Thursday, 9th July Royal Australian Chemical Institute National Congress 2026

Kick-start your conference morning with Coffee Roulette — a casual networking experience connecting delegates over coffee at local cafés near the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, designed to spark new conversations, collaborations and connections across the chemistry community.

Location: TBC - Cafés near the Perth Convention Centre

Career Connect is a dedicated networking initiative designed to help students, early-career researchers, and professionals explore career pathways across academia, industry, government, and research sectors.

Participants will have the opportunity to connect directly with conference sponsors and exhibitors, learn about career opportunities, gain insights into different organisations, and discuss skills, recruitment pathways, and professional development with experienced representatives. A dedicated meeting space is be available for more in-depth conversations and networking throughout the Congress.

• Contact Electro catalysis for green chemical transformations - Dumindu Geeth Dassanayaka Henarath Dassanayakalage
• Enhancing the rate of electrosynthesis using strategically fouled electrodes with solid polymer patterns - Wathsala Mrs Kapuralage
• Probing the Inherent Surface Roughening of P-type Si (111) in 40 % NH₄F Solution: Toward Atomically Flat Surfaces - Gopal Mr. Rizal
• Revealing grain dependent glucose oxidation pathways on gold via correlative SECCM and EBSD analysis. - Anuradha Irugalbandaralage
• Laser induced graphene - cobalt hybrids: A novel catalyst for oxygen evolution reaction - Moin Rabbani
• Defect-Engineered Ceria-Supported Ru Catalysts for Enhanced Ammonia to Hydrogen Conversion.   - Pallavi Saini
•  Enhancing electrocatalytic performance in MoS₂ via mechanically induced structural ordering - Jianjin Ruan
• Benzodiazaborines as DECR1 inhibitors to treat castration-resistant prostate cancer - Hayden M Wittwer
• In silico optimization of the benzofuropyridine core structure as CDK-5 inhibitors - Reymark Cepeda Ereje
• Investigation into the phytotoxic structure-activity relationships of the antibacterial tedizolid - Caleb Hewlett
• An SN38 antibody prodrug conjugate strategy for cancer therapy   - Thi My Hanh Tran
• Structure-based design of novel KDM4 inhibitors. - Angus Saxton
• Production of deuterated desferrioxamine B using a biosynthetic approach - Ashleigh E Scarra
• Representing conjugate biomolecules in medicinal and chemical biology - Eric M Gifford
• Molecular characterization of an Fe(II)/α-ketoglutarate-dependent sulfoquinovose dioxygenase - Ho Ho
• Advancing antifungal frontiers with cationic cyclic peptides - Julia H. Huang
• Ga(III) complexes from the chemoenzymatic synthesis of macrocyclic hydroxamic acid chelators using length-modulated substrates - Joseph Wang
• Understanding the fluorogenic behavior of fluorescent sensors for nitroreductase enzyme activity - Manal Alwahsh
• Holistic Chemical Analysis of the Traditional Pain Medicine Mudjala  - Matilda Houston
• Novel Treatment of Heart Disease - Activators of SERCA2a  - Christopher CA Anderson
• Innovative bioproduction of natural food-preservative 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde by evolved Limosilactobacillus reuteri NK45 - baekrock Oh
• Electrospinning-based encapsulation of iron for controlled release during digestion - Latheesha Abeywardana
• Radial dendronised polymers for gene delivery. - Cooper M Kyrwood
• Surface enrichment in gallium-indium liquid alloys: applied to CO₂ conversion - Fahimeh FG Gholampoursaadi
• Development of Peptide-Based Theranostics Targeting the Receptor Tyrosine Kinase-like Orphan Receptor 1 (ROR1) - Wenxiao Kay Yue
• Ra-Inspired Solution of Waste Valorisation: Two Birds with one stone - Mahmoud Adel Hamza
• Building bonds through active learning workshops in a large-enrolment first-year chemistry course - Pavani Halpelage

• Chemical Probes to Investigate Cellular Quality Control and Disorder in Diseases - Yuning Hong
• Identification of novel modulators for neurodegenerative disease states   - Taylor Garrett
• Technologies for Accessing Modified Peptides and Proteins as Therapeutics and Chemical Biology Tools - Richard Payne
• Antimicrobial Peptides as Next‑Generation Antibiotics  - Wenyi Li

• Predicting the response: new applications of response theory. - Debra J. Bernhardt (Searles)
• Returning to Fundamentals: High-Energy Density Strained Hydrocarbons for Sustainable Aviation Fuel - Feng Wang
• Pt/xTiO₂-yCeO₂ in catalytic oxidation of dichloromethane, perchloroethylene and methanol - Ivana Troppová
• Explicit modelling of electronic effects at heterojunction interfaces - Terry Frankcombe

• MOF-Based Electrochemical Sensors and Biosensors for Environmental and Healthcare Monitoring - Samuel B Adeloju
• Water recycling in WA: Historical and chemical perspectives - Cynthia A Joll
• Analytical discrimination of 3D printing polymers used in homemade firearm production - Georgina Sauzier
• From precursors to products: forensic characterisation and source attribution of homemade explosive materials - Simon W Lewis

