Research Group and Positions Available

Positions available:

Graduate Student (MSc or PhD)

The graduate student positions will be created for strong students motivated in doing research on one of our group projects. Contact D Soldatov if interested. International candidates should demonstrate sufficient academic strength, understanding of the area of proposed research, awareness of our research activities and experimental methods, and to explain how their stay in Canada will be supported.

Co-op Student

We periodically open positions for co-op students. The job announcements are posted through the U of G co-op services.

Undergraduate Research Assistant (USRA/URA): Summer 2019 (filled)

This summer project will focus on crystalline and semicrystalline molecular materials (peptide-based inclusion compounds and co-crystals; waxes and polymers). The project will involve X-ray diffraction and thermal analysis as the main characterization tools. Modeling and computer simulations will complement the experimental data. Refer to this website and direct your application to E Copland (SCIE-2513, x56709, ecopland@uoguelph.ca).

Chemistry: 4-th Year Project

A typical project involves the preparation of inclusion compounds or co-crystals of short peptides and their characterization with X-ray diffraction and thermoanalytical methods. Motivated students with previous chemistry lab experience and solid state chemistry or physical chemistry background are welcomed. See more details about our research in the RESEARCH section.

Nanoscience: 4-th Year Project

A typical project involves the investigation of crystalline materials prepared in our group by the methods of powder and single crystal X-ray diffraction. Basic knowledge of solid state chemistry is required. Some experience in crystallography, instrumental methods of materials characterization, or related software are very much appreciated. For more details on our research topics see the RESEARCH section.

Research Assistant: Work Study Job (currently closed)

This position is for a motivated student who will help existing personnel to conduct research. You have to be eligible in order to apply. The position is coded lab_443. For full description go here.

Research Group (2019):
Mehdi Esmaeili	PhD Candidate
Aaron J Smith	PhD Candidate
Farukh I Ali	PhD Candidate
Julie Ha	URA/co-op student
Hala Sakhnini	4-th year project (NANO)

Current projects and directions:

Design of molecular crystals and solid state reactions

Thermal stability and solid-state reactivity of oligopeptides

Supramolecular design and X-ray diffraction studies of short-chain peptide crystals

Inclusion compounds and co-crystals of oligopeptides

Thermal properties and solid state structure of polymers and waxes

Properties of wheats and flours and optimizing bakery performance

Rooms:	Students' office	MACN-347	no phone
	Chemistry lab	MACN-348
	Instrumental lab	MACN-349
	X-Lab / Users' office	MACN-351/341

In the Inclusion and Nanostructured Materials Group, we make new materials by combining molecules of two or more different types in a single solid. The properties of the material are "programmed" in the molecules selected or designed in our group. Once the molecules are mixed, they assembly in a highly organized architecture. A similar process takes place when molecules self-assembly to make cells of our body, or viruses, or liquid crystals in the LCD of your computer screen.

The solids prepared in our group are usually crystalline. We study their composition, stability and the crystal structure, and then practically useful properties. In addition to synthetic laboratory work, including wet chemistry with Schlenk lines and a dry glove box, we use a variety of instrumentation methods. Our group owns and operates two state-of-the-art thermoanalytical instruments (TGA and DSC), an FT-IR spectrometer, high-pressure gas line and GC/MS. We run X-ray diffraction facility ("X-Lab") with an extremely powerful SuperNova single crystal X-ray diffractometer, low-temperature capability and auxiliary equipment for the preparation and inspection of samples. Aside from our own equipment, we have direct access to other instrumental facilities, such as liquid and solid state NMR analysis.

Aside from synthetic chemistry and physicochemical techniques we use computer modeling and computations. We have various software for crystal structure solution, refinement, visualization and packing analysis, molecular modeling and examination. We own licences to Cambridge Structural Database, CrysAlis, AutoChem, Atoms, Xseed and other software. We also utilize unique, non-commercial programs.

Besides our own research, one our mission in the Chemistry Department is to maintain expertise and provide help to other groups on solid state chemistry, thermal analysis and crystallography / X-ray diffraction methods. The X-ray diffraction facility run by our group is available for research and educational purposes to other researchers in the Department after appropriate safety orientation and training.

We have individual research projects but focus on teamwork when necessary, especially when it comes to learning and safety. We hold weekly group meetings to discuss research, educate each other, and develop better communication and presentation skills.