Green and Sustainable Chemistry

On the evening of Thursday 24 February 2022 RSC Belgium opened its 2022 programme with a webinar talk from RSC President Professor Tom Welton OBE on Green and Sustainable Chemistry.

In the presentation Tom discussed the development of the complimentary ideas of Green Chemistry and Sustainable Chemistry. He showed how regulation has led to innovation, how ideas of the scale of anthropogenic impacts on the environment have changed, and how Green Chemistry and Sustainable Chemistry relate to each other.

From a Belgian perspective it was interesting that Tom highlighted the Solvay process to produce Soda-Ash as one of the first examples of  sustainable chemistry. In 1861, Belgian industrial chemist Ernest Solvay turned his attention to the expensive and highly polluting existing process to produce this precursor to soap. Solvay's process was more economical and with its recycling of ammonia, less polluting. The Solvay's constructed a plant in Couillet, today a suburb of Charleroi, and when on to build up an immense fortune based on chemistry.

Tom argued that sustainable chemistry is vital to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and that the future for chemistry lay in 'Safe and Sustainable by Design chemicals'.

Professor Tom Welton OBE FRSC CChem FCGI is Professor of Sustainable Chemistry at Imperial College London. He served as Head of Imperial’s Department of Chemistry from 2007 to 2014 and as Dean of the Faculty of Natural Science from 2015 to 2019. He is a Fellow and the current President of the Royal Society of Chemistry and previously connected with RSC Belgium during our 2021 AGM. Tom's research focuses on sustainable chemistry, with particular focus on ionic liquids and on solvent effects on chemical reactions. 

You can relive the full webinar below or via the RSC Belgium YouTube Channel.

RSC Belgium 2022 AGM

The 2022 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Royal Society of Chemistry's Belgium International section (RSC Belgium) took place on the evening of  Friday 14 January 2022 via webinar meeting on Microsoft Teams.

The meeting commenced at 19:35. Tweleve section members attended the meeting online: Bob Crichton (Chair), Tim Reynolds (Secretary), Julie Tuppeny (Treasurer), David Terrell, Fabio Lucaccioni, Rita Woodward, Susan Schamp, Dharmjeet Madhav, Ricky Payen, Ari Koskinen, Geoffrey Knight and Richard Green.

Also in attendance were co-opted Committee members: Bo Dahlqvist and Jonathan Norris.

Twelve section members who were unable to attend the AGM sent their apologies and had asked the Chair to act as their proxy for the meeting if a vote was required. These members were: Deepak Pant, Brian Sutcliffe, Filip du Prez, Steven De Feyter, Lance Smallshaw, Albert Dijkstra, Marie-Beatrice Madec, Eveline Volcke, Joshua Holloway, Catherine Cazin, Tracey Ehiwe and Colin McCarney.

1. Apologies for absence

There no further apologies were noted.

2. Approval of Minutes of 2021 AGM

No corrections were suggested, and the meeting moved (Rita Woodward), seconded (Susan Schamp) and hence unanimously adopted the minutes.

4. Committee Report on the Section’s 2021 Activities (Tim Reynolds – Secretary)

The Secretary presented the 2021 report.

“As in 2020 the activities of the section have been significantly impacted by the continuing COVID crisis. However, building on our success in 2020 in initiating webinar-based activities RSC Belgium was able to run a comprehensive programme of activities. During 2021 RSC Belgium managed to organise seven public lecture webinars, our AGM, a fund raising social, and our two annual school outreach events: the Chemistry Challenge and the Top of the Bench ‘European Eliminator’. We also welcomed our eighth Norman Lloyd scholarship recipient at Cardiff University.

Our 2021 AGM was run as a webinar event on Microsoft Teams on the evening of 29 January and we were fortunate to be joined over the ether by RSC President Professor Tom Welton of Imperial College London and RSC CEO Dr Helen Pain. The AGM was recorded and is now available, along with many of our webinar events, on our own dedicated YouTube channel. Please note that our first lecture event of 2022 will be given by Prof Welton on 24 February 2022 on the topic of 'Sustainable Chemistry'.

