP shares elements of a Canadian policy framework for nanotechnology.

Susan Holtz

Size MattersConvincing the patent office that big things come in small packages

Elizabeth Hayes

The Periodic Table on TourEric R. Scerri

The Canadian Journal of ChemistryReality, Myths, and Challenges

Robert H. Lipson, MCIC

Guest Column Chroniqueur invité . . . . . . 2The ruse and the reality of NanotechnologyRobert A. Wolkow, MCIC

letters lettres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

News Nouvelles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Patent Quest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Daphne C. Lainson, MCIC

Chemfusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Joe Schwarcz, MCIC

Recognition Reconnaissance . . . . . . . . . 28

Careers Carrières . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Events Événements . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

ACCN A publication of the CIC | Une publication de l’ICC

T a b l e o f C o n t e n t s | T a b l e d e s m a t i è r e s

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� L’ACTUALITé ChIMIqUe CANAdIeNNe novEMBRE/DéCEMBRE �007

Managing Editor/Directrice de la rédaction Heather dana munroe

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Editorial Board/Conseil de rédactionJoe Schwarcz, MCIC, chair/président

cathleen crudden, MCICJohn margeson, MCICmilena Sejnoha, MCICbernard West, MCIC

editorial Office/bureau de la rédaction130, rue Slater Street, Suite/bureau 550

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L’Actualité chimique canadienne/Canadian Chemical News (ACCN) is published 10 times a year by the Chemical Institute of Canada / est publié 10 fois par année par l’Institut de chimie du Canada. www.cheminst.ca.

Recommended by the Chemical Institute of Canada, the Canadian Society for Chemistry, the Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering, and the Canadian Society for Chemical Technology. Views expressed do not necessarily represent the official position of the Institute, or of the societies that recommend the magazine.

Recommandé par l’Institut de chimie du Canada, la Société canadienne de chimie, la Société canadienne de génie chimique et la Société canadienne de technologie chimique. Les opinions exprimées ne reflètent pas nécessairement la position officielle de l’Institut ou des sociétés qui soutiennent le magazine.

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Indexed in the Canadian Business Index and available on-line in the Canadian Business and Current Affairs database. / Répertorié dans la Canadian Business Index et accessible en ligne dans la banque de données Canadian Business and Current Affairs.

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Nanotechnology doesn’t exist yet—not substantially—not compared to what’s coming .

What exists today is nano-science . And it is the many, diverse, and substantial devel-opments in nano-science that have created the buzz about future nanotechnology . The ability to literally see individual atoms, touch them, and even move at them at will, and the knowledge that electricity works differently when run through the tiniest wires, and the prospect of astoundingly small consumption of power and materials during the construc-tion and use of nano-devices—those are the things creating the excitement . And the ex-citement is well-founded . There are many reasons to believe a nano-based technological revolution is coming .

Unfortunately, as happens when a complex subject gets summarized, some misconcep-tions have been popularized . There is a com-mon notion now that anything will be possible given the new eyes and the new hands of the nanotechnologist . Fanciful pictures of “nano-assemblers,” popularized by Eric Drexler promote that notion, but they are misleading . Chemistry is like a chess game . Just as rooks, pawns, and knights must move according to their own unique rules, particular elements must also obey fundamental and idiosyncratic bonding characteristics that no process or tool will allow us to violate .

Still, while nanotechnology is more con-strained than some have suggested, there remains a vast scope for defining materials’ properties and for creating complex functional assemblies using the new tools of nano-sci-ence . What are those tools? Certainly advanced microscopes are essential, but a great number

of other techniques and approaches, not least theoretical methods, are indispensable too . As ever, the application of appropriate techniques to create directive feedback on preparative processes is key . Increasingly, we have a finer sense of the various constituents that make up any sample under study . This is a crucial as-pect of nano-science—we see not only average properties, we also see the unique constituents that make up the average . My colleagues and I study particular states in silicon that have al-ways been present but were previously impos-sible to see . Once we found those states could be recognized, we then learned to create them at will . We subsequently deployed those states to serve in radically new ways . The states we explored have been known for half a century as defects that inhibit traditional transistor op-eration . It turns out that the same entities are a benefit to (actually, the very core of ) a new nano-scale transistor concept .

This selective strategy isn’t unfamiliar . When we need a carpenter, we hire a carpen-ter—we don’t hire 130 people knowing that 1 out of 130 people are carpenters and then ask the whole group to fix our door . But that’s the way we employ materials today . Nano-sci-ence will allow more selective, and therefore improved and efficient use of materials for the particular job at hand .

GUeST CoLUMN ChroNIqUeUr INvITé

The Ruse and the Reality of Nanotechnology

Robert A. Wolkow, MCIC, holds the iCORE Chair

of Nanoscale Information and Communications

Technologies and is a professor of Physics at

the University of Alberta. He is also principal

research officer and Molecular Scale Devices

program leader at the National Institute for

Nanotechnology in Edmonton, AB.

Robert A. Wolkow, MCIC

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NINT Innovation Centre opens The National Institute for Nanotechnol-ogy (NINT) Innovation Centre, a part of the NINT of the National Research Council, has officially opened in Edmonton, AB . Its objec-tive is to help Canadian companies exploit the potential of nanotechnology and to foster the growth of an Edmonton-area cluster of companies that rely on nanotechnology . The Centre rents space to companies and indus-trial collaborators that will benefit from the close proximity to the high concentration of nanotechnology expertise at NINT and across the University of Alberta campus .

“Canada’s New Government recognizes the tremendous potential of nanotechnology to diversify the economy, create new jobs, and improve western Canada’s standard of living . We also recognize that Canada must build upon our research and engineering strengths, generate new ideas and innovations, and achieve excellence by global standards,” said Rahim Jaffer, Member of Parliament for Edmonton-Strathcona . “This facility positions Alberta’s nanotech industries for success in the global marketplace by providing them with a competitive advantage in commercial-izing new technologies and products .”

The Centre occupies the fourth floor of the exisiting NINT building and consists of 15 rental units of combined office and laboratory space . Current tenants include five companies and a research group from the NINT-Xerox Canada industrial research partnership .

LeTTerS LeTTreS

Go Joe Go!I thoroughly enjoy the articles by Joe Schwarcz, MCIC, in ACCN . I am a writer, not a chemist or chemi-cal engineer, but my husband, Norm, is a CIC member, and each time your publication arrives in the mail, I hungrily hunt for Dr . Joe’s column . He has demystified many a chemical confusion for me, and his topics make fascinating reading . Thank you!

Heather RathBurlington, ON

Advanced research undertaken at NINT, Canada’s flagship nanotechnology institute, fosters innovation in support of a new genera-tion of nanotechnology-based firms . Through a special partnership, the NRC and the Uni-versity of Alberta have created a unique mul-tidisciplinary environment where researchers from numerous fields are working toward the advancement of nanotechnology .

“The integration of talent, resources, and ideas across disciplines and among partner institutions creates new opportunities for success,” said University of Alberta president Indira Samarasekera . “Having companies adjacent to collaborative research activities at the University of Alberta is ideal, and we wel-come this latest development in the exciting partnership that continues to evolve as a result of the creation of NINT . We truly are delighted to join our partners today to celebrate the opening of the NINT Innovation Centre .”

National Institute for Nanotechnology

Tenant companies work on a wide range of nanotechnology-enabled products at the NINT Innovation Centre in edmonton, AB. Pictured above are rahim Jaffer, MP edmonton-Strathcona; doug horner, Alberta Minister of Advanced education and Technology; Indira Samarasekera, president of the University of Alberta; and Pierre Coulombe, president of the NrC.

“Helping new companies succeed in the nan-otechnology sector is of utmost importance to the province,” said Doug Horner, Alberta Min-ister of Advanced Education and Technology .

Capital costs for the Centre were $5 .7 million . Western Economic Diversifica-tion Canada contributed $3 .8 for construction and designing of the fourth floor, as well as outfitting and furnishing leased offices and labs . The Government of Alberta contributed $1,897,500 towards construction of the floor . Rental revenue is used to cover the operating costs of the Centre .

Pierre Coulombe, president of the National Research Council Canada (NRC), said, “The Innovation Centre will build on the NRC’s long history of helping commercialize re-search . Having this centre as part of the first class facilities at our National Institute for Nanotechnology will support nanotechnol-ogy-based firms and contribute to Canada’s leadership in this emerging field .”

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Canada’s 1st Neutron reflectometer The National Research Council Canada (NRC) has started up Canada’s first neutron reflectometer, one of five instruments de-ployed at the National Research Universal (NRU) research reactor at Chalk River Na-tional laboratories .

Neutron reflectometry is a new technique in which a reflected beam of neutrons is used to reveal the composition and measure the thickness of very thin layers of materials without destroying them . The layers are as little as a few atoms thick . This unique and powerful tool can even analyze layers sub-merged in water or buried within thick solid materials, at temperatures from absolute zero to hundreds of degrees . It can detect light elements, such as hydrogen, as easily as heavy elements, such as lead .

Much of the information yielded by neu-tron reflectometry cannot be obtained by any other means . The project was the result of participation by a dozen Canadian universi-ties and led by The University of Western On-tario professors David Shoesmith, FCIC, and Jamie Noel, MCIC . Central to their work are studies of corrosion—especially how it relates to the burial of nuclear waste . Their research group is constructing corrosion failure mod-els for nuclear fuel waste disposal containers, studying the penetration of moisture into the containers, and making long-term predictions about what happens to nuclear fuel inside a failed waste container . The goal is to con-struct barriers that will last long enough to allow the radioactivity to decay to a non-toxic level before the containers breach .

Nuclear Canada

P&G’s Greener Fabric CareProcter & Gamble (P&G) has convened a panel of leading Canadian experts to advise the company on sustainability initiatives for its fabric care business . The indepen-dent voluntary panel comprises six leading figures in the fields of sustainability, the en-vironment, and consumer advocacy .

“As a market leader in fabric care, P&G has the opportunity to shape the sustain-ability discussion within the industry,” said Dennis Darby, senior director of external re-lations for P&G North America . “Seeking the advice of external experts who are in touch with consumer perceptions and actively en-gaged in the sustainability movement will help us communicate this important news to consumers .”

Members of P&G Canada’s expert advi-sory panel are Chris Benedetti, chair of the Recycling Council of Ontario and strategy consultant; Barry Friesen, director of Waste Management Services for the Niagara Re-gion; Johanne Gélinas, partner, corporate responsibility and sustainability of Deloitte; Michael lio, executive director of the Con-sumers Council of Canada; Ken Ogilvie, executive director of Pollution Probe; and John Wiebe, president and CEO of the Globe Foundation of Canada .

P&G recently concluded a test market of “2X” concentrated liquid laundry detergents, including Tide™, Gain™, Cheer™, Era™, and Dreft™ in Cedar Rapids, IA . The successful test market effort has solidified the compa-ny’s plan to convert its entire liquid laun-dry portfolio to the 2X compacted format in both Canada and the U .S . The compacted formulae and smaller bottles allow for in-creased efficiency across the entire supply chain, including reduced fuel consumption and warehouse space, as well as a 22 to 43 percent reduction in plastic packaging . The new formulae also use up to 44 percent less water than previous formulae .

Procter & Gamble North America

No Laughing MatterBiofuels could increase global warming with laughing gas, says Nobel prize-winning chemist, Paul Crutzen . Growing and burn-ing many biofuel crops may actually raise, rather than lower, greenhouse gas emis-sions . That’s the conclusion of a new study led by Crutzen who is best known for his work on the ozone layer .

He and his colleagues have calculated that growing some of the most commonly used biofuel crops releases around twice the amount of the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O, also known as “laughing gas”) than previously thought—wiping out any ben-efits from not using fossil fuels and, worse, probably contributing to global warming .

“The significance of it is that the supposed benefits of biofuels are even more disput-able than had been thought hitherto,” said Keith Smith, a co-author on the paper and atmospheric scientist from the University of Edinburgh . “What we are saying is that [growing many biofuels] is probably of no benefit and in fact is actually making the climate issue worse .”

The work is currently subject to open review in the journal Atmospheric Chem-istry and Physics, and Crutzen himself has declined to comment until that process is completed . But the paper suggests that mi-crobes convert much more of the nitrogen in fertilizer to nitrous oxide than previously thought—three to five percent, which is twice the widely accepted figure of two percent used by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to calculate the impact of fer-tilizers on climate change .

For rapeseed biodiesel, which accounts for about 80 percent of the biofuel production in Europe, the relative warming due to nitrous oxide emissions is estimated at 1 to 1 .7 times larger than the relative cooling effect due to saved fossil CO2 emissions . For corn bioetha-nol, dominant in the U .S ., the figure is 0 .9 to 1 .5 . Only cane sugar bioethanol—with a rela-tive warming of 0 .5 to 0 .9—looks like a better alternative to conventional fuels .

In the wake of the findings comes a recent report prepared by the Organisation for Eco-nomic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for a recent round table on sustainable devel-opment, which questioned the benefits of first generation biofuels and concluded that

governments should scrap mandatory targets . Richard Doornbosch, the report’s author, says both the report and Crutzen’s work highlight the importance of establishing correct full lifecycle assessments for biofuels . “Without them, government policies can’t distinguish between one biofuel and another—risking making problems worse,” he said .

The full research paper is available at www .atmos-chem-phys-discuss .net/7/11191/2007/acpd-7-11191-2007 .html .

Chemistry World


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View ACCN back issues atwww.accn.ca

ACCN

Undergrad researchers rISe The 12th Annual RISE Workshop was held August 22 to 23, 2007, at The University of Western Ontario (Western) . RISE is a stu-dent research exchange for undergraduate students in the chemical sciences . Student scholars are selected from participating insti-tutions and spend the summer doing research projects with a RISE group member at an-other institution . The workshop provides the opportunity for the undergraduate students to network with each other and for the faculty mentors to share their summer experiences . Each student also gives an oral presentation on the project results . This year, the work-shop began with the traditional mixer that was held in the grad lounge on the Western campus . The gathering allowed the 14 2007 RISE Scholars, faculty participants, and other

Participants at the 2007 rISe workshop held at western this summer. Front: Laura Callaghan, Farah Lollmahomed, MCIC, Alexandra Anderson, Jaclyn o’Brien, Audrey Cunche, Mark workentin, MCIC, erica Kiemele, Jody Swift, willie Leigh, MCIC, will Skene. Second row: Bruce hill, Tito Scaiano, FCIC, Leah Schmidt, Lindsay Kelland, Brian Li Tai Tsat, Jane Ni, daniel hickie, Christopher Shon, david Cramb, Matt Lukeman, Lawrence huck, MCIC. Third row: Michelle Chrétien, MCIC, J. P. McCool, Svetlana Kostina, Brian wagner, MCIC, Kim osten, ron Steer, FCIC, Cornelia Bohne, MCIC, Pierre Kennepohl, MCIC, Linda Johnston, MCIC, and Nathan Yuan.

guests including RISE alumnae to get ac-quainted (or re-acquainted) . The workshop began the next morning with a few opening remarks from workshop host Mark Worken-tin, MCIC, Western’s dean of science David Wardlaw, MCIC, and Stephen Sims, associate dean faculty of graduate studies .