12:20pm - 12:40pm: GASC Division Awards Presentation

• Polymeric wastes derived catalysts for degradation of organic pollutants - Shaobin Wang
• Tailoring and Characterisation of Nanocatalysts for CO₂ upcycling - Jun Huang
• Understanding and Engineering Matter in Spatial Nanoconfinement for Sustainable Technologies - Zhuyuan Wang
• Visible-light photocatalysts for transformation of hexose sugars into biobased platform chemicals - Huai-Yong hyz ZHU
• Unlocking the Potential of Flow Chemistry for Deuteration of Fatty Acids - Jim Mensah

•   Unlocking stable and efficient green hydrogen from ammonia electrocatalysis     - Fengwang Li
• Green Electrochemical Production and Engineering of Nanomaterials - Yu Lin Zhong
• Resolving structure activity relationships in nickel electrocatalysis across length scales - Prachi Janjani
• When Electrode Fouling Helps: Density Gradient-Driven Convection Enhances Electrochemical Reactions - Wathsala Kapuralage
• Decoupling Water Electrolysis in Acid using TiO₂ - Peter C. Sherrell
• Balancing chemical and electrochemical etching of Si(111): in-situ open-circuit potential measurements during etching to optimize p-type silicon flattening - Gopal Rizal

• Empowering communities through chemistry: a model for STEM leadership and inclusive practice - Joanne F Jamie
• How do Students Experience my Teaching? Comparing Instructor and Student Perceptions of Empathy in Tertiary Chemistry and Science - Alan Z Chen
• Presentation and reflection assessment activities as a means of connecting students with a university department’s research culture and promoting thinking about their next steps. - Richard A. R. Blackburn
• The nexus between science belongingness and self-perceived employability. - Dilusha Herath Munasinghe
• Levelling Up: Enhancing Understanding and Skills in Undergraduate Chemistry Topics Through Game-Based Learning - Dylan P. Williams

• Surpassing Photon Energy Limits for Light-Driven Chemical Synthesis - Tim Connell
• meso-Tetraarylporphyrins peripherally functionalized with Ru(dppe)₂Cl alkynyl complexes: remarkable nonlinear optical properties and potential use in anti-cancer therapy - Frédéric Paul
• Luminescent iridium(III)-boronic acid complexes for sensing carbohydrates - Peter J Barnard
• Improving visualisation of gunshot residue by harnessing perovskite fluorescence - Scarlet Hopkins

• Olefination of Carbonyl Compounds via Isodesmic Reactions - Vinh Nguyen
• Advancing chemical space through diversity oriented clicking - Christopher J Smedley
• Spontaneous trisulfide metathesis in polar aprotic solvents - Justin Chalker
• Nitrogen-doped carbon supported single-atom catalysts for green organic synthesis - Tomohiro Yasukawa
• Diversifying production methods for the clinical natural product desferrioxamine B - Todd E Markham

• Point-of-need PFAS detection using a protein based sensor  - Saimon Moraes Silva
• Visible-light degradation of PFAS: Forever Chemicals are not forever anymore! - Mahmoud Adel Hamza
• Preparation of cellulose-based adsorbents for eradication of pollutants in water - Sumaira Basharat
• Electrochemical Innovation for Real-World Water Monitoring   - Krishnan Murugappan
• Advancing Water Treatment with Graphene Coated Sand - Pei Lay Yap

• RAFT derived polymer coatings to prevent attachment of infectious bacteria - Peter Kingshott
• The composition of indigenous Australian Citrus fruit: polyphenols and volatile profiles - Joel B Johnson
• Process Optimization of Yeast Fermentation for Sustainable Protein-Rich Animal Feed from Agricultural Waste - Kashif Rasool
• Innovative resource-efficient practices in peri-urban dairy farming for sustainable food systems - BIRUK KEBEBEW B.K GETACHEW
• Prevalence, risk assessment and evidence-based risk management of aflatoxin B1 in Rwandan maize flour - Jean Paul HATEGEKIMANA

• Enhancing the reactive capture performance of molecular electrocalysts for syngas production   - Dan M Villamanca
• Comparison of Carbon Dioxide Adsorption Kinetics in Batch and Flow-Through Systems for Functionalised MOFs - Hetansha A Boricha
• From toxin to chiral building block: Engineered aldolase-catalyzed regioselective conversion of formaldehyde into L-glyceraldehyde - Taner Duysak
• Exploring the Reactivity of Per- and Poly- fluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFAS) by Electrochemically Generated Reactive Oxygen Species - Sophia Kelly
• Physics informed machine learning for degradation aware operation of low iridium PEM water electrolysers under intermittent renewable power - Moumita Ms Saha
• Outer and inner-sphere electrochemistry at polydopamine-modified gold interfaces. - Anju Singh
• Revealing Hydrogen Evolution Behaviour of Gallium–Platinum Single-Crystals using Scanning Electrochemical Cell Microscopy - Moonika Widjajana
• Unlocking the potential of plasma co₂ methanation a techno‑economic analysis - Ross Swinbourn
• An Oxygen