We kicked our lecture programme in 2021 on 11 February with Prof James Durrant also from Imperial College on developments in Sustainable Solar Fuels. This was followed on 18 March with a fascinating talk from Professor Annemie Bogaerts of the University of Antwerp on plasma-based catalysis and processes in particular for CO2 conversion.

On 22 April members and friends of the section enjoyed a talk on ‘Edible Oils and Fats’ from long-time section member Dr Albert Dijkstra a well-known expert in this field and on 27 May we welcomed back Professor Nick Lane from University College London to explore the question: How does chemistry come alive?

During the summer, while COVID restrictions were more relaxed, the section was once again able to hold an appropriately socially distanced fundraising event for our Norman Lloyd Scholarships at Setsuko Lloyd’s house in Lasne. A very sunny and enjoyable afternoon raised a total of €860 for the fund.

During the year, our seventh recipient of a Norman Lloyd scholarship at Cardiff University, Cara Watkins, worked hard and enjoyed the 1^st year of her chemistry degree and at the end of the year we received news of eighth recipient, MartimGouveia Pereira, who started his degree course in the Autumn term. After the deduction of £1,000 for Martim’s award and including the funds raised in 2021 the Norman C Lloyd Scholarship Fund currently stands at £1,278.62.

September saw the results of our 2021 Chemistry Challenge announced. As for the previous year we had to organise a virtual event but received entries from the majority of our group of international and European schools in the Brussels area and beyond. The prize-winners from the Challenge, including this year’s overall winner and recipient of the coveted Keith Price Award, were announced at a very entertaining and informative webinar event with Dr John O'Donoghue of Trinity College Dublin on 'Chemistry in the Movies' on the evening of 23 September.

On the evening of  21 October RSC Belgium members and friends were treated to an inspiring webinar talk from regular Chemistry World columnist and author Dr Philip Ball on The Beauty of Chemistry.

Our final lecture event of the year was on 25 November with Professor Jean-François Gohy from the Université Catholique de Louvain on advances and opportunities for future battery technologies.

Our Top of the Bench (TOTB)regional heat was also, again, a virtual affair taking place in late November and early December. In 2021 only four teams from two schools had been able to complete and return results in our first attempt at a COVID-proof TOTB, but this year 13 teams from seven schools were involved – returning participation to pre-COVID levels – and including for the first-time teams from the European Schools in Luxembourg. For 2021 online written and hands-on practical exercises were set by RSC Belgium committee members Rita Woodward and Susan Schamp. As ever the competition was very close with some notable individual performances and excellent teamwork, but the overall winner was the Titanium team from St Georges International School – that school’s third win a row - who will be representing RSC Belgium at the TOTB finals in March 2022.

We hope to be running a full programme of events during 2022 – either virtual or physical depending on the evolving COVID situation – and look forward to seeing many members and friends on screen or face-to-face during the year. Details of forthcoming events can always be found on the RSC Belgium blog.

As mentioned, our next programmed event is with Professor Tom Welton on 24 February 2022 on the topic of 'Sustainable Chemistry'. Further events will be announced.”

There were no questions on the report, and it was unanimously approved.

5. Financial Report of 2020 (Julie Tuppeny – Treasurer)

The treasurer presented the 2021 financial report and accounts.

“Like previous years 2021 was planned to be another busy year, until restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic saw cancellations and lectures moved online for RSC Belgium Section (RSCB) and its committee.

Our two annual competitions for schools, the Chemistry Challenge Competition were well attended with 68 students taking part, and the Top of the Bench (TOTB) Eliminator Round.

On 1^st January 2021, the net assets of RSC Belgium Section were €10,709. 91 The Annual Grant for 2021 was received in July 2021 from RSC UK of € 2,626.25 which was less than the 4,952.50 that was asked for.

Major items of expenditure during the year are listed below.

• € 706 to organise the Chemistry Challenge of which €620 was prize money.
• € 236.97  to organise the TOTB eliminator round.

For the Year ending 31 December 2021, the net assets of RSC Belgium Section amount to €9,563.98 in the current account and €2,101.30 in the Savings account giving a total of €11,665.28.

Bearing in mind Belgian Law, the status of the RSC Belgium Section holds the three Officers personally liable for debts arising from the activities of the Belgium Section. A grant of €2,000 will be requested from RSC UK to cover all the activities planned for 2022.”

The meeting unanimously adopted the Treasurer’s report.

6. Chair’s Remarks (Bob Crichton)

The Chair thanked all members of the committee for their hard work and support during another difficult year. In particular he thanked Fabio for his technical support in running our successful webinars.

Bob hoped that the section would be able to run more face-to-face events in 2022, however the section needed to follow guidelines from RSC HQ as well as the local rules and we awaited their instructions.

7. Election of committee members and section officers

Two nominations had been received for election to the committee as ordinary members.

• David Terrell
• Dharmjeet Madhav

As the number of nominations equalled the number of vacant positions, both candidates were elected to the committee for a period of two years.

At the first committee meeting of 2022 Bo Dahlqvist and Jonathan Norris were co-opted onto the committee. Full details of the 2022 committee membership are available here.

8. Auditing arrangements for 2022

Julie confirmed that accounts must be prepared and submitted to RSC HQ by 7 February 2022. These accounts did not require a formal audit prior to submission. If a review/ audit was required section member Lance Smallshaw had agreed to assist.

9. Any Other Business

As noted previously the first event of the 2022 programme will be on Thursday 24 February 2022 via Teams with Prof. Tom Welton of Imperial College London on 24 February 2022 on the topic of 'Green and Sustainable Chemistry'.

A question on the funding of the section by HQ was asked by Geoffrey Knight. Bob and Julie confirmed that the funding was through an annual grant and that this was not a loan, and the section did not have any debts.

The meeting Adjourned at 19:50. The first meeting of the 2022 committee took place on Tuesday 18 January 2022.

Eighth Norman Lloyd Scholar announced!

Martim Gouveia Pereira has been selected as the eighth recipient of a Dr Norman C. Lloyd Scholarship at Cardiff University. Martim is in his first year at Cardiff on a MCheM degree course. The Norman Lloyd Scholarship is given to a new student in the Cardiff School of Chemistry who is of high academic standing and resident in Wales.

Martim was incredibly grateful to receive the scholarship and has sent us the following message of thanks.

"I am deeply honoured by this nomination. After learning more about Dr Norman C Lloyd, I became inspired by his success in life despite the early-life adversities. I faced many academic and personal adversities during secondary school. With resilience I was able to overcome these and thrive academically. I hope that with the scholarship, I will be able to not only focus more on my degree but also to continue sharing my passion for Chemistry with others.

I had the privilege to be taught by passionate individuals. They helped me close gaps in my understanding: a product of academic adversities. I overcame these adversities thanks to their dedication which included teaching me undergraduate-level Chemistry in their breaks. 

Their efforts in addition to my further reading led me to gaining two gold awards at the RSC Chemistry Olympiad. Furthermore, I was one of the top 36/7160 students in the United Kingdom that were invited to the IChO selection camp. There, I was exposed other undergraduate-level approaches and met like-minded individuals. 

My experience and success in the field compelled me to study Chemistry at university. 

I have four dreams: join the RSC Olympiad Committee, use my knowledge of Chemistry in a medical career, make my start-up (Reach) successful, and get involved in politics. 

I am passionate about languages and cultures. In my spare time, I enjoy gaming, socialising, travelling, tutoring, playing sports, and working on Reach. 

My vision is that Reach provides the best 16-18 education to the public. It is possible to create a profitable yet sustainable and ethical company that makes the best education widely available. Reach will help students to reach success, regardless of school or postcode."

We wish Martim every success at Cardiff and in his wider ambitions. We will watch his progress with keen interest! 

The scholarship

Our current link at Cardiff is Sarah Morgan-Davies in the Development & Alumni Relations department. She stated: 

"We are so grateful for your continued support and I do hope Cara’s report and Martim’s letter of thanks show the incredible difference that the Dr Norman C Lloyd scholarship is making to students here at Cardiff University."

The Norman Lloyd scholarship was set up by RSC Belgium in collaboration with Norman’s family and Cardiff University in memory of our old friend and supporter Norman Lloyd. Norman was himself a student at an institution that is now part of the university. The funds raised provide an annual scholarship of £1,000 for an undergraduate student, usually in their first year of study, at the Cardiff School of Chemistry.

St Georges retain TOTB trophy again

Despite the continuing challenges and restrictions due to COVID, RSC Belgium successfully organised and ran its annual 'international eliminator' for the Royal Society of Chemistry's Top of the Bench (TOTB) competition in late 2021. And this year more teams than ever were involved with 13 teams from seven international and European schools taking part. The results are now in and the winning team, who will now represent Belgium in the TOTB grand final in Spring 2022, is Team Titanium (pictured below) from St. Georges International School in Luxembourg. The school therefore retains the Keith Price Cup and makes it three years in a row as RSC Belgium TOTB champs!

Once again, the competition had to be run remotely during late November and early December with the results evaluated over the Christmas holiday period by our TOTB team: Rita Woodward and Susan Schamp.

Our 2021 TOTB eliminator again retained the usual elements of the competition: a written test component for individual team members and a practical group exercise.

This year the written element was a 30-minute online Chemistry Quiz with questions tailored to the three age groups in each team and the practical element requiring input from all four team members based around a simple 'Everyday Chemistry Around You' scenario that could be carried out at school or at home depending on COVID restrictions in place at the time.

TOTB teams are composed of four students with two students from Year 9 (UK equivalent to 3rd year or Grade 8), one student from Year 10 UK (4th year or Grade 9) and one student from Year 11 (5th year or Grade 10).

Online quiz

The online quiz was worked up by Susan. “The quiz worked very well considering it was our first try with this format allowing us to set a wider range of questions than would have been possible with just a pen and paper,” says Susan. “For example, there was a video round where students watched a short video clip showing a chemical transformation or technique, which they then answered questions on.”

The quizzes consisted of 40 questions and students had 30 minutes to complete as many questions as they could before the quiz automatically submitted. “One school did have some technical problems which we will need to solve before running our next TOTB event,” notes Susan.

Practical element

Rita oversaw the practical element that also included a taster video introduction to get the teams thinking about de-gassing fizzy drinks – the subject of the experiment. “The practical task looked to be simple but deceptively proved to be more challenging than for previous years,” says Rita. “Excellent time management, organisation and thinking outside the box were required. This year’s practical was certainly tricky, but many students thoroughly enjoyed the task!”

Alejandro Perez, the coordinating chemistry teacher at St. Georges International School for their teams commented: “We do not appreciate how much more challenging it is to plan a full investigation than to follow instructions in a practical activity, and the event has given our students the opportunity experience the scientific method put into practice.”

Challenging event

In 2021 only four teams from two schools were able to complete and return results in our first attempt at a COVID-proof event, but this year 13 teams from seven schools were involved – returning participation to pre-COVID levels. Teams were entered by Antwerp International School (AIS), the British School of Brussels (BSB), European Schools I and II in Luxembourg, the International School of Flanders (ISF) in Waterloo, St. John’s International School in Waterloo and St. George's International School in Luxembourg.

As ever the competition was very close with some notable individual performances and excellent teamwork, but the overall winner was the Titanium team from St Georges thanks to ranking first in the written part and a top three placement in the practical. Runners up were Team Chromium from BSB with top marks in the practical test and a top three placement in the written section.

Our congratulations to Team Titanium who will go forward to represent RSC Belgium at the RSC’s TOTB final in 2022. And our thanks to everyone who took part in the TOTB eliminator this year. RSC Belgium goodies are on the way to the winning team and all participating team members will receive certificates.

Many thanks to St. George's for providing photos of the winning Titanium team.

Beyond Li-ion: challenges and opportunities for future battery technology

On the evening of 25 November 2021 RSC Belgium hosted the last of its webinars for the year with a talk from Prof Jean-François Gohy from the Institute of Condensed Matter and Nanosciences at the Université catholique de Louvain. Prof Gohy had previously presented to the section on advances in energy storage and this new talk focused on recent advances and opportunities for future battery technologies. 

The improvement in performance and cost of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) over the past few years have made them the technology of choice for electrical energy storage. While established battery chemistries and cell architectures for LIBs achieve good power and energy density, Jean-Francois indicated that LIBs are unlikely to meet all the performance, cost, and scaling targets required for future energy storage, in particular, in large-scale applications such as electrified transportation and grids. 

The demand to further reduce cost and/or increase energy density, as well as the growing concerns related to natural resource needs for Li-ion technologies have accelerated the investigation of so-called “beyond Li-ion” technologies. In his talk Prof Gohy discussed recent achievements, challenges, and opportunities for some of these “beyond Li-ion” technologies. While it is unlikely that any given new technology will fully replace Li-ion in the near future, “beyond Li-ion” technologies should be thought of as opportunities for energy storage to grow into mid/large-scale applications.

Range of options

Prof Gohy took the audience through a range of options for promising battery technologies that could provide the required energy density safely and at reasonable cost. Costs for LIBs had dramatically dropped from over $1000 per KWh to less that $150 and this trend was continuing thanks to massive investment LIBs by the car industry.

But next generation technologies were required. Lithium metal batteries are part of the family of All Solid State Batteries (ASSB) and previous significant safety concerns had now been partially solved. Other potential technologies included Li-S, Li-air, Sodium and Potassium ion batteries.

Li-metal based ASSBs could provide a path to achieve high volumetric energy density using established Li-ion cathode technology.

Sodium (NIB) and Potassium (KIB) batteries that rely on naturally abundant sodium and potassium resources are likely to provide a significant advantage in terms of cost for larger stationary applications such as storage for power grid management. 

Magnesium-metal batteries are a wild card technology that could potentially provide a unique combination of high energy density and low cost as a "beyond Li-ion" battery technology. Mg metal as an anode is less prone to failure due to dendritic growth, but the most significant technical barrier to this technology is the achievement of high energy density Mg cathodes.

RSC video at COP26

During the COP26 meeting in Glasgow the RSC held a panel discussion on this topic that debated the cutting edge chemistry underlying next generation battery innovations, their potential, their limitations and their pathways to mass adoption.

The video was part of an initiative demonstrating chemistry’s role in understanding and tackling climate change covering next-generation batteries, hydrogen, agriculture, carbon dioxide utilisation, and more.

Seventh Norman Lloyd Scholar report is in!

Cara Watkins (pictured below), the seventh recipient of a Dr Norman C. Lloyd Scholarship at Cardiff University has completed her first year of her MCheM degree in Chemistry at the university and she has submitted an end of year report. The Norman Lloyd Scholarship is given to a new student in the Cardiff School of Chemistry who is of high academic standing and resident in Wales. The eighth recipient of the Scholarship at Cardiff has also just been announced.

What degree are you undertaking and why did you choose the course here?

I am currently studying Chemistry and I am enjoying the course Cardiff University provides. I chose Cardiff University for a number of reasons, the biggest reason was due to its position as a Russell Group University, this prestige assured me that the course and experience I would be partaking in, would be satisfying. As well as this, the city of Cardiff played a big role in my decision, I was already familiar with the city of Cardiff so I knew that living there would be exciting and as it was close to home, I would still feel comfortable staying there.

What’s the best thing about studying at Cardiff?

The best thing about studying at Cardiff is the city, there is plenty of fun things to do in and around the city centre which makes for a great student life. The are many places to eat and meet with friends on Cardiff Queen Street which is a good way to de-stress and chill after a long day at university. The city of Cardiff is a great place to live and study and makes my university experience incredibly enjoyable.

Do you have a particular career in mind after you graduate?

I have always wanted to be a Forensic Scientist on the front lines of a crime scene, I would love to use my knowledge in science to solve crimes and investigate the hidden clues left behind using various chemical processes. I believe a degree in chemistry from Cardiff University will bring me a step closer to achieving this and help me reach my goal.

Do you have any hobbies outside of studying?

Apart from Chemistry, I have a love for languages, I am currently learning Korean which is influenced by my interest in Asian countries and their cultures. I would love to travel around Asia in the future to experience the culture for myself. I am also a fan of Marvel movies and I often find myself re-watching my favourite movies with my friends and family.

What difference has this scholarship made to you?

This scholarship has made a great difference to me as it eliminated any money worries, I might have had, which allowed me to focus on studying. It was thanks to the scholarship that I was able to buy a laptop for myself which was essential to my studies. Before this I had been sharing a laptop with my two siblings and I cannot imagine what I would’ve done without being able to buy one for myself. 

If you could say something to the donor who gave you this gift, what would it be?

I would like to give my greatest thanks to the donor who gave me this gift, it has had a great impact on me, and my studies and I believe I would not have had a such a great 1st year without it. It has been very advantageous to me and my studies and helped me get the most out of my university experience - That has been the greatest gift I could have so I would like the donor to know it was greatly appreciated.

The scholarship

The Norman Lloyd scholarship was set up by RSC Belgium in collaboration with Norman’s family and Cardiff University in memory of our old friend and supporter Norman Lloyd. Norman was himself a student at an institution that is now part of the university. The funds raised provide an annual scholarship of £1,000 for an undergraduate student, usually in their first year of study, at the Cardiff School of Chemistry.

The Beauty of Chemistry

On the evening of Thursday 21 October RSC Belgium members and friends were treated to a highly informative and inspiring webinar talk from regular Chemistry World columnist and author Dr Philip Ball on The Beauty of Chemistry.

Scientists often talk informally of “beauty” in ideas, experiments and theories - but what do they mean by it? Philip Ball’s recent book with Chinese science photographers Yan Liang and Wenting Zhu offers one answer. Entitled The Beauty of Chemistry, and published by MIT Press, it presents astonishing photos of chemical processes, many based on the videos Yan and Wenting made for their online Envisioning Chemistry project and exhibition in collaboration with the Chinese Chemical Society, which has received international acclaim.

The book has also received numerous plaudits. Alán Aspuru-Guzik, Professor of Chemistry and Computer Science at the University of Toronto said: “This book combines rich descriptions of chemical phenomena with stunning photography of them as they happen. As a child, I was drawn to chemistry by the wonders of precipitating powders, fizzy water, and other ever-present phenomena. The Beauty of Chemistry took me back to those times.” 

In the book and webinar talk Philip argued that chemistry excels in its sensual allure: its colours, textures, patterns, even smells, speak immediately to the senses and are often what draw chemists to study their subject. All the same, he argued, scientific notions of beauty are complicated and not always compatible with the way the word is used in art and aesthetics.

Chemistry is not just about microscopic atoms doing inscrutable things; it is the process that makes flowers and galaxies. We rely on it for bread-baking, vegetable-growing, and producing the materials of daily life. In stunning images and illuminating text, “The Beauty of Chemistry” captures chemistry as it unfolds. Using such techniques as microphotography, time-lapse photography, and infrared thermal imaging, The Beauty of Chemistry shows us how chemistry underpins the formation of snowflakes, the science of champagne, the colours of flowers, and other wonders of nature and technology. We see the marvellous configurations of chemical gardens; the amazing transformations of evaporation, distillation, and precipitation; heat made visible; and more.

Relive the beauty!

Phil's excellent talk was recorded and you can relive the lecture either below or via the new RSC Belgium YouTube channel.  Enjoy!

About the speaker

Philip Ball is a freelance science writer and author. He worked previously at Nature for over 20 years, first as an editor for physical sciences (for which his brief extended from biochemistry to quantum physics and materials science) and then as a Consultant Editor. His writings on science for the popular press have covered topical issues ranging from cosmology to the future of molecular biology.

Philip continues to write regularly for Nature. He has contributed to publications ranging from New Scientist to the New York Times, the Guardian, the Financial Times and New Statesman. He is a contributing editor of Prospect magazine (for which he writes a science blog), and also a columnist for Chemistry World, Nature Materials, and the Italian science magazine Sapere. He is a frequent TV and radio broadcaster, and is a presenter of "Science Stories" on BBC Radio 4. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, sits on the editorial board of Chemistry World and Interdiscipinary Science Reviews, and is a board member of the RESOLV network on solvation science at the Ruhr University of Bochum.

He has written many popular books on science and its intersections with the wider culture, including works on the nature of water, pattern formation in the natural world, colour in art, the science of social and political philosophy, the cognition of music, and physics in Nazi Germany.

His titles include The Self-Made Tapestry, Critical Mass, Bright Earth and Invisible. His latest book is The Modern Myths.

Philip has a BA in Chemistry from the University of Oxford and a PhD in Physics from the University of Bristol.