The highlight of the workshop was the series of student presentations . Special guest Michelle Chrétien, MCIC, of the Xerox Research Centre of Canada (a former RISE Scholar herself) gave an overview of the research and other activities going on at Xerox . The day wrapped up with a fabulous meal to celebrate their success at David’s Bistro in downtown london, ON .

The 2007 RISE group owes special thanks to the department of chemistry, the deans of science and graduate studies, and the vice-president of research and international relations of Western for generous financial support . They also bid a fond farewell to

professor Ron Steer, FCIC, who will be re-tiring from the University of Saskatchewan and the RISE group in the coming year . Steer has been part of the RISE group since 1998 . The full list of 2007 RISE scholars and their research projects can be found on the RISE Canada Web page (www .risecanada .ca) under 2007 Scholars .

The University of Western Ontario


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world’s Smallest Published BookIt’s a big feat of the tiniest proportions . Simon Fraser University (SFU)’s Nano Imaging lab has produced the world’s smallest published book . The only catch—you’ll need a scan-ning electron microscope to read it .

At 0 .07 millimetres x 0 .10 millimetres, Teeny Ted from Turnip Town is a tinier read than any other cited by the Guinness Book of World Records . By way of comparison, the head of a pin is about 2 millimetres .

The production of the nanoscale book was carried out at SFU by publisher Robert Chap-lin, with the help of SFU scientists li Yang and Karen Kavanagh . The work involved using a focused-gallium-ion beam and one of

SFU scientists Karen Kavanagh (left) and Li Yang are pictured with an image of the first page of the nanobook, Teeny Ted from Turnip Town.

Photo by Marianne Meadahl

a number of electron microscopes available in SFU’s nano imaging facility . A nanometre is about ten atoms in size . With a minimum diameter of seven nanometres, the beam was programmed to carve the space surrounding each letter of the book .

The book is made up of 30 microtablets, each carved on a polished piece of single crystalline silicon, and has its own Interna-tional Standard Book Number (ISBN 978-1-894897-17-4) .

The story, written by the publisher’s brother Malcolm Douglas Chaplin, is a fable about Teeny Ted’s victory in the turnip contest at the annual county fair . Considered an intricate work of contemporary art, 100 copies of the book are available in a signature edition from the publisher through the SFU lab .

Simon Fraser University

december deadline for Next Chemical BatchThe federal government has announced that industry and other stakeholders will have until December 18, 2007 to provide informa-tion on how they are safely managing and using 19 chemical substances identified as high priorities for action under the chemicals management plan .

“We are putting industry on notice about these substances,” said Health Minister Tony Clement . “If the information we receive shows that more needs to be done to safely manage these chemicals, we will work with industry and our stakeholders to take strong and imme-diate action to protect the health of Canadians and the environment .”

The 19 substances comprise the third in a series of 12 batches of high priority substances that were identified following Canada’s world-leading categorization of legacy chemical sub-stances last fall . Government scientists are already analyzing the information gathered on the first batch of substances and will do the same on the second batch .

Ottawa will assess the information it receives from this and other sources to decide on the appropriate actions required . Manufacturers, importers, and industrial users of high priority substances will have to provide Environment Canada and Health Canada with information on batches of 15 to 30 substances every few months . There are 193 substances in total, and the process to address all of them is estimated to take three years .

Camford Chemical Report

ripley wind Power ProjectSuncor Energy Products Inc . and Acciona Energy celebrated the dedication of their first wind power project in Ontario . The $176 million Ripley Wind Power Project is a 38-turbine, 76-megawatt joint venture project . The Ripley wind farm is expected to generate enough clean electricity to power approximately 24,000 Ontario homes and

displace the equivalent of at least 66,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year .

Construction of the facility is currently under way . Once complete, the project will consist of 38 two-megawatt wind tur-bines, a 27-kilometre transmission line, and two electrical substations . Electricity will be sent to the Ontario Power Authority for sale as green power . The wind power proj-ect is located on the eastern shores of lake Huron in the Huron-Kinloss Township . The companies announced a joint $30,000 gift to the township in recognition of their support

for the project . The money will go toward the township’s lewis Park enhancement fundraising effort .

Acciona Energy is the largest wind devel-oper in the world with a portfolio of 4,697 megawatts installed in 172 wind farms in ten countries . Suncor Energy Products Inc . is a wholly owned subsidiary of Suncor Energy Inc ., an integrated energy company head-quartered in Calgary, AB .

Suncor Energy Products Inc.

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Shell Shells out for 120,000+ Trees Shell and Tree Canada announced an extensive tree planting program . The program is backed by a $235,000 contribution to Tree Canada from Shell . 120,000 trees will be planted across sites that need reforestation in British Colum-bia, Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec .

“Shell’s work with Tree Canada contributes to greener communities and is an important component of our voluntary commitment to reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs),” said Rob Seeley, general manager of sustainable development for Shell’s oil sands division . “While we are making progress on GHG-re-lated technology such as energy efficiency plans and carbon capture and storage, tree planting remains an integral and visible com-ponent of our voluntary GHG management portfolio .”

The bulk of the planting will occur in Fort St . John, BC, and the Buffalo lake Moraine Conservation Area near Stettler,

Photo by Maury Eldridge

AB . It will include replanting of lands that have been affected by the mountain pine beetle outbreak . Other sites include Québec, QC to help commemorate the city’s 400th anniversary, the Toronto waterfront area, and Stanley Park in Vancouver to help restore the damage caused by last fall’s windstorms .

“The success of our tree planting program hinges on the leadership of companies like Shell,” said Michael Rosen, president of Tree Canada . “We are thrilled they are contribut-ing both volunteer time and funding to this important program .” Since 1998, Shell and Tree Canada have planted 716,000 trees across Canada, resulting in an estimated 420,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide sequestration .

Shell Canada

Should Prescriptions Cross Borders? The U .S . cannot solve its “Medicare donut hole” through Canada’s back door . That’s

the conclusion of a new health care paper published by the Atlantic Institute for Mar-ket Studies (AIMS) . It points out that as Americans head into an election year, drug re-importation will likely become an issue, particularly with several states actively pro-moting the re-importation of prescription drugs from Canada as a method to control Medicare costs .

“We should be concerned when Ameri-can politicians start using re-importation of Canadian drugs as a political smokescreen . A policy of controlling U .S . drug costs by shipping drugs north to Canada and hoping that they will still be cheap when they come back into the U .S . is on a par with asking the Tooth Fairy to provide a national dental service on the grounds that it will be self-financing,” writes author Brian Ferguson, AIMS Fellow in Health Care Economics and a professor of economics at the University of Guelph . To read the complete report, visit www .aims .ca .

Atlantic Institute for Market Studies


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duPont Calls for Faster hCFC Phase-outDuPont is advocating acceleration of the phase-out of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) . The company is urging gov-ernments and industry to take action to minimize emissions of refrigerants and adopt non-ozone-depleting and lower global warm-ing potential (GWP) alternatives .

HCFCs are significantly less ozone deplet-ing than chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), the original products they were designed to re-place . But they also are greenhouse gases . HCFCs are used primarily in refrigeration and air conditioning applications, which DuPont estimates account for more than 75 percent of the use of these compounds globally .

According to DuPont, there are approxi-mately 6 million display cases for food pres-ervation in supermarkets, restaurants, and convenience stores in the U .S . alone . There are also more than 100,000 chillers and 1 .6 million rooftop building air conditioning systems . Almost 60 million of the approxi-mately 110 million households in the U .S .

Canadians See Benefits of BiotechAt the launch of the fourth annual National Biotechnology Week (NBW) September 20, 2007 in Winnipeg, MB, BIOTECanada re-leased the results of its third annual poll of Canadians’ understanding of biotech . Results indicate the majority of Canadians support the use of products and processes that in-volve biotechnology .

“Beer, cold water detergent, door frames, and pajamas all have something in com-mon—biotechnology . Biotech truly is an ev-erywhere technology,” said Peter Brenders, president and CEO of BIOTECanada . “Our polling data indicates over 80 percent of Canadians support the use of products and processes that involve biotechnology .”

The theme of the NBW launch emphasized that everyday items are biotech products and hold the potential to benefit almost every as-pect of our lives from our health, to the food we eat, and how we travel .

“Winnipeg is proud to host the launch of this truly national celebration of Canadian innovation,” said Dawson Reimer, chair of the newly rebranded life Science Associa-tion of Manitoba .

Public support of the technology was also evidenced by an increase in funding to the sector announced at the launch by The Hon-ourable Jim Rondeau, Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mines . According to respondents, the role government can play includes that of access .

“Canadians see an opportunity for govern-ments to make sure Canadians have access to treatments for rare diseases and illnesses, as well as to provide tax incentives to encour-age innovation in Canada,” said Brenders . The complete results of the poll are available at the official NBW Web site www .imagenenation .ca .

BIOTECanada

have central air conditioning . Many of those systems still use HCFCs . DuPont Suva and Isceon alternative refrigerants have been used to retrofit existing systems .

The Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer was signed in Sep-tember 1987 . It restricts the use of ozone-depleting substances, including CFCs and HCFCs . After two decades, the treaty has led to substantial reductions in the emission of ozone-depleting substances .

The swift adoption of CFC alternatives during the 1990s combined with not-in-kind technologies and conservation measures has contributed to protection of both the ozone layer and the global climate . An article pub-lished in the proceedings of the National Academy of Science earlier this year, “The Importance of the Montreal Protocol in Protecting Climate,” reports the protocol has had a significant impact in reducing the emission of greenhouse gases that otherwise would have been released into the atmo-sphere . Research indicates that the ozone layer is now recovering .

“The Montreal Protocol has been respon-sible for a significant improvement in the

ozone layer, and because CFCs were also very po-tent greenhouse gases, their phase-out provided the added benefit of reduc-ing greenhouse gas emis-sions,” said linda Fisher, DuPont vice-president and chief sustainability officer . “We have learned many valuable lessons from the structure and implemen-tation of the Montreal Protocol that could be ap-plied as we develop legis-lation to curb greenhouse gases . DuPont has called for global action to reduce greenhouse gases and we continue to take a strong company position on the need for a global regulatory program .”

Additional action needs to be taken globally by governments and indus-try to rapidly phase-out HCFCs . DuPont added that it will continue to play a

leadership role in working with all stakehold-ers . INVISTA Canada produces HCFC-123 in Maitland, ON, for DuPont Canada . At this time, INVISTA plans to continue HCFC-123 production at the site . Future plans will be consistent with the company’s overall commitments .

DuPont


q: I have a Canadian patent on a new chemical compound for use in cancer therapy. I have now discovered that this com-pound may be useful for treating other diseases. does my patent cover these other therapies?

A: The answer will depend on what you claimed in your patent. A patent has two main parts—the description and the claims. The description provides information on how to make and use your invention, and the claims define the scope of the invention protected by the patent. If you claimed the compound itself, then you should be able to successfully enforce the patent against any third party using the com-pound without your permission. This may involve suing the third party for patent infringement in a court proceeding. This also assumes that the claim is valid. An acceptable defence to patent infringement is that the patent claim is invalid and should not have been granted by the Canadian Patent Office. On the other hand, if you claimed the compound in terms of how it is to be used, then it is unlikely that you would be able to successfully en-force the patent against a third party using the compound for a different use than what is claimed. However you claimed the compound in the patent, you should con-sider seeking further patent protection for the use of your compound for the new therapies. A new use of a known compound is patentable in Canada and in most other countries in the world.

Daphne C. Lainson, MCIC, is a lawyer and patent agent with the law firm Smart & Biggar in Ottawa, ON. Smart & Biggar is Canada’s largest firm

practising exclusively in intellectual property and technology law.

Disclaimer: The preceding is intended as informational only, and does not constitute professional advice.

Lawyer and patent agent, Daphne C. Lainson, MCIC, answers your questions on patenting your discoveries. Send your questions to [email protected].

PatentQuest

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engineers Canada Chairs wFeo Committee Engineers Canada has assumed the position of chair of the World Federation of Engineering Organisations’ (WFEO) Committee on Engineering and the Environment for the next four-year term . The position provides Canada’s engineering profession with a signifi-cant opportunity to showcase its expertise on the world stage .

Founded in 1968, the WFEO is a non-governmental international organization that brings together national engineering organiza-tions from over 90 nations and represents some 15 million engineers around the world . It co-operates with national and other interna-tional professional institutions in developing and applying engineer-ing to the benefit of humanity . One of six standing committees, the WFEO’s Committee on Engineering and the Environment aims to develop a worldwide understanding and commitment to sustainable development .

Committee chair and Engineers Canada past-president Darrel Danyluk said, “During our four-year term, we plan to address the environmental challenges facing our societies .”

Engineers Canada

New National Technology Benchmark for Chemical TechnologyThroughout 2007, the CSCT board has been directly

involved in the structure and content of the new Na-

tional Technology Benchmark (NTB) for the chemical

technology discipline.

Beginning January 1, 2008, the educational agen-

cies will be able to use the NTB to develop programs

and obtain invaluable feedback as to the significance

of the curriculum. It stems from an innovative part-

nership launched in October 2006 by the Canadian

Technology Accreditation Board through the Cana-

dian Council of Technicians and Technologists and

the National Council of Deans of Technology.

Watch for more information in the January 2008 issue

of ACCN …

10 L’ACTUALITé ChIMIqUe CANAdIeNNe novEMBRE/DéCEMBRE �007

CHEMFuSION

You know that nanotechnology has arrived as a scientific force when cosmetics hype it, Michael Crich-

ton writes a novel warning about it, Prince Charles castigates it, and demonstrators shed their clothes to protest it . Indeed, it must have been quite a scene at a nano-technology conference in Chicago when members of THONG (Topless Humans Organized for Natural Genetics) collectively dropped their pants to expose their rears festooned with the phrase “There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom .”

The reference was to Nobel Prize winning physicist Richard Feynman’s speech at the annual meeting of the American Physical So-ciety in 1959, which many believe inspired the age of nanotechnology . Feynman mused about the possibilities of writing the entire contents of Encyclopaedia Britannica on the head of a pin, making tiny electrical circuits, and even manipulating single atoms . The latter would be the Holy Grail of chemistry . Today, chemists make new molecules by mix-ing together appropriate reagents, based on known chemical reactions . But imagine if a new molecule could be constructed by adding atoms one at a time, sort of like building with lego™, except on a very small scale . A na-noscale! Pretty alluring . Except to protesters who suggest that such technology will also usher in problems—on a larger scale .

A nanometre is one billionth of a metre . That’s pretty small . It would take 1,000

particles, each 100 nanometres in diameter, to span the width of a human hair . This is the scale we are referring to when we talk about nanotechnology—the field of science that deals with substances that have at least one dimension that is less than 100 nanome-tres . Why a separate area of study? Because on this scale, materials often behave very differently from their larger counterparts . Take a chunk of gold . You can toss it back and forth between your hands and admire its gilded lustre . Now, take that gold and make it into nanoparticles . Depending on particle size and shape, they show a range of colours from spectacular ruby red to a beautiful purple .

How do you reduce gold to nano levels? One method was discovered by Richard Smal-ley, Harold Kroto, and Robert Curl, Jr . who vaporized carbon with a laser in 1985, and ended up with a Nobel Prize for their efforts .

These researchers weren’t really interested in nanotechnology . They had actually set out to investigate the chemistry of carbon-rich stars, but they made an amazing discovery . Vaporizing the carbon yielded particles that seemed to be made up of clusters of 60 car-bon atoms . Smalley, playing with paper mod-els, concluded that these clusters represented a novel form of pure carbon distinct from diamond and graphite, the two established forms of the element . He proposed that the 60 carbon atoms were linked together in the shape of a sphere, like a soccer ball . Even-tually this novel arrangement of carbon atoms came to be known as “buckminster-fullerene” after architect Buckminster Fuller who had designed a number of geodesic domes . A more affectionate term for these C60 molecules was “buckyball .” They really were “nano,” being about one nanometre in diameter . Methods were soon devised to join carbon atoms so that they formed nanotubes instead of nanospheres, and the age of nano-technology was ushered in .

Buckyballs and nanotubes turned out to have some unique properties not found in other forms of carbon . Buckyballs, for exam-ple, are effective antioxidants . They can neu-tralize those rogue species we hear so much about—the nasty free radicals that form as a byproduct of inhaling oxygen, and are linked with various diseases and aging . That’s why buckyballs have been showing up in some cosmetic products, such as Zelens Fullerene C-60 Day Cream™ . But there is a question

Joe Schwarcz, MCIC

whether or not such a day cream might become a nightmare .

Some scientists, including Robert Curl, are concerned that the health effects of nanopar-ticles have not been sufficiently explored . Under certain conditions such as exposure to light, buckyballs can generate highly reactive “singlet oxygen,” which can be damaging to tissues . It is also possible that harnessing the antioxidant potential of “fullerenes” can lead to some effective drugs . Experiments have already shown that grafting certain chemi-cal groupings onto fullerenes makes them water soluble . In some animal models, it renders them effective against some free-radi-cal-linked conditions such as lou Gehrig’s or Parkinson’s disease . Fullerenes may become useful in ferrying medications into the body and delivering them precisely where they are needed . But that’s the future . There is also nanotechnology now .

Remember the unsightly white stuff that protected many a lifeguard’s nose from the sun’s rays? Well, nano-dispersed zinc oxide—in which the particles are about 30 nm in size—offers superior protection and is totally transparent! Tennis balls coated on the inside with nano-clay platelets offer bet-ter air retention and more consistent bounce . Carbon nanotube reinforced composites make for stronger golf clubs and tennis racquets . Windows coated with nano-sized particles of titanium dioxide don’t fog up and actually cause dirt to break down . And then there are the 10 nanometre long “nanowhiskers .” These tiny fibres can be made to bond to fabrics and make them wrinkle- and dirt-resistant . But not activist resistant! In fact it was “nanopants,” sold at a Chicago store that raised the ire of THONG and prompted another near-naked demonstration . This time the protesters anointed their anatomy with “Teflon is Toxic” signs, apparently believing that this material was the secret to the stain-resistant nano-technology . Nonsense! Maybe the THONG-sters need to fill their nano-brains with some macro-science .

Popular science writer, Joe Schwarcz, MCIC,

is the director of McGill University’s Office for

Science and Society. He hosts the Dr. Joe Show

on Montréal’s radio station CJAD and Toronto’s

CFRB. The broadcast is available on the Web at

www.CJAD.com. You can contact him at

[email protected].

About the Size of It

Small miracleS—turning nanodreamS into reality Stéphane Dénommée, Jingwen Guan, Christopher Kingston, Yadienka Martinez-Rubi, and Benoit Simard, FCIC

High-performance composites from carbon nanotubes—an integrated approach for success

Composites are a class of material in which fillers or additives are com-bined with a matrix (e .g . polymer,

ceramic, metal) to produce materials with properties significantly enhanced over those of the neat matrix . The enhancement could be for increased mechanical performance (e .g . strength, toughness, wear resistance), or improved electrical or thermal con-ductivities . Composite materials are used to make an enormous number of diverse products, ranging from car tires, in which carbon black or clay is added to improve wear resistance, to concrete, where sand and stone are added to improve strength, to carbon fibre laminates, where carbon fi-bres are added to polymer resins to produce high-strength lightweight structures .

The Holy Grail in composite science is to find a single additive to impart multiple functionalities on the final composite that is a single lightweight, high-strength, highly conductive, self-monitoring, and self-healing material . Carbon nanotubes (CNT), in prin-ciple, should be the ideal filler to impart all of these properties . Indeed, when taken on their own, CNT exhibit the highest mechani-cal, electrical, and thermal properties of any known material . Recent mechanical mea-surements report the Young’s modulus and ultimate tensile strength as high as 3 .3 TPa1 and 63 GPa2, respectively . In comparison, structural steel exhibits an ultimate strength of only 0 .4 GPa and is 6 times heavier for a given volume . As electronic materials, CNT have displayed both extraordinary metallic characteristics, showing room temperature ballistic transport3 and conducting more than 1,000 times more current per unit area than copper,4 as well as extraordinary semi-conducting characteristics . Additionally, CNT have shown among the highest thermal conductivities of any known material (as high as 3500 W/mK),5 even greater than that of pure diamond . Combined with their very high aspect ratios (length/diameter) that can reach well over 10,000, CNT are truly the ultimate additives for the fabrication of multifunctional composites .

what are carbon nanotubes?

Carbon nanotubes resemble single sheets of graphite, known as graphene, that have been rolled upon themselves to form hollow, straw-like structures . They are divided into

two general classes according to the thick-ness of the tube walls . Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) are composed of a single graphene wall whereas multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) are made of several con-centric cylinders with a wall separation of 0 .34 nanometres . It is generally agreed that SWNT are superior to MWNT for composite applications for a number of reasons, espe-cially if multifunctionality is sought . Firstly, SWNT have a much lower percolation thresh-old, the minimum amount required to obtain a continuous network within a matrix . As a result, MWNT must be added at several times the loading of SWNT to achieve similar per-formance, which has important implications on processing and manufacturability . Second, SWNT have much higher aspect ratios than MWNT, an important aspect for efficient load transfer and toughening mechanisms . Third, MWNT typically possess greater numbers of defects than SWNT, which limits the maxi-mum possible performance achievable by the composite . Fourth, SWNT are superior in combined properties to MWNT . For example, although SWNT and MWNT have very similar mechanical properties, SWNT have thermal conductivities that are at least one order of magnitude better than MWNT .6 Finally, the properties of SWNT are strongly chirality de-pendent, creating the opportunity for tuneable performance once chirality-selective synthesis and/or separation are realized on a practical scale . This is not possible for MWNT as each individual graphene cylinder is independent from the others .

CNT composites today

The development of advanced composites based on CNT is still very much in its in-fancy . Despite more than 3,800 published scientific articles related to this field at the time of this writing, all CNT-based compos-ites reported to date have shown poorer than expected performances,2,7 and useful mul-tifunctionality has yet to be demonstrated . The main reasons for this are: highly vari-able purity and quality of the CNT samples used; lack of standards for quality and purity assessment and; lack of effective chemistry for purification, dispersion/exfoliation and binding to the composite matrix .7,8,9 Over much of the past decade, our team at the National Research Council Canada (NRC) has been working steadily to address each

of these issues . This has led to the devel-opment of a very successful integrated approach to designing CNT composites in which we exercise control over each stage of the process from nanotube synthesis through processing and integration to com-posite fabrication and testing .

CNT supply

High variability in the purity and quality of CNT samples has been a problem plagu-ing the CNT-composites field since its very beginnings . In this context, “purity” refers to the fraction of the sample that is CNT, as opposed to impurity elements and other forms of carbon . “Quality” is a measure of the degree to which the CNT are free from defects . Part of the cause is that there are

numerous methods by which CNT can be made,10 each producing material of slightly different composition and properties . Purity can be improved by applying post-production purification techniques, but quality is largely dependent on the production process and is difficult to improve at a later time .

A consensus is rapidly forming in the community that quality is paramount to obtain-ing high-performance composite materials from CNT . The highest quality SWNT can be syn-thesized reliably at the laboratory scale using the laser vaporization technique . Our team at the NRC has developed a unique two-laser pro-cess11 that has proven especially well suited to this task, and is being adopted by other groups around the world to produce exceptional qual-ity SWNT . Unfortunately, this and other laser methods are not truly scalable, making them impractical for composites applications requir-ing large amounts of SWNT . Plasma discharge and chemical vapour decomposition (CVD) methods are more suited to large scale produc-tion but generally suffer from lower levels of material quality . Figure 1 illustrates the magni-tude of the problem related to reliability in cur-rent SWNT supply . Raman spectra of the most prominent commercial materials are compared

CNT are truly the ultimate additives for the fabrication

of multifunctional composites.

novEMBER/DECEMBER �007 CANAdIAN CheMICAL NewS 1�

with NRC laser-grown SWNT, which we use as a standard . Without entering the complexity of Raman spectroscopy as it applies to SWNT, the features of note lie in the 150–250 centimetre-1, 1250–1450 centimetre-1, and 1500–1650 centi-metre-1 regions, which are attributed to the ra-dial breathing mode (RBM), disorder-induced D-band, and graphitic G-band, respectively . The RBM is very specific to SWNT, its Raman shift being related to the SWNT diameter . If the RBM is not observed it is because there are no SWNT present, which is the case for one of the

commercial products shown in the figure . The relative intensity of the D-band is indicative of the quality/purity of the sample, with lower in-tensity being better . It is clear from Figure 1 that the materials differ greatly in quality/purity, with the NRC laser-grown material standing out above the others . Despite these problems, enormous progress has been made in the past few years and it is only a matter of time until reliable low-cost sources of large quantities of high quality SWNT are available .

MWNT are already available at the kiloton level, but reliability in their quality is as much a problem as it is for SWNT . Recently, a Japanese company has introduced an in-situ annealing treatment during synthesis that has improved the quality of the MWNT significantly . Reliabil-ity in the purity of MWNT is much higher than SWNT, mainly because processes to produce MWNT have been in existence since the mid-1970s whereas SWNT were only discovered in 1993, and their growth conditions are much more stringent than for MWNT .

Standardization is essential

Compounding the problems associated with the variability in CNT supply is the fact that there are currently no internationally recog-nized standard practices for characterizing CNT material and reporting its composition

and properties . Standards are an essential component for enabling the widespread de-velopment of commercial activities, especially by those with less expertise in the CNT field . Companies need to be certain that their raw materials will reliably perform as expected . This is an especially acute problem for CNT since it is difficult to distinguish them from the other forms of nano-structured carbon typically present as by-products of synthesis . Standards for CNT are actively being devel-oped by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and Canada is actively playing a role through the NRC’s Institute for National Measurement Standards . Until these standards are widely accepted, buyers of CNT should exercise due caution and should re-quest as much certification data as possible .

Chemistry is the key

Up until very recently, the majority of efforts to make high-performance composites from CNT involved a simple physical mixing of the nanotubes into a matrix with the hope that some remarkable new composite would result . Unfortunately, little to no enhancement of com-posite properties was observed . The reason for this stems from the structure of the nanotubes themselves . CNT are fully aromatic with sp2 hybridized sidewalls, giving them low chemical reactivity, very low solubility in most solvents, and weak affinity for most common composite matrices . In addition, just as graphene sheets prefer stacking to form graphite, CNT have a strong inter-tube attraction that causes them to bundle into thick rope-like structures (see Figure 2) . The energy to de-bundle two SWNT, for example, is about 12 kilocalories (0 .5 eV) per nanometre of length, which is a signifi-cant amount of energy considering SWNT can be several microns long . Therefore, to take full advantage of CNT in composite applica-tions one must first overcome the bundling force in order to uniformly disperse the CNT as well as increase the interaction between the CNT and the matrix . Both of these goals can be reached through proper chemical modifi-cation of the CNT themselves, which is now recognized as the key to fully leveraging car-bon nanotubes’ remarkable properties . This chemistry can be accomplished in a number of ways, including wrapping the CNT with a polymer chain, non-covalent p–p stacking to the delocalized aromatic network, and direct covalent (sp3) functionalization to carbon

Figure 1. raman spectra of several SwNT samples demonstrating the wide variability in quality of current sources. A smaller d-band feature indicates a higher quality material.

Figure 2. A transmission electron micrograph (TeM) of a rope of individual SwNT.

1� L’ACTUALITé ChIMIqUe CANAdIeNNe novEMBRE/DéCEMBRE �007

atoms in the nanotubes . Our group at the NRC has developed extensive expertise in the cova-lent attachment of SWNT to various matrices through the linking of tailored functional moi-eties to SWNT sidewalls . Several strategies have been developed and proven that offer excellent flexibility and control over this process . One method we favour is to perform chemistry on reduced (negatively charged) SWNT because the nanotubes are naturally exfoliated during the process, and it substantially reduces the time and cost of the functionalization .12 Fig-ure 3 illustrates the effectiveness of our methods for CNT-composites . The first two panels show covalently functionalized SWNT dispersed in an epoxy resin, while the third shows the result of physical mixing unmodified SWNT .

An integrated approach for successIn order to counter the challenges discussed above and to discover what is ultimately possible with carbon nanotubes, we have adopted an integrated approach to the devel-opment of CNT-composites . In this approach we exert strict control over every step of the development process, including SWNT synthesis, purification, characterization, func-tionalization, and integration with the matrix . In this way we are able to exercise quality control and traceability at every stage . This approach is already proving successful with recent demonstration that the fracture tough-ness in epoxy resins can be improved by more than 60 percent with the addition of as little as 0 .16 weight-percent of functionalized SWNT .

Future of CNT composites

There have been high expectations and many promises regarding CNT-composites, with few being fulfilled as yet . Fortunately, the CNT

community is now realizing that reliability, quality, standardization, and chemistry are es-sential to making concerted progress . Through our experience we now know that with an integrated approach it is possible to make high-performance composite materials with CNT . Just how far the performance of these materials can be pushed remains to be seen . One prediction we can make is that the next few years will bring great advancements to the field and move us even closer to developing the ultimate multifunctional composites .

references

1 . Kazuki Enomoto, Shintaro Kitakata, Toshiyuki Yasuhara, Naoto Ohtake, Toru Kuzumaki, and Yoshitaka Mitsuda, “Mea-surement of Young’s Modulus of Carbon Nanotubes by Nanoprobe Manipulation in a transmission electron microscope,” Applied Physics Letters 88 (April 2006) pp .153115–153117 .

2 . Min-Feng Yu, Oleg lourie, Mark J . Dyer, Katerina Moloni, Thomas F . Kelley, and Rodney S . Ruoff, “Strength and breaking Mechanism of Multiwalled Carbon Nao-tubes Under Tensile load,” Science 87, (January 2000) pp . 637–640 .

3 . Philippe Poncharal, Claire Berger, Yan Yi, Z . l . Wang, and Walt A . de Heer, “Room Temperatura Ballistic Conduction in Carbon Nanotubes,” Journal of Physical Chemistry B 106, 47 (November 2002) pp . 12104–12118 .

4 . B . Q . Wei, R . Vajtai, and P . M . Ajayan, “Reliability and Current Carrying Capac-ity of Carbon Nanotubes,” Applied Physics Letters 79, 8 (2001) pp . 1172–1174 .

5 . Eric Pop, David Mann, Qian Wang, Kenneth Goodson, and Hongjie Dai, “Thermal Conductance of an Individual Single-wall Carbon Nanotube Above

Room Temperature,” Nanoletters 6, 1 (January 2006) pp . 96–100 .

6 . Tae-Youl Choi, Dimos Poulikakos, Joy Tharian, and Urs Sennhauser, “Mea-surement of the Thermal Conductivity of Individual Carbon Nanotubes by the Four-Point Three-w Method,” Nanoletters 6, 8 (August 2006) pp . 1589–1593 .

7 . Jonathan N . Coleman, Umar Khan, and Yurii K . Gun’ko, “Mechanical Re-inforcement of Polymers Using Carbon Nanotubes,” Advanced Materials 18, 6 (March 2006) pp . 689–706 .

8 . Jean-Paul Salvetat, Sanjib Bhattacha-ryya, and R . Byron Pipes, “Progress on Mechanics of Carbon Nanotubes and Derived Materials,” Journal of Nanosci-ence and Nanotechnology 6, 7 (2006) pp . 1857–1882 .

9 . Erik T . Thostenson, Chunyu li, and Tsu-Wei Chou, “Nanocomposites in context,” Composites Science and Technology 65, 3–4 (March 2005) pp . 495–516 .

10 . Christopher T . Kingston and Benoit Si-mard, Analytical Letters 36, 15 (2003) pp . 3139–3145 .

11 . Christopher . T . Kingston, Zygmunt J . Jakubek, Stephane Dénommée and Benoit Simard, Carbon 42, 8–9 (2004) pp . 1657–1664 .

12 . Yadienka Martinez-Rubi, Jingwen Guan, Shuqiong lin, Christine Scriver, Ralph E . Sturgeon and Benoit Simard, “Rapid and Controlable Covalent Functionalization of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes at Room Temperature,” Chemical Commu-nication, 2007, DOI: 10 .1039/b712299c .

Stéphane Dénommée, MCIC, is a technical officer with expertise with nanomaterials.

Jingwen Guan is a research officer with expertise in the chemistry of SWNT.

Christopher Kingston is a research officer with expertise in the synthesis and characterization

of SWNT.

Yadienka Martínez-Rubí is an NSERC post-doctoral fellow with expertise in the chemistry

of SWNT.

Benoit Simard, FCIC, is principal research officer and group leader of the Molecular and

Nano-Material Architectures Group at the National Research Council Canada’s Steacie

Institute for Molecular Sciences (SIMS).

Figure 3. Chemistry is key to creating strong interactions between CNT and composite matrices. The first two panels show covalently functionalized SwNT dispersed in epoxy resin, while the third panel shows the result of physical mixing without chemistry.


hands-off or hands-on? CIeLAP shares elements of a Canadian policy framework for nanotechnology. Susan Holtz

Framing nanotechnology nowIn early 2007, the Canadian Institute for Environmental law and

Policy (CIElAP) held an one-day expert workshop in Toronto to canvass the policy issues involved in nanotechnology . This col-

loquy resulted in CIElAP’s March 2007 report, A Policy Framework for Nanotechnology .

In that document, CIElAP identified 12 key elements for a respon-sible Canadian approach to policy for this fast-evolving field . Those elements are presented in this article, and this discussion includes new developments that have evolved since that report was first pub-lished . Further details on the questions, hazards, and benefits that

nanotechnology presents can be found in the original document and the workshop report, both available on CIElAP’s Web site at www .cielap .org . In our view, government policy-makers must address each of these 12 elements in detail and in a policy envelope that includes all of them at once . Governments should not be considering potential economic benefits in one context and relegating health and envi-ronmental risks, precautionary measures, social impacts, and public involvement to a separate discussion .

The evidence pointing to potential health and environmental risks related to nanomaterials is mounting . At the same time, potential


benefits in the health field, renewable energy and energy efficiency, and materials and en-vironmental science and technology are sig-nificant . CIElAP supports a context for nano-technology policy that is based on an explicit recognition and endorsement of sustainable development, with all that implies for equally valuing both human well-being and the en-vironment . The policy challenges for nano-technology are enormous and are currently dominated by a lack both of scientific infor-mation and also of basic policy tools . These tools include definitions and metrology, legal and regulatory frameworks, and structures and resources for public engagement . De-spite these large gaps, many parallels with other issues and institutional arrangements exist, and they could be adapted for nanoma-terials and technology .

Governments should incorporate a strong sense of urgency about creating policy in this area because of nanotechnology’s ex-traordinarily rapid commercialization and development . A perspective that values pru-dence, precaution, and the public’s input is crucial .

what is policy?

In the CIElAP workshop described above, one participant queried whether it was important to develop a policy on nanotech-nology—or a policy process . Policy-making is an intrinsic part of governance since policy is simply the result of decisions in some area that shape its future direction . Sometimes policy can be the result of taking no deliberate action on an issue and thus entrenching the status quo . But for any in-tentionally created policy, there is always some kind of policy development process . For nanotechnology, both new policy pro-cesses and specific policy decisions will be required .

Nanotechnology at present is only partially regulated and policy guidance can be best described as laissez faire . Forming a com-prehensive government policy will include making certain substantive decisions and instituting ongoing policy processes . Beyond pointing out the need for priority-setting and speed, CIElAP’s recommendations do not ad-dress questions of timing or sorting out what should be longer- or shorter-term objectives . At this stage, our proposed policy framework focuses on three things—on the policy goal,

on what needs to be attended to, and on how these issues should be addressed .

Filling out that framework into workable policy means assigning actions to the actors involved, assigning accountability, identify-ing stakeholders and how they should be involved, creating a timeline, and determin-ing what resources are needed and how they will be supplied . Although various stake-holders will have opinions about these mat-ters, the generation of detailed public policy is the responsibility of governments . Right now, government agencies and departments in Canada should be considering what the best options are to tackle these questions, and the implications of different approaches within the context of sustainability .

elements of a Canadian nanotechnology policy framework The following points describe CIElAP’s perspective on how major areas should be addressed .

1. Goals The policy framework should include an in-troductory statement discussing its purpose, which should explicitly be linked to sustain-able development and its values .

2. Public education and engagement Bringing civil society stakeholders into policy discussions very early in the process is the correct and prudent thing to do for the devel-opment of robust, publicly acceptable policy . Organizations such as the Action Group on Erosion, Technology and Concentration (ETC Group) and the National Farmers Union are alarmed by the speed of commercializa-tion and the lack of government oversight . They have already called for a moratorium on the technology . Others will probably join their ranks if tangible progress on policy and regulatory action is unable to keep up with commercial activity .

There are many good models for consulta-tive involvement in Canada, and government officials must accept that citizen groups will require resources to participate effectively . Government-run forums in which informa-tion flows mainly from government experts to the public are an outmoded and unpro-ductive approach . The same is true for gov-ernment information ads that attempt to

minimize public concerns about jobs, safety, or the environment . The Internet has made an enormous difference in the ability of a motivated public to become informed about a topic, and the best motivator is the oppor-tunity to have real input in shaping policy decisions . A comprehensive, well designed, and easy-to-use Web site is a very useful ap-proach, though not so easy to achieve . Con-sideration should be given to building on the single information window used for bio-technology—especially since future nano-technology applications are likely to include bioengineered components .

3. Inventory of activities and information sources Despite the establishment of several govern-ment-funded centres for nanotechnology research such as the National Research Council’s Alberta-based National Institute for Nanotechnology (NINT) and NanoQuébec in Montréal, it is still surprisingly difficult to get a comprehensive overview of nano-technology activities in Canada . This is especially true for up-to-date developments in policy and related government initiatives . A Web-based inventory that is updated and maintained by a government agency would be useful in a variety of ways . Transparency

about government planning and action must be recognized as vital .

4. Lead agenciesA fast-tracked process to designate lead agencies for various areas of specific re-sponsibility, to name lead contacts, and to identify the role of the main lead govern-ment agency should be quickly established . For the latter, Health Canada and Envi-ronment Canada jointly may be most appropriately positioned to lead progress overall . These decisions should be part of the information inventory .

Should Canadian governments take a

hands-off approach and let research develop where

it happens to go …?


5. Terminology, metrology, and related technical issuesThese need to be resolved as soon as pos-sible, preferably through international collaboration . Canada should continue its existing involvement in such efforts with the International Standards Organization, the EU, and others through agencies such as the Canadian Standards Association and the National Research Council Canada . Canada should press for speed and practical results from these deliberations .

6. regulatory approach—science, risk assessment, and stakeholder involvement Much of Canada’s regulatory system for dif-ferent types of products and chemicals can probably be adapted to address nanomate-rials . Indeed, Environment Canada posted an Advisory Note (signed in June 2007) to manufacturers or importers of nano-materials that have “unique structures or molecular arrangements” and are not on the Domestic Substances list (DSl) of materials already in commercial use . Such nano-materials will now be subject to the New Substances Regulations under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) .1 This is one of the first general regulatory initia-tives for nanomaterials that has been put in place, but . it is not comprehensive . The Advisory notes that this requirement would apply to materials like fullerenes, which have a novel molecular structure . But it would not affect the use of substances like nanoparticles of titanium dioxide particles, which, despite their novel properties at this scale, do not have a different molecular structure from ordinary, macroscale tita-nium dioxide that is already on the DSl . Clearly, additional triggers for regulation of synthetic nanomaterials will need to be phased in, particularly since nanoparticles of some materials now in use, such as cop-per or silver, may be particularly toxic at this scale .2

A more difficult area for regulation is con-vergent technologies involving nanomateri-als and biotechnology, especially self-assem-bling biological “machines” and products . The challenges for these may be more like containing the spread of antimicrobial resis-tance or infectious diseases, rather than reg-ulating toxic chemicals, and different models for regulation will probably be needed .

last year in the U .S ., the Environmental Protection Agency stepped in under the Fed-eral Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), to regulate a Samsung wash-ing machine that generated antibacterial nanosilver particles . That legislation, how-ever, is applicable only to products claiming efficacy for those uses . It is unclear at this time whether the Toxic Substances Control Act (U .S . legislation comparable to CEPA) will also be used or adapted to apply to nanomaterials .

It is unrealistic to expect comprehensive regulations to be created immediately, since much is still unknown about a long list of cru-cially important factors . These factors include the potential human health hazards, exposure routes, mechanisms of action, and nanomate-rial properties, behaviour, environmental fate, including bioaccumulation and transport, dis-persion, and sensitive species and ecosystems . Using a life cycle approach, every effort must be made to prioritize what needs to be known and to acquire that information quickly . An appropriate risk assessment model, such as that developed jointly by DuPont and Environ-mental Defense in the U .S ., could assist in de-termining priorities for a defensible regulatory system and, in the immediate future, for vol-untary and precautionary action . An interim approach to assessing risks and developing appropriate controls is needed right now for medical uses, consumer products, labora-tory, medical, and industrial wastes and other items in the waste stream with nanomaterials that come in direct contact with humans or can enter the environment .

Scientists and government officials should also recognize that risk assessment alone does not provide automatic answers to many regulatory questions . Many of these issues bring forth a range of legitimately differing ethical and social perspectives, and there must be mechanisms to include many differ-ent opinions and stakeholders in the regula-tory process .

7. Labelling and consumer worker safetyEspecially in the absence of a comprehensive regulatory regime, legal requirements to label consumer products with nanomaterials that can come in contact with humans, animals, or enter the environment directly should be imposed . Similarly, protocols for the protec-tion of workers and researchers must be put

in place at once, and updated as soon as pos-sible as more information is available .

8. Liability and intellectual property regimes Producer responsibility and legislated strict liability should be considered as essential principles for commercial applications of nan-otechnology and a process to institute them should be put in place . Intellectual property rules should, as much as possible, encourage open access to scientific information .

9. Science and research supportMuch more science in support of regulatory action is clearly needed . Granting councils should emphasize safety and the environ-ment as design requirements in each project from its inception, along with supporting work on so-called NE³lS, i .e ., nanotechnol-ogy and ethical, environmental, economic, legal, and social concerns .

10. Commercialization and social and economic benefitsMost of the public discussion to date has fo-cused on nanotechnology’s potential for generating economic benefits, on how best to position Canada’s industry in that regard, and on how to encourage research that leads to commercial developments . It is gener-ally assumed that Canadian efforts will be in particular applications, such as information/communication technology, health, energy, biotechnology, and environment-related niches . Should Canadian governments take a hands-off approach and let research develop where it happens to go, or should there be more support for targeted niches? How should these decisions be determined? There are also questions about whether research should be deliberately sup-ported for particular social or environmental ends . The EPA, for example, is especially in-terested in supporting work in nanotechnology on environmental sensors and environmental remediation applications . There must be a dis-cussion and decision process about which of these paths to follow to maximize Canadian economic benefits, and about what social and environmental needs and opportunities exist in Canada that should be supported .

11. TrainingIncreased support for and expansion of training in this new field, with a particular emphasis on worker health and safety, is essential .



12. Security concernsThere are many potential military applications of nanotechnology . For example, a centre for such research was established at Massa-chusetts Institute of Technology in 2002 . It is possible to imagine criminal and terrorist pos-sibilities for nanotechnology . Understanding these potential threats and determining ways to avoid them and to prepare for and mini-mize their consequences should be a part of the policy agenda . As with land mines, Can-ada should be prepared to lead international efforts to outlaw military uses that create envi-ronmental damage and civilian casualties .

At present, for its insiders, the world of nanotechnology is full of enthusiasm and promise . Outside, dark clouds of public sus-picion and concern can be seen gathering . Environmentalists will rightly point out that many scientific and technological innova-tions that were at first optimistically hailed as modern wonders have ultimately impacted us in varying ways . Some technologies become so widely employed that they are embedded in the very fabric of society . Managing their negative effects can become an intensely dif-ficult problem, as with the internal combus-tion engine and the use of fossil fuels . If nan-otechnology is to fulfill its positive potential, governments must make an unprecedented effort to bring precautionary foresight, speed, and open dialogue into policy development for this fascinating field .

references

1 . Information posted on Environment Can-ada’s New Substances Web site at www .ec .gc .ca/substances/nsb/eng/home_e .shtml (August 20, 2007) .

2 . Günter Oberdörster, “Nanoparticle Toxi-cology: Into the Respiratory Tract, Across the Skin, and Beyond?,” Keynote Plenary lecture, Symposium 3, Canadian Federa-tion of Biological Societies 51st Scientific Conference/5th Northern lights Summer Conference, University of Waterloo, Wa-terloo, ON, June 21, 2007 .

Susan Holtz is the senior policy analyst at the

Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and

Policy (CIELAP). Founded in 1970, CIELAP is

an independent, not-for-profit policy research

organization, focusing particularly on emerging

and less publicized environmental issues.

2008 SCI Canada Annual Awards Ceremony and DinnerThe Canadian section of the Society of Chemical Indus-try (SCI) will confer four awards in recognition of major achievement in service, industry, and leadership at the 2008 SCI Canada Annual Awards Ceremony and Dinner. “These awards acknowledge outstanding contributions to development and implementation of strategies that have resulted in the strengthening of Canadian industry, academic, or research institutions in the field of chemistry.”

Graham KnowlesSCI Awards ChairGKCI President

The event will be held on Tuesday, March 4, 2008, at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, 123 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON.

To register, please visit www.cheminst.ca/sci_awards.

For more information, please contact [email protected] or call Michelle Moulton at 613-232-6252 ext. 229.

matterS CoNvINCING The PATeNT oFFICe ThAT BIG ThINGS CoMe IN SMALL PACKAGeS

elizabeth hayes

�0 L’ACTUALITé ChIMIqUe CANAdIeNNe novEMBRE/DéCEMBRE �007

With the arrival of the biotechnol-ogy revolution a few decades ago, inventors found themselves

confronted with new challenges at the pat-ent office . Biotech inventions were not only expanding applications of science and medicine, but they were also stretching the boundaries of intellectual property law—the patentability of living matter raised the great-est controversy of all .

The biotech industry was not alone . With the deluge of computer-related patent appli-cations that followed the arrival of the com-puter revolution, claims for such inventions, including business methods, soon encoun-tered their own set of challenges . Applica-tions filed for these technologies, fuelled by debate through landmark court decisions, had the patent offices scrambling to review and revise examination policies in order to manage their “fit” within a patent system founded and legislated on more traditional fields of scientific endeavour .

Nanotechnology has now taken centre stage and has been hailed as the next industrial rev-olution that will replace or change all other technologies . In contrast to the biotech indus-try that took tremendous strides to obtain pat-ent protection for living matter, the nanotech industry is focusing on the molecular architec-ture of living and non-living matter . By oper-ating at the molecular level, nanotechnology offers the means to manipulate and redesign ordinary matter that afford numerous advan-tages in applications used in many sectors of our society today, with more expected to ar-rive in the next five to ten years . Not surpris-ingly, the number of nanotechnology-related patent applications being filed at the patent office is increasing exponentially since like its predecessors, valid and enforceable patent protection will be required in order to attract investment that promotes the research and de-velopment of future technologies .

Nanotechnology for patent purposesNanotechnology generally refers to the en-gineering and manipulation of matter at the scale where size is measured between one nanometre (nm) to about 100 nm . The mo-tivation of researchers to work with matter at the nanoscale stems from numerous ad-vantages afforded by extraordinary changes that take place with respect to the properties

or process and would “flow as a natural con-sequence or characteristic” from the prior art . For example, physical properties such as melting points and solubility are examples of inherent characteristics that are generally in-sufficient alone to render a known substance novel and patentable .

A potential rejection likely to be encoun-tered in a nanotechnology-related applica-tion depends on whether the claimed in-vention lacks novelty simply because it is a much smaller version of its previously dis-closed larger counterpart . Take for example, a microscopic carbon tube having a cylin-drical shape formed from several thousand layers of carbon atoms and having a diam-eter of only about one to two millimetres . Would a carbon nanotube having a single layer of carbon atoms and a diameter that is about a million times smaller be novel in view of the previously disclosed microscopic version? Since the wall thickness and diam-eter of both carbon tubes are not identical, it could be argued that every element of the carbon nanotube is not found in the prior art carbon tube and therefore, novelty ex-ists . However, even if a prior art reference does not “expressly” disclose or specify the same elements of an invention (in this case, the wall thickness or tube diameter), a pat-ent examiner might counter-argue that the carbon nanotube “inherently” exists in the microscopic version and therefore, lacks novelty . The basis for the argument might be that the carbon nanotube constitutes a mere change of scale of its elements .

While taking an existing technology and making it smaller may not usually result in a patentable invention, the ability to ma-nipulate atoms into a certain configuration that produces distinctive properties can be a patentable invention . Unless an examiner could show that scaling down a larger prior art version would produce the same proper-ties and characteristics of the nano-version, then a rejection made on the basis of inherent disclosure by the prior art version would be improper . For example, a microscopic carbon tube would not possess the enhanced thermal and electrical properties of the carbon nano-tube and therefore, cannot be an inherent dis-closure of the nanotube . Therefore, the ques-tion of the patentability of a known material or method manipulated at the nanoscale turns on whether new and/or improved prop-erties emerge . Providing there is at least one

of ordinary matter . This is when the laws of classical Newtonian physics are replaced by quantum mechanics and the wavelike prop-erties of objects start to compete with their size thus affecting physical and/or chemical properties .

Chemistry is perhaps one of the best ex-amples of how this new technology has been exploited . Take, for example, a carbon nano-tube having a cylindrical shape formed from a single layer of carbon atoms and a diameter of only about one to two nm . Because of their structure, carbon nanotubes exhibit extraor-dinary properties in that they are 100 times stronger and six times lighter than steel, more conductive than copper and a better in-sulator than diamond . This makes them use-ful in a variety of applications . For example, with their needle-like geometry and ability to pierce a delicate plasma membrane with-out damaging the cell, carbon nanotubes are being used as nano-injectors for gene therapy in the delivery of DNA and RNA . Another application is seen in the manufacturing of sporting gear where, for instance, the bicycle Floyd landis used at the 2006 Tour de France was constructed from carbon nanotubes to enhance the strength of the bicycle’s frame . It weighed only one kilogram .

Patenting nanotechnology

In order for an invention to be patentable, it must be novel, non-obvious, have utility and be described so as to enable a person skilled in the art to make and practice the inven-tion without undue experimentation . These criteria often rely on the perspective and understanding of “a person of ordinary skill in the art .” Because nanotechnology-related products and processes interface with a wide range of applications and scientific fields, how one identifies the level of “ordinary skill,” and other questions have transpired distinctive to patenting nanotechnology .

Novelty

One of the basic legal requirements for ob-taining a patent is that the invention must be novel over the prior art . An invention lacks novelty if a single prior art reference de-scribes, either expressly or inherently, every element of the claimed invention . “Inher-ency” exists when an undisclosed element is necessarily present in the prior art substance

Photo printed with permission from Allan Crawford, Road magazine novEMBER/DECEMBER �007 CANAdIAN CheMICAL NewS �1

new and previously unknown property be-tween a nano-sized invention and its larger-sized prior art version, inherent anticipation cannot exist . On this basis, it is important for inventors to realize that they have a greater chance of securing patent protection for their invention if it can be shown that properties of the nanoscaled version are unique and never existed previously .

obviousness

Yet another question in determining the patentability of a nanotechnology-related invention is whether miniaturization of a conventionally sized prior art material or method at the nanoscale level is sufficient to demonstrate non-obviousness . It has long been well established by the patent of-fice that the mere change in the dimensions or proportions of a device are generally in-sufficient to form the basis of a patentable invention . The Courts have supported this principle and found that where the only dif-ference between the prior art and a claimed invention is the relative dimensions, and the claimed invention does not perform any dif-ferently than the prior art, then no patentable distinction can be made .

If a nano-invention and its prior art ana-logue have similar elements, serve identi-cal functions, operate in substantially the same way, and if undue experimentation is not involved in making the nano-invention, then an examiner might argue that a mere difference in size is obvious . Alternatively, if the difference in size imparts unique char-acteristics and functions to the invention due to the fundamentally different laws of physics that only exist at the nanoscale, then the obviousness dispute might be avoided . Of particular importance is if a change in proportion or arrangement of elements pro-duces “unexpected” results that would be completely non-obvious to a person of skill in the art . Unexpected results are key to es-tablishing non-obviousness even though an invention may be similar to the prior art in many respects . For example, because the carbon nanotube can carry a billion amps/centimetre2 whereas its microscopic version cannot, the high current carrying capacity of the carbon nanotube is an unexpected result and therefore, non-obvious .

Another important component in evaluat-ing obviousness of an invention is whether a

person of skill in the art would have a “rea-sonable expectation of success” in arriving at the invention based on the prior art . If a combination of prior art references suggests a reasonable expectation that the result would be successful, then obviousness may be found . Alternatively, if the result would not be predictable and it required excessive experimentation to achieve, then the result may prove to be inventive although sug-gested by the prior art .

Furthermore, even if the only difference between a nano-sized invention and the prior art is with respect to its dimensions, then non-obviousness may still be established if the prior art does not teach and/or enable one to make the nanoscale version without undue experimentation . This important prin-ciple of law was established by the Courts in In re Hoeksema in which a claim to a chemi-cal compound was rejected by an examiner because its structure was already suggested by the prior art . In disagreement, the Court held that even though the structure may have been suggested, the claimed chemical com-pound may nevertheless be non-obvious if before the application was filed, no process existed to enable its production . Therefore, if the prior art fails to provide enablement for making a nano-sized invention, then non-ob-viousness could be established on the basis of size alone .

Sufficient disclosure

A patent application must describe how to make and use the invention without undue experimentation . If the patent application fails to meet these criteria, then either no patent will issue or the claims will have to be narrowed to correspond to the level of enablement supported by the application . In a traditional and predictable technology, such as chemical engineering, procedures for performing various techniques are usually well known and developed, standardized, and reproducible . Thus, the requirement for an enabling disclosure is more easily met for inventions derived from such technologies since less information and examples need to be provided in the application to make and use the invention . The knowledge of one skilled in the art can also be relied upon to fill in any gaps missing from an application to satisfy these legal requirements . However, since nanotechnology typically embraces

multiple scientific disciplines, it may likely be less predictable and able to rely on prior art techniques and a few examples to support broad claims in an application .

Furthermore, in the U .S ., the inventor is expected to comply with the “best mode requirement” by describing the preferred embodiment or optimal means of practicing the claimed invention if it materially affects the properties of the invention . If specific techniques or instruments were developed for building a nanoscale invention that were recognized by the inventor as the best way of carrying out the invention at the time the application was filed, then the best mode re-quirement further imposes an obligation to disclose that information to the public .

Clearly, the extent of disclosure sufficient to satisfy patentability will require careful consideration in drafting a nanotechnology-related application if the broadest available patent protection is sought .

Although the interdisciplinary nature of nanotechnology fosters creative new ap-proaches to solving problems peculiar to a research focus, drafting applications for such inventions will require thorough con-sideration to avoid potential pitfalls in patent prosecution . It is therefore important that an inventor and/or patentee carefully consider how patentability requirements will be ap-plied to nanotechnology and actively involve themselves with their patent practitioner to ensure that their ideas are properly pro-tected . Since the primary difference between a nano-sized invention and its larger-scaled counterpart is typically its size/dimensions, it is particularly important to make clear that the invention constitutes more than a mere miniaturization of known materials and methods . Placing emphasis on how it per-forms differently, or yields a different useful result from the prior art is key to establishing patentability .

Elizabeth Hayes is an associate with the

intellectual property law firm of Smart &

Biggar/Fethertonhaugh and is a qualified U.S.

and Canadian patent agent. Hayes obtained

her MEng in biomedical engineering at McGill

University, where she acquired a knowledge

base in blood physiology, colloid/polymer

chemistry, and immobilization technology

due to the interdisciplinary nature of her

research work.

�� L’ACTUALITé ChIMIqUe CANAdIeNNe novEMBRE/DéCEMBRE �007

novEMBER/DECEMBER �007 CANAdIAN CheMICAL NewS ��


Eric R . Scerri travelled from the University of California at los Angeles (UClA) to the University of Calgary . The UClA pro-fessor of chemistry and biochemistry was invited to speak at

a conference of the International History, Philosophy, and Science Teaching Group on June 24, 2007 . A special “author meets critics” plenary session was organized to discuss Scerri’s book on the pe-riodic table of the elements . This article will briefly examine the contents of the book and its implications for chemical education .

Scerri’s book, The Periodic Table: Its Story and Its Significance (Ox-ford University Press, 2007) is only the third comprehensive treat-ment to appear since the discovery of the periodic table in the 1860s . The first was F . P . Venable’s The Development of the Periodic Law, published in1896—before the discovery of the electron or modern theories such as quantum mechanics . Today’s scientists may only find Venable’s book to be of historical interest, but it does provide a compilation of early periodic systems .

After a gap of 73 years, the chemistry historian Jan W . van Spronsen published The Periodic System: The First Hundred Years . As the title suggests, its publication marked the 100th anniversary of the creation

of the first mature periodic system by Dmitri Mendeleev in 1869 . In terms of gathering a multitude of periodic tables and discussing their historical evolution, van Spronsen’s book remains unsurpassed, al-though it has been out of print for many years . What van Spronsen’s book does not provide is a philosophical account of the periodic sys-tem or an examination of its status in relationship to quantum mechan-ics . Given the role that modern physics has played in chemistry, this important omission motivated Scerri to write his book .

Scerri’s book begins with an overview of the concept of an el-ement, the discovery of the elements, their names, their symbols, and the major changes that have occurred to the periodic table . He examines the pre-history of periodic classification including the dis-covery of triads of elements such as chlorine, bromine, and iodine, and Prout’s hypothesis whereby all the elements are regarded as composites of the lightest element hydrogen . Scerri continues with the work of Stanislao Cannizzaro who provided a set of consistent atomic weights in 1860 . Those weights allowed a number of others to quickly assemble some early periodic systems .

Two entire chapters are devoted to the work of Mendeleev who Scerri describes as the champion of the periodic system in two senses . He is said to be the champion in the sense of having ar-rived at the first fully satisfactory periodic system and also as literally championing the system by making a number of successful predic-tions concerning as yet unknown elements .

Scerri’s book turns to the discoveries in modern physics that were to have a big impact on the periodic system, while still leaving the system essentially intact . These developments include the discovery of the electron, atomic number, and the existence of isotopes of the elements . In the seventh chapter, Scerri provides a nuanced account of the work of physicists, in particular Niels Bohr and Wolfgang Pauli, who provided early theoretical accounts of chemical periodicity . Ac-cording to Scerri, these accounts are not as deductive as generally im-plied in chemistry textbooks . This point has educational ramifications and Scerri returns to them in the remaining chapters of the book . Why teach chemistry as though it were nothing but quantum physics, he asks, since the reduction to quantum physics is incomplete? Why place such a premium on electronic configurations of atoms at the expense of teaching the chemistry of the macroscopic elements?

In Chapter 8, Scerri demonstrates that a number of physics-inclined chemists were able to deduce more accurate sets of electronic configu-rations than their physicist colleagues, simply because they had a more detailed knowledge of the chemistry of the elements . In Chapter 9, the attention turns to the impact of quantum mechanics as opposed to the old quantum theory of Bohr and Pauli . In the case of quantum me-chanics, Scerri finds the reductive claim to be more plausible, although still incomplete . Nevertheless, Scerri is by no means opposed to the influx of physics into chemistry . He devotes a good part of Chapter 10 to an account of the evolution of the elements as revealed by modern astrophysics . Scerri ends the book by indulging in some speculations on whether there might be an “ultimate form” of the periodic table and discusses some leading candidates for this role .

This book will stimulate chemists, historians, philosophers, and chemical educators . Reviewers have described it as the definitive work in the field and a worthy successor to van Spronsen’s work . The book also provides a fitting tribute to mark the 100th anniversary of the death of Mendeleev in 1907 .

The Periodic Table on Tour

HistoryAround April of 2005, I created an article in response to many dis-cussions with fellow chemists regarding the creation of a ring for chemists, and I asked for responses . Results of the informal survey were a resounding, “Yes, we should have a chemist’s ring!” Over the following months, a great deal of time was dedicated to the metal-lurgy, significance, design, and other aspects of the ring . David Gibson and I have written an article to clarify some of the issues raised about the ring at the 2005 ACPA Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Airdrie, AB . When eligible members receive their rings, they will also receive a copy of the “Ring–Chemist’s Code of Ethics .”

2006 Ring PricesRing Size Composition Price

3 to 8 10 karat Yellow Gold $343.97

3 to 8 14 karat Yellow Gold $361.46

3 to 8 Sterling Silver $151.58

Prices for individual rings are in Canadian funds and include GST . Each price is based on ~5 grams of material .

Comfort

To maximize the ring strength and to ensure comfort for the wearer, the ring may not have 100 percent straight edges . The thinner 6 por-tions of the ring may be thicker, while the thickest 6 corners of the ring may be slightly thinner .

I personally tested a ring, and I find it to be comfortable and dura-ble while doing office work as well as while performing fairly heavy physical labour . The round edges of the ring do not interfere with the use of laboratory gloves worn while performing low-risk analysis . You should, of course, remove all jewellery to maximize personal safety if you work in potentially hazardous situations . The ring turns slightly at various times and still remains comfortable .

EligibilityThe Chemist’s Ring is available for sale to any ACPA professional chemist who is a member in good standing .

Design

To those knowledgeable in chemistry, the ring design is instantly recognizable . It is a hexagon with a circle in the middle—the classic representation of the benzene ring . ACPA members will also recognize this as the basis for the design of their professional stamp .

The ring will have the letters “ACPA” as well as your member-ship number (M0000) engraved inside the band . As the ring grows in number and acceptance, other professional chemical societies may adopt this ring with their own engraving style . It will continue to demonstrate that you are a member of the chemical profession prac-ticing in a distinct region .

Ring finger

Although this will be your personal choice, the accepted method of wearing a professional ring is on the last finger of your dominant hand . The dominant hand is considered to be the working hand, from which a person’s strength flows . For the majority, this will be the right hand .

In my opinion, this ring will be a symbol to remind us of the trust that society has given us and of the ethical rules of our profession . In addition, it will provide a tangible way for the public and other professionals to recognize a professional chemist .

To order

To place an order, e-mail Managewise (jill@managewise .ca) to arrange your payment . Approximately 90 days are required to create the ring . Your ring will be delivered to the next ACPA AGM held annually in May or June .

Eugene Dakin holds a Professional Chemist (P.Chem)

designation for Alberta. He received his PhD in chemical engineering.

The Chemist’s Ring proposal was unanimously approved at the last Association of the Chemical Profession of Alberta (ACPA) board of directors meeting. The Chemist’s Ring


reality, Myths, and Challenges

Robert H. Lipson, MCIC

The Canadian Journal of Chemistry (CJC) has a long and distinguished history in the evolution and growth of chemistry in Canada and in the dissemination of top research to the international community . In recent years, the reputation of the

journal has been eroded for a number of reasons, some of which are based on legitimate concerns, but some of which are based on erroneous perceptions regarding the value of publishing in CJC . let’s begin a discussion within the Canadian chemistry community on the future and viability of our journal .

The reality

This is the Internet age . All professional chemists and students realize that print publica-tions no longer dominate the way scientists transmit, obtain, or share information . The National Research Council Canada (NRC)’s Research Press also recognizes this fact and has responded to the growing competitive nature of the electronic publishing business . Over the last two years, NRC Research Press has introduced OSPREY, an on-line submis-sion and peer review system that mediates all correspondences between authors and CJC, Th

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and between CJC and referees . While there were initial teething pains when this program was introduced, most of those problems have now been solved . With ongoing construc-tive feedback from authors, reviewers, and editors, it will only continue to improve . Our goal is to deliver a paperless environment that is user-friendly, fast, and rapidly aggre-gated by primary information providers such as ChemPort and Google Scholar .

Three years ago when hard copy submis-sions were the norm, the risk of a slow turn around time was often realized . This turned many authors off CJC at that time, but things have improved dramatically . Our latest sta-tistics indicate that since 2005, the average number of days from manuscript submission to the final editorial decision has dropped from 104 to 60 . The average number of days from manuscript submission to Web publi-cation (after copy editing) has dropped from 241 to 90 days . Our current records for the number of days from submission to accep-tance and from submission to Web publica-tion are 22 and 65 days, respectively . This is competitive with the American Chemical So-ciety (ACS), the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), and commercial publishers such as Elsevier and John Wiley & Sons . The Word template that CJC has introduced to assist authors has been well received .

The complete back issues of CJC have been digitized and are now available on the Web at www .canjchem .nrc .ca . While the PDFs of the back issues serve a purpose, NRC Research Press will be converting new papers over to a full HTMl format by 2008 . Full-text HTMl will add many new features and functions to the journal including an en-hanced capability to search the material and links to articles referenced .

The myths

If you keep your ears open long enough you will hear many things about CJC, some of which are unfounded . I wish to address two important ones here .

“Few people outside of Canada read CJC.” This may have once been the case, but it is simply not true anymore . CJC is currently indexed in Aquatic Sciences and Fisher-ies Abstracts, CAB Abstracts, Chemical Abstracts, Current Contents, EMBASE, En-gineering Index, ETDE Energy Database,

General Science Index and Abstracts, Geo-Ref, Index Medicus, life Sciences Collection, PASCAl Database, Physics Abstracts, and Science Citation Index . There is worldwide access to the CJC table of contents on the NRC Research Press Web site, and anyone can register for “Publication Alerts,” an e-mail notification that lets you know when an issue has been completed .

More importantly, we recognize that au-thors not only peruse CJC’s tables of content, but also seek papers by subject key words or by author using on-line services such as SciFinder Scholar and Google Scholar . CJC papers are currently aggregated on a paper-by-paper basis by Google Scholar and on an issue-by-issue basis by SciFinder Scholar . The Canadian Society for Chemistry (CSC) is cur-rently working with the ACS and the Chemi-cal Abstracts Service (CAS) to have CJC ar-ticles aggregated on a paper-by-paper basis as they appear on the CJC Web site . When realized, this will mean that CJC articles will be found as quickly as ACS ASAP articles . Furthermore, CJC will be the only non-ACS journal to be afforded this consideration . This will be a great step forward because the Web is a great leveller between journals . When print journals were the norm, many univer-sities outside of Canada did not receive CJC because of shrinking library budgets . Today, almost any paper in any journal can be found because journal collections are often bundled through consortia arrangements .

“Publishing in CJC will adversely affect my NSeRC Discovery Grant.”Other members of the CJC editorial board and I have served on the NSERC Chemistry Grant Selection Committees (024 and 026) . We are not aware of any case where a grant was cut or an applicant penalized for publishing pa-pers in CJC . On the other hand, we also accept that it probably would be perceived as un-usual by a Grant Selection Committee if every paper published by an applicant appeared in CJC, and this will undoubtedly remain the case until the impact factor of the journal im-proves . Science is internationally competitive and therefore, everyone benefits from publish-ing in venues that are widely read . As noted above, the Web makes this possible . As a community, we have an opportunity to raise CJC’s profile by publishing some of our best research in CJC while being assured that the work will be accessible .

The challenge

Despite the technical accomplishments outlined above, the impact factor for CJC continues to hover around 1 .2 . Many chem-ists argue that this is unacceptably low . As senior editor, I completely agree . However, it is important to understand how impact fac-tors are calculated . A journal impact factor is the ratio of the number of citations to recent articles to the number of recent articles pub-lished, averaged over a two-year period . Two things are therefore important in determining what a journal impact factor will be . First, it is essential that journal papers be available to the worldwide community in a timely fash-ion so that they can receive the maximum number of citations in the time period being considered . In the last few years, CJC was not successful in this regard . long publication delays were the norm for a number of rea-sons, which led to low citation numbers . This problem has been solved by the introduction of OSPREY and by a commitment from NRC Research Press to give more resources and higher priority to CJC .

The second factor is that CJC must publish papers that will be cited . While the quality of the papers appearing in CJC is high (due to rigorous peer review), the harsh reality is that not enough Canadian scientists are sub-mitting papers to the journal . In 2006, the percentage of Canadian submission was a meagre 15 percent, and many of the papers were targeted for special issues . Academic chemistry is one of the strongest disciplines in Canada . The number of papers published by these groups annually is very large and the research is world-class . The bottom line is that the impact factor of CJC will never increase unless the community begins to support the Journal again by making a con-scious decision to publish there . I challenge each researcher in the chemistry community to submit one paper of every five that they publish to CJC . This will not change CJC’s im-pact factor overnight, but if the challenge is accepted, it won’t be long before CJC emerges as required reading by the international com-munity and a source of national pride . The choice is ours .

Robert Lipson, MCIC, is senior editor of

the Canadian Journal of Chemistry and

professor of chemistry at The University of

Western Ontario.

novEMBER/DECEMBER �007 CANAdIAN CheMICAL NewS �7


reCoGNITIoN reCoNNAISSANCe

Howard Alper, HFCIC, O .C . has been ap-pointed chair of the Government of Canada’s Science, Technology and Innovation Council . Canada’s Minister of Industry, The Honour-able Maxime Bernier, announced the creation of the Council on June 15, 2007 . The Coun-cil will provide the government with policy advice on science and technology issues and will produce regular national reports that measure Canada’s science and technology performance against international standards of excellence .

Alper is a respected member of the science community both internationally and domes-tically, and he brings extensive knowledge and expertise of science and technology issues to the Council . He has served as chair of the Board of Governors of the Council of Canadian Academies and on private-sector boards . He is a full professor in the department of chemistry at the University of Ottawa and visiting executive at the Interna-tional Development Research Centre . Alper is an Officer of the Order of Canada and has received a number of prestigious fellowships and major awards, including being the first recipient of the Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering .

Margaret-Ann Armour, FCIC, O .C . associate dean of diversity with the University of Alber-ta’s Faculty of Science, was hand-picked as

the Alberta Science and Technology (ASTech) leadership Foundation Special Award winner at the 18th annual ASTech Awards Gala held in Calgary, AB, on October 19, 2007 . Chosen by the ASTech board of directors to highlight the career of an individual whose body of work has significantly impacted Alberta sci-ence and technology, Armour was selected for this lifetime achievement award due not only to her scientific research, but also to years en-couraging young people, and especially young women, to enter into the sciences .

“They keep saying that I’m an ambassa-dor for science,” said Armour . “I love teach-ing, and I enjoy chemistry, so put these two together and you want to share the love of your discipline with people who can influ-ence young people to study it!”

The ASTech Foundation also named David Bundle, FCIC, and Tristam Chivers, FCIC, as finalists for the Outstanding leadership in Alberta Science Award . The award is presented to an individual or team that has played a leadership role in a scientific inno-vation or breakthrough, and is based on cri-teria such as general contribution to knowl-edge, solution of novel or practical problems, international peer recognition, and overall impact on science, medicine, mathemat-ics or engineering . Bundle is director of the Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Carbohydrate Science (AICCS) and professor of chemistry at the University of Alberta . Chivers is an accomplished professor of chemistry at the University of Calgary .

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 2007 to Gerhard ertl of Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Berlin, Ger-many “for his studies of chemical processes on solid surfaces .”

Ertl is attributed with groundbreaking studies in surface chemistry . This science is important for the international chemical industry as it helps us to understand such varied processes as why iron rusts, how fuel cells function, and how the catalysts in our cars work . Chemical reactions on catalytic surfaces play a vital role in many industrial operations such as the production of artifi-cial fertilizers . Surface chemistry can even explain the destruction of the ozone layer, as vital steps in the reaction actually take place on the surfaces of small crystals of ice in the stratosphere . The semiconductor industry is yet another area that depends on knowledge of surface chemistry .

The modern science of surface chemis-try began to emerge in the 1960s thanks to processes developed in the semiconductor industry . Ertl was one of the first to see the potential of these new techniques .

The department of chemistry at the Uni-versity of Toronto (U of T) is pleased to announce that Scott Mabury, R. J. Dwayne Miller, and Judith Poë, FCIC, have each been awarded one of Ontario’s inaugu-ral leadership in Faculty Teaching (lIFT) Awards for 2007 . The lIFT Award is de-signed to recognize and encourage teaching excellence at Ontario’s colleges and univer-sities .

Geoffrey A. ozin, FCIC’s Canada Research Chair Tier 1 has been renewed from 2008 to 2014 . This is a great honor for Ozin, his materials science research group, and the department of chemistry at the U of T .

The CSCT would like to announce that evangeline Marcellino, MCIC, and Paul Rubinato, MCIC, have been certified as chemical technologists (cCT) in 2007 .

evelyn Soo, has been appointed as an ad-junct professor at Dalhousie University . She has been a research officer at National Re-search Council Canada (NRC)’s Institute for Marine Biosciences since 2004 with an inter-est in bioanalytical chemistry and biological mass spectrometry .

howard Alper, hFCIC, o.C.

Margaret-Ann Armour, FCIC, o.C.

Gerhard ertl, winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 2007.


CIC BOARD OF DIRECTORS NOMINATIONS (2008–2009) NOMINATIONS POuR LE CONSEIL DE DIRECTION DE L’ICC (2008–2009)The Nominating Committee, appointed under the terms of CIC By-Law Ar ticle X, Section 1, has proposed these candidates to serve as the Institute officers for 2008–2009. Fur ther nominations are solicited from the membership for the positions of chair and vice-chair. They must be submitted in writing, must have the written and signed consent of the nominee to serve if elected, and must be signed by no fewer than 25 members in good standing of the Institute (CIC By-Law Ar ticle X, Section 3 (d)). The deadline for receipt of any additional nominations is Mon-day, January 21, 2008. If any elections are required, ballots will be mailed in February. Those elected—whether by ballot or accla-mation—will take office following the annual general meeting of the Institute on May 26, 2008, in Edmonton, AB.

En ver tu de l’ar ticle X, section 1, du règle-ment de l’ICC, le Comité des candidatures propose la candidature ces personnes aux postes d’administrateur pour 2008–2009. Les membres sont invités à soumettre d’autres candidatures pour les postes de président et de vice-président. Celles-ci doivent être présentées par écrit, être ac-compagnées du consentement écrit et signé par le candidat à remplir la charge s’il est élu, et doivent être signées par au moins 25 membres en règle de l’Institut (ar ticle X, section 3 (d) du règlement de l’ICC). La date limite pour soumettre d’autres candida-tures est le 21 janvier 2008. Advenant qu’un scrutin soit nécessaire, les bulletins seront postés en février. Les personnes élues par scrutin ou par acclamation entreront en fonction après l’assemblée générale annuelle de l’Institut, qui aura lieu le 26 mai 2008, à Edmonton (Alberta).

Murray R. Gray, FCICChair 2008–2009Department of Chemicaland Materials EngineeringUniversity of Alberta

Murray R . Gray has been with the University of Alberta (U of A) since 1983 . He has held a number of senior academic positions at the U of A, including chair of the department of chemical engineering and dean of graduate studies and research . He is currently director of the Imperial Oil-Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Oil Sands Innovation . With over 22 years of experience in kinetics and reaction engi-neering, Gray has focused on bitumen and heavy oil upgrading and bioprocessing . His achievements have been recognized by the Canadian Society for Chemical Engineer-ing (CSChE) Syncrude Innovation Award (1996), the CSChE Industrial Practice Award (2003), and the Frank Spragins Technical Award from APEGGA (2007) . In 2005, he was elected a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering . He holds the NSERC Industrial Research Chair and Canada Research Chair in Oil Sands Upgrading . He has served the national and international engineering and science communities in many roles, including national president of the CSChE and chair of the NSERC Chemical/Metallurgical Engineer-ing Grant Selection Committee .

Gray obtained his PhD in chemical engineering from the California Institute of

Technology in 1984 . He also holds a MEng degree in chemical engineering from the University of Calgary (1980) and a BSc in chemical engineering (with honours) from the University of Toronto (1978) .

David Dolphin, FCIC, O .C .Vice-Chair 2008–2009Vice-President of Technology DevelopmentQlT Inc .

As the vice-president of technology develop-ment at Quadra logic Technologies, Dolphin was instrumental in the discovery, develop-ment, and commercialization of Visudyne™, and the establishment of one of Canada’s most renowned university spin-off compa-nies, QlT Inc . Visudyne has already saved the vision of hundreds of thousands of peo-ple afflicted with “wet” age-related macular degeneration . Visudyne is the most success-ful ophthalmic product ever registered . It has been approved in more than 70 coun-tries . More than 600,000 patients have been treated, and more than $2 billion of the drug has been sold .

Dolphin holds more than 160 patents and has been internationally recognized for his industrial research . In 2002, Dolphin was awarded the Prix Galien along with Julia levy . In 2004, he was designated a Hero of Chemis-try by the American Chemical Society .

Dolphin obtained his PhD at the Univer-sity of Nottingham in 1965 and then moved


�0 L’ACTUALITé ChIMIqUe CANAdIeNNe novEMBRE/DéCEMBRE �007

to Harvard University where he spent a year as a post-doctoral Fellow with Nobel laure-ate Robert Burns Woodward . He then joined the faculty of the chemistry department at Harvard where he stayed for a decade before moving to The University of British Columbia (UBC) in 1974 . He is an Emeritus University Killam Professor and the QlT/NSERC Indus-trial Research Professor in Photodynamic Technologies at UBC . Before joining QlT, he was the acting dean of science at UBC, and he has been acting vice-president of research at UBC in 1999–2000 and in 2005 . He is the author and editor of 18 books on spectros-copy, chemistry, and biochemistry and has published over 400 research papers .

Dolphin is a CIC Fellow and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry . He was elected a Guggenheim Fellow in 1980 and awarded a DSc from his alma mater, Nottingham Uni-versity, in 1982 . In 1990, he was awarded the Gold Medal in Health Sciences by the Science Council of British Columbia . He was the 1993 recipient of the CIC’s Syntex Award and in the same year, he was the recipient of the Bell Canada Forum Award . He was appointed a

Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 2001 . He received the Friesen Rygiel Prize in 2002, and in the same year he was elected a Fel-low of the Royal Society (london) . In 2004, he received the CSPS Award of leadership in Canadian Pharmaceutical Sciences . In 2005, he was awarded the NSERC Herzberg Gold Medal, the Council’s highest honour . In the spring of 2006, Dolphin was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada .

Statement of PolicyThe times and the problems we face are changing . In the past decade, the support of research at our institutes of higher learning has been at an all-time high, thanks to both the federal and provincial governments . But now the politicians are, quite rightly, asking what the return on the investment is? There is already increasing pressure to see that the ideas arising out of the basic, curiosity-driven research be translated and commercialized . There is a clear need for such commercialization—especially in Canada where the vast majority of our companies are SMEs . However, the CIC

must ensure that an appropriate balance be maintained between the funding of basic and applied research . We should play a key role in this as well as helping to design and drive policies that will ensure the best in-teractions between governments, academic institutions, and industry .

Climate change and other environmental concerns, renewable energy, and the ever-increasing move towards interdisciplinary research pose challenges and great opportu-nities for chemists, chemical engineers, and chemical technologists . Indeed the advances being made in genomics, proteomics, nano-technology, and material sciences will con-tinue to rely heavily on the broad chemical disciplines . We must ensure that chemical professionals maintain their dominant role in these endeavours . The number of highly qual-ified personnel in our disciplines is already decreasing, and demographics indicate that this will become an increasing problem in the future . We must ensure that young Canadians become interested in chemistry at an early age and that every opportunity is made for them to pursue careers in the chemical fields .

IchIkIzakI Fund For Young chemIstsThe Ichikizaki Fund for Young Chemists provides financial assistance to young chemists who show unique achievements in basic research by facilitating their participation in international conferences or symposia.

eligibility:• be a member of the Canadian Society for Chemistry or the Chemical Society of Japan;• not have passed his/her 34th birthday as of December 31 of the year in which the application is submitted; • have a research specialty in synthetic organic chemistry; • be scheduled to attend, within one year, an international conference or symposium directly related to synthetic

organic chemistry. Conferences taking place in January to March of each year should be applied for a year in advance in order to receive funding in time for the conference.

Deadline: december 31, 2007For more details: www.chemistry.ca/awards

2007 CSChE CHEMICAL ENGINEERING LOCAL SECTION SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS

LES GAGNANTS 2007 DES BOuRSE DE GéNIE CHIMIquE DES SECTIONS LOCALES DE LA SCGChSponsored by the edmonton CSChe, the Sarnia CIC, and the London CIC Local Sections

Parrainé par les sections locales d’edmonton de la SCGCh, de Sarnia de l’ICC et de London de l’ICC

The Scholarships are funded by the proceeds acquired at the 1988 Canadian Chemical Engi-neering Conference, held in Edmonton, AB, the 1979 Chemical Engineering Conference, held in Sarnia, ON, and the 1998 Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference held in London, ON.

The Canadian Society for Chemical Engineer-ing offers two CSChE Chemical Engineering Local Section Scholarships annually to under-graduate students in chemical engineering at a Canadian university.

Les bourses sont financées par les recettes du Congrès canadien de génie chimique qui s’est tenu à Edmonton (Alber ta) en 1988, du Congrès canadien de génie chimique qui s’est tenu à Sarnia (Ontario) en 1979 et du Congès canadien de génie chimique qui s’est tenu à London (Ontario) en 1998.

La Société canadienne de génie chimique offre deux bourses de génie chimique des sections locales de la SCGCh chaque année aux étudiants de 1er cycle en génie chimique dans une université canadienne.

Tanya Khan, ACICMcMaster UniversityDepartment of chemical and biological engineering

Tanya Khan is in her final year of chemical and biological engineering at McMaster Uni-versity . She hopes to pursue graduate studies in the field of bioprocess engineering . During her time at McMaster, she has participated in the Chemical Engineering Club and Smiling Over Sickness . She worked as a first year engi-neering TA from second to fourth year . In her free time, she enjoys eating cookies and read-ing books . Her favourite books are The Dark Tower series by Stephen King .

Lauren Davies, ACICMcMaster UniversityDepartment of chemical and biological engineering

lauren Davies is in her final year of chemical engineering and bioengineering at McMas-ter University . For the past three summers, she has conducted research in chemical en-gineering, exploring topics that range from biomaterials to paper technologies . At the CSChE Conference in Sherbrooke, she co-authored a presentation in the Challenges in Regenerative Medicine symposium . At the Monsaroff Student Paper Night spon-sored by the Hamilton local Section, she presented her research under the title, “Why We Engineer Biomaterials .” Her accomplish-ments include winning 1st and 2nd place in the consulting engineering category at the Ontario and Canadian Engineering Competi-tions, respectively .

Davies serves breakfast to the homeless with Hamilton Out of the Cold every Tuesday morning and volunteers at Martha House, a shelter for women fleeing domestic abuse . Davies relishes singing in a student choir and playing in a softball league .




BOuRSES ALFRED-BADER

reCoGNITIoN reCoNNAIS SANCe

The Student Chapters’ Merit Awards are offered as a means of recognizing and en-couraging initiative and originality in Student Chapter programming in the areas of chem-istry, chemical technology, and chemical

A mark of excellence for achievement in organic chemistry or biochemistry by under-graduate students completing their final year of study in an honours program.

Pour souligner l’excellence des réalisations en chimie organique ou en biochimie d’étudiants du 1er cycle terminant leur dernière année d’études dans un programme d’études spécialisées.

Amy Tremblay, ACICCarleton University

Amy Tremblay set forth from Fanshawe Col-lege in london, ON, following high school

l’esprit d’initiative et la créativité dans la programmation des activités des sections étudi-antes dans les domaines de la chimie, du génie chimique et de la technologie chimique. un prix est décerné par chaque société chaque année.

to pursue a career in the hotel industry . After five years, she felt it was time to search for a more fulfilling future . It was then that Tremblay applied to Carleton University to achieve her dream of becoming a physi-cist with the hopes of making an impact on the world . Her love of chemistry began in Bob Burk, MCIC’s first-year chemistry course, and she quickly made the switch . He showed her that chemistry was not only valuable but also a lot of fun . Tremblay had the privilege of spending several sum-mers doing research in Peter Buist, MCIC’s bio-organic chemistry lab through NSERC USRA scholarships . This research work has allowed her to solve problems and make new compounds that would be important beyond the walls of the chemistry lab and has resulted in three publications . She will be attending graduate school at Carleton University in Buist’s lab where she will con-tinue to enjoy scheming up ways to make new compounds to study mechanistically interesting enzyme-catalyzed reactions . She has been awarded an NSERC CGS scholar-ship to fund this research .

Shannon Bunn, ACICQueen’s University

Shannon Bunn was born and raised in North Vancouver, BC . She was privileged to be able to study in the chemistry department at Queen’s University in Kingston, ON, and do her fourth year thesis under the supervi-sion of Stan Brown, FCIC, in physical organic chemistry . This fall she will be attending The University of British Columbia to pursue an MSc in the field of bioorganic chemistry . Aside from chemistry, she also enjoys travel-ling and has just returned from six weeks of backpacking in Europe . She is also an avid mountain biker and skier .

Canadian Society for ChemistryFirst PlaceThe University of British Columbia

STuDENT CHAPTER MERIT AWARD WINNERS FOR 2007

LES GAGNANTS DES PRIX Du MéRITE DES SECTIONS éTuDIANTES 2007

engineering. One award is given out per Society annually.

Les prix du mérite des sections étudiantes sont offerts en vue de reconnaître et d’encourager

Honourable MentionUniversity of Calgary

Canadian Society for Chemical engineeringFirst PlaceUniversité de Sherbrooke

Canadian Society for Chemical TechnologyFirst PlaceMohawk College

ALFRED BADER SCHOLARSHIPS

Sponsored by / Parrainé par Alfred Bader, hFCIC



In Memoriam One of Canada’s pioneers in the nuclear field died in hospital in Ottawa on July 9, 2007 at the age of 82 . Bob Brown, personally modest and unassuming, was very well known internationally for his contributions to the outstanding research conducted at the Chalk River laboratories over the latter half of the 20th century . Born in Richmond, QC, he received his post-secondary education at Bishop’s and McGill, earning a PhD in polymerization kinetics .

Bob joined the NRC staff at the Chalk River laboratories very early in 1951, and was seconded to work with a small group headed by W . F . Grummitt, FCIC, measuring atmospheric fallout from nu-clear weapons testing (American, Russian, and eventually Chinese) .

Following the American thermonuclear tests, Bob rapidly became a world leader in the separation, purification, and measurement of atmospheric tritium . This isotope of hydrogen proved to be an invaluable tool in all aspects of hydrology, and Bob was at the forefront of these developments . His graph of tritium in Ottawa rain, year by year, from 1951 onwards for several decades, has been reprinted in numerous papers and books . From 1970 to 1973, he was seconded to the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, heading up the hydrology unit there . On his return to Canada, Bob became a specialist in environmental isotopes with a particular focus on 3H and 14C in air, water, flora, and fauna . Bob had a leading role in the 1986 and 1987 field experiments at Chalk River in which he studied the short-range environmental dispersion and oxidation of a release of tritiated hydrogen to the atmosphere .

In the latter half of the 1980s, Bob began collaborations aimed at applying the capabilities of the TASCC facility to the new technique of accelerator mass spectrometry, starting with the measurement of 14C in meteorites, and continuing with the development of techniques for measuring 36Cl .

His lifelong enjoyment of skiing, both downhill and cross-country, continued well into retire-ment . He served for many years on the Deep River library Board, and most recently had been handling the position of treasurer for the Deep River and District Community Foundation . He will be much missed .

Gwen Milton

FUNdING CheMICAL edUCATIoN— CALL For ProPoSALSdeadline: December 1�, �007

The CIC Chemical education Fund (CeF) is looking to suppor t original and innovative chemical-related educational projects. The CeF has sponsored student conferences, science fairs, chemical outreach programs, a Summer Institute, and more.

For more information, contact [email protected] or visit www.cheminst.ca/cef.

robert (Bob) Brown, MCIC

Mara Innis, ACICConcordia University

Mara Innis recently graduated from Concor-dia University in honours biochemistry with a minor in multidisciplinary studies with great distinction . She was also selected as valedictorian . During her time at Concordia, she was able to participate in several research projects in the fields of chemistry, biochemis-try, and biology . She was involved in student government as a vice-president of the Con-cordia Chemistry and Biochemistry Student Association as well as a co-president of the Science College Student Association . Before starting at Concordia, Innis participated in the 34th International Chemistry Olympiad in Kiel, Germany as part of the Canadian team where she received a bronze medal . Currently, she is planning a working holiday to Ireland during her year off before starting graduate studies .


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www.chemjobs.ca

Looking for the right job?


CAreerS CArrIÈreS

DéPARTEMENT DE CHIMIEDEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRYUniversité de Montréal

Chimie analytiqueLe Département de chimie recherche une professeure ou un professeur en chimie analytique, de préférence dans le domaine de la spectrométrie de masse. Le poste, menant à la permanence, sera au rang d’adjoint, d’agrégé ou de titulaire. Une bonne connaissance de la langue française, permettant de dispenser les cours en français, est requise. Pour plus d’information sur le département, le poste et la procédure de mise en candidature, visitez le site : http://www.chimie.umontreal.ca/ Les personnes intéressées doivent faire parvenir leur dossier, au plus tard le 1er décembre 2007.

Analytical ChemistryThe Department of Chemistry of Université de Montréal welcomes applications for a tenure-track position in analytical chemistry, preferably in mass spectrometry, at the rank of assistant, associate or full professor. Candidates who do not speak French will be given a reasonable period of time following the appointment to become functional in the language. For more information about the department, the position and the application procedure see: http:/www.chimie.umontreal.ca Candidates must send a complete application before December 1, 2007.

The Department of Chemical Engineering at McGill University

invites applications for two tenure-track positions at the level of

Full, Associate or Assistant Professor . We are looking for applicants

with a chemical engineering background conducting research in

the area of advanced materials or energy; however any excellent

candidate with a background in chemical engineering will be con-

sidered . McGill University is a research intensive university with

a distinguished history in Medicine, Science and Engineering . In

addition to developing a successful research program, the success-

ful candidate will be expected to participate in teaching chemical

engineering at the undergraduate and graduate levels .

Applicants must have a doctoral degree and must be a member

or eligible for membership with a Canadian professional engi-

neering licensing body . They should demonstrate evidence of

outstanding potential for teaching and research . The successful

candidate will join a high-profile, dynamic department of 15 ten-

ured or tenure track staff, which includes eight recently hired

Assistant Professors . The Department has a B .Eng . program with

380 undergraduate students and about 90 graduate students are

completing M .Eng . and Ph .D . degrees . We have excellent in-

frastructure for both teaching and research . Information about

the Department, including its current research activities, can be

found at http://www .mcgill .ca/chemeng/ .

McGill University is committed to equity in employment and

diversity . It welcomes applications from indigenous peoples,

visible minorities, ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities,

women, persons of minority sexual orientations and gender iden-

tities and others who may contribute to further diversification . All

qualified applicants are encouraged to apply; however, in accor-

dance with Canadian immigration requirements, priority will be

given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada .

Applications will be reviewed starting on January 1, 2008 and will

continue until the positions are filled . Send a resume, the names of

three references and a brief research and teaching plan to:

Professor J-l . Meunier,

Chair, Search Committee

Department of Chemical Engineering

3610 University Street

Montreal, QC Canada H3A 2B2

(or by email to: jean-luc .meunier@mcgill .ca)

FACuLTY POSITIONS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERINGMcGILL uNIVERSITY


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The Department of Chemistry at the university of Winnipeg invites applications for Department Chair.

The successful candidate is expected to have an interest in administration, have demonstrated commitment to excellence in teaching and research, and be engaged in an active research program. The department currently has 9 tenured or tenure-track professors, 3 full-time instructors, 3 support staff, and 9 graduate students. The department offers 3-year, 4-year, and Honours degrees in Chemistry, Biochemistry (jointly with Biology Department), and Applied Chemistry (jointly with Red River College). The Department is undergoing a period of rejuvenation with the anticipated hiring of several new faculty members and a move to a new science complex.

Information about our department is available at http://chemistry.uwinnipeg.caInterested applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent and a curriculum vitae to the Chair:

Search Committee c/o Department of Chemistry The university of Winnipeg 515 Portage Avenue Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3B 2E9 Phone: (204)786-9083 Fax: (204) 775-2114 Email: [email protected]

The review of applications will begin on January 15 and continue until the position is filled. Subject to budgetary approval, the position will start July 1, 2008.

The university of Winnipeg is committed to employment equity, welcomes diversity in the workplace and encourages applications from all qualified individuals including women, mem-bers of visible minorities, aboriginal persons, and persons with disabilities. In accordance with Canadian Immigration requirements, this advertisement is initially directed to Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

The Department of Chemistry invites applications for a tenure-stream appointment at the Assistant or Associate Professor level in the area of Biological Mass Spectrometry .

York University is a leader in regional innovation networks that draw together industry and academic research, such as the National Centre for Medical Device Development (NCMDD) con-sortium . The NCMDD partners are working together to develop Canada’s first public-private research facility in Markham, Ontario for interdisciplinary research and commercialization of medical devices . In order to build upon our strengths and prominence in medical devices and to expand this area, the suc-cessful candidate will be expected to participate in a growing clus-ter of medical device and related researchers with complementary strengths across the University who are engaged in collaborative and interdisciplinary work through this leading-edge consor-tium, including renowned research centres such as the Centre for Research in Mass Spectrometry (CRMS) .

The successful candidate will have: a PhD; post-doctoral experience in a relevant area; a demonstrated record of research achievement in mass spectrometry with applications to biomedi-cal research and/or disease biomarkers; an interest and desire to collaborate with medical practitioners and researchers to apply mass spectrometry and ancillary technologies to ultimately effect better patient outcome and care; and an interest and desire in collaborating with teams of researchers in the private sector and other research institutions to develop medical devices that trans-late the outcomes of research into commercializable products . The successful candidate will be expected to develop a strong, ex-ternally-funded research program and to contribute to teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels and be eligible for prompt appointment to the Faculty of Graduate Studies .

Please mail curriculum vitae, a detailed research plan, a description of teaching philosophy, summary of research publica-tions, and have three references sent directly to:

Chair, Mass Spectrometry Search Committee, Department of Chemistry, Room 124 CB York University, 4700 Keele St . Toronto Ontario M3J 1P3 Fax 416-736-5936 E-mail: chemchr@yorku .ca

All York University positions are subject to budgetary approval .Complete applications must be received by December 15, 2007 .

The position will be available July 1 2008 .York University is an Affirmative Action Employer . The

Affirmative Action Program can be found on York’s website at www .yorku .ca/acadjobs or a copy can be obtained by calling the affirmative action office at 416-736-5713 . All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and Perma-nent Residents will be given priority


eveNTS évéNeMeNTS

CanadaConferences

February 4–8, 2008 . Pulp and Paper Tech-nical Association of Canada 94th Annual Meeting and EXFOR’s 50th Anniversary, during PaperWeek International, Montréal, QC, www .paptac .ca

May 24–28, 2008 . 91st Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition, Edmonton, AB, www .csc2008 .ca

May 29–31, 2008 . Canadian Coalition of Women in Engineering, Science, Trades and Technology (CCWESTT) Conference, Guelph, ON, www .ccwestt2008 .ca

June 2–5, 2008 . International Pulp Bleaching Conference, Québec, QC, www .paptac .ca

June 16–18, 2008 . Control Systems/Pan Pacific Conference, Vancouver, BC, www .paptac .ca

September 6–10, 2008 . 6th International Symposium on Radiohalogens, Whistler, BC, www .triumf .info/hosted/6ISR

october 19–22, 2008 . 58th Canadian Chem-ical Engineering Conference, Ottawa, ON, www .chemeng .ca/csche2008

August 23–27, 2009 . 8th World Congress of Chemical Engineering incorporating the 59th Canadian Chemical Engineering Con-ference and XXIV Interamerican Congress of Chemical Engineering, Montréal, QC, www .wcce8 .org

U.S. and overseasDecember 12–21, 2007 . International Sym-posium on Catalysis and Fine Chemicals 2007, Singapore www .cfc2007 .org

January 2–5, 2008 . The 5th International Chemical Engineering Congress & Exhibi-tion, Kish Island, Iran, www .ichec .ir

January 26–30, 2008 . labAutomation2008, Palm Springs, CA, www .labautomation .org

June 15–19, 2008 . World Hydrogen Energy Conference, South Brisbane, Australia, www .whec2008 .com

August 3–8, 2008 . Chemistry in the ICT Age—the 20th International Conference on

Chemical Education (ICCE 2008), Reduit, Mauritius, www .uom .ac .mu/20icce .htm

August 4–6, 2008 . 12th Asia-Pacific Confederation of Chemical Engineer-ing Meeting—the Chemical Engineering Exhibition, Dalian, China, apcche@163 .com

August 17–22, 2008 . 24th Meeting of the International Society of Chemical Ecology, State College, PA, www .chemecol .org/meetings/meetings .htm

24–28 August 2008 . 18th International Congress of Chemical and Process Engineering, Praha, Czech Republic, www .chisa .cz/2008

September 16–20, 2008 . 2nd European Chemistry Congress–Chemistry: the Global Science, Torino, Italy, www .euchems- torino2008 .it

october 20–22, 2008 . lABTECH Conference & Exhibition 2008, Manama, Bahrain, www .lab-tech .info December 12–15, 2008 . 10th European Meeting on Supercritical Fluids, Strasbourg, France, www .isasf .net/strasbourg

JaNuary ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS MANAGEMENT FeBruary CAREERS IN ThE ChEMICAL PROFESSIONS MarCh STUDENTS AND ThE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF ChEMISTRy april ChEMISTRy IN ART May RESEARCh JuNe SPORTS July/augusT ThE ChANGING FACE OF ThE ChEMICAL ENTERPRISE sepTeMBer GEOChEMISTRy OCTOBer CLIMATE ChANGE NOveMBer/DeCeMBer GENETICS

ACCN 2008

suBMiT yOur iDeas TO [email protected]


CAreerS CArrIÈreS

2008AwArdSThe Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering

The Bantrel Award in design and Industrial Practice is presented to a Canadian citizen or a resident of Canada for innovative design or production activities accomplished in Canada . The activities may have resulted in a significant achievement in product or process design, small or large company innovation, or multidisciplinary design-directed research or production . The achievement will relate to the practice of chemical engineering and/or industrial chemistry whether in research and development, process implementation, entrepreneurialism, innovation, production or some combination of these . It may be via a well-known, long-standing reputation for translating chemical engineering principles into design and industrial practice and, through this, contribute to the profession as a whole . Sponsored by Bantrel . Award: A plaque and a cash prize .

The d. G. Fisher Award is presented to an individual who has made substantial contributions to the field of systems and control engineering . The award is given in recognition of significant contributions in any, or all, of the areas of theory, practice, and education . Sponsored by the department of chemical and materials engineering, University of Alberta, Suncor Energy Foundation, and Shell Canada limited . Award: A framed scroll, a cash prize and travel expenses .

The Jules Stachiewicz Medal is presented in recognition of contributions to the field of heat transfer, including design, research manufacturing and teaching . Sponsored by the Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering and the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering . Award: A medal, a framed scroll and a cash prize .

The Process Safety Management Award is presented as a mark of recognition to a person who has made an outstanding contribution in Canada to the Process Safety Management (PSM) Division of the Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering recognizing excellence in the leadership and dedication of individuals who have led Canada in the field of process safety and loss management (PSlM) . Sponsored by AON Reed Stenhouse Inc . Award: A framed scroll and a cash prize .

The r. S. Jane Memorial Award is presented to an individual who has made new significant contributions to chemical engineering or industrial chemistry in Canada . Sponsored by the Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering .Award: A framed scroll, a cash prize and registration fee to the CSChE Conference .

The Syncrude Canada Innovation Award is presented to a resident of Canada who has made a distinguished

Nominations are now open for

Do you know an outstanding person who deserves to be recognized? Act now!

deadlineThe deadline for all CSChe awards is december 3, 2007 for the 2008 selection .

Nomination ProcedureSubmit your nominations to: Awards Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering 130 Slater Street, Suite 550 Ottawa, ON K1P 6E2 Tel .: 613-232-6252, ext . 223 Fax: 613-232-5862 awards@cheminst .ca Nomination forms and the full Terms of Reference for these awards are available at www .chemeng .ca/awards

contribution to the field of chemical engineering while working in Canada . Nominees for this award shall not have reached the age of 40 years by January of the year in which the nomination becomes effective . Sponsored by Syncrude Canada ltd .Award: A framed scroll and a cash prize .


2008AwArd

deadlineThe deadline for all CSCT awards is december 3, 2007 for the 2008 selection .

The Norman and Marion Bright Memorial Award is awarded to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution in Canada to the furtherance of chemical technology . The person so honoured may be either a chemical sciences technologist, or a person from outside the field who has made a significant and noteworthy contribution to it advancement .

Award: A medal and a cash prize .

The Canadian Society for Chemical Technology

Nomination forms and the full Terms of Reference for this award is available at www .chem-tech .ca/awards .

eveNTS évéNeMeNTS

www.wcce8.org

ChALLeNGeS For A ChANGING worLd

MoNTréAL, qUeBeC, CANAdA • AUGUST 23-27,

8Th worLd CoNGreSS oF CheMICAL eNGINeerINGINCORPORATING THE 59TH CANADIAN CHEMICAL ENGINEERING CONFERENCEAND THE XXIV INTERAMERICAN CONGRESS OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

2009

PM40021620

Nov/Dec 2007: ACCN, the Canadian Chemical News

Documents

Transcript of Nov/Dec 2007: ACCN, the Canadian Chemical News