The Department of Chemistry, in collaboration with the Graduate School and the UST Chemistry Society, held a series of webinars from September to December 2021 to continue the flow of knowledge and connectedness among peers. Local and international professionals delivered extensive and up-to-date information in their respective disciplines of chemistry throughout the webinar series on topics that were as diverse as materials chemistry, inorganic chemistry, electrochemistry, molecular design, and NMR spectroscopy fundamentals.
Speakers for the December series were from Chung Yuan Christian University Chemistry Department Dr. Hsi-Wei Jia, Dr. Amily Fang-Ju Jou, and Dr. Mei-Yu Yeh of Chung Yuan. They presented chemical research to end the first term’s webinar series. They covered a wide range of chemistry topics, including NMR technology and its applications, developing nucleic acid materials for electrochemical biosensing, and molecular designing using organic molecules. These online chemistry lecture series drew students and teachers from UST, local and international institutions, and research institutes.
For the third webinar in the series which was held in November, speakers were from India and the Philippines. Dr. Avijit Kumar Das of the CHRIST University of India and Dr. Aaron Joseph Villaraza of the University of the Philippines – Diliman Institute of Chemistry discussed the development of chemosensors in detecting biologically relevant small molecules and the kinetic considerations of lanthanide-DOTA type complex design in medical diagnostics, respectively.
The second webinar, conducted in October, covered various issues in inorganic chemistry research, including peptide-mediated biomineralization, lanthanide luminescence in nitride lattices, and iron (III) spin-crossover materials. Dr. Jose Isagani Janairo of the De La Salle University, Dr. Julius Leao Jr. of the Philippine Textile Research Institute, and Dr. David James Harding of the Functional Materials and Nanotechnology, Walailak University, were the panelists.
The inaugural webinar, which focused on current trends in materials chemistry research, was held in September. Prof. Drexel Camacho of De La Salle University talked about characterizing synthetic materials such as batteries, carbon nanotubes, zeolites, and cellulose using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.
Dr. Joey Ocon of the University of the Philippines-Diliman Department of Chemical Engineering, provided a comprehensive talk on energy storage for the renewable energy transition using a systems approach that included catalysis, electrochemistry, and energy engineering.
Dr. Sangaraju Shanmugan of the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology discussed the electrochemical properties of nanostructured catalysts in the production of carbon-free fuels that are sustainable.
Mr. Zeus Cruz, Ms. Junella Ruth Banawa, and Ms. Angelica Uy (MS Chemistry student) of the Department of Chemistry hosted the webinar series, with assistance from Dr. Dharmatov Albano, Chair of the Department, Dr. Alan Rodelle Salcedo, Dr. Felicidad Christina R. Ramirez, Mr. Melvir Sucaldito, and Mr. Kent Gervacio of the Department of Chemistry. Dean Rey Donne Papa, Dean Michael Anthony Vasco, and Dr. Elizabeth H. Arenas from the College of Science and The Graduate School supported this online event.
