News

Prof Derek Gates and his student Josh Bates, in collaboration with Prof Pierre Kennepohl, have investigated the electronic structure of an abnormal carbene generated from the reaction of NHCs with phosphaalkenes to form 4-phosphino-2-carbenes. Josh discovered this surprising reactivity and probed possible reaction pathways using computational methods; the details of this study were published as a communication in Angew. Chem. and was subsequently highlighted by Chemical &...

August 17, 2011

The Department of Chemistry unveiled a ground-breaking new learning space this week, the Shared Instrument Facility (SIF). This innovative space combines a laboratory and student resource centre, and will transform the learning environment for students at UBC.  Undergraduates now have unprecedented access to highly specialized equipment that would otherwise be inaccessible.

Danielle Covelli was awarded an honourable mention and a $250 prize from Helvetica Chimica Acta, for her poster presented during the 15th International Conference on Bioinorganic Chemistry (ICBIC15), held on campus at UBC in early August. Over 200 students were eligible for twelve poster prizes at the conference, with representation from across the world.

Polly Yu and Alex Radke recently participated in the 2011 RISE Canada Conference, held on August 26th on the campus of the University of Regina. The conference was the culmination of a summer-long research experience as part of the "Reactive Intermediates Student Exchange" that sent both students across the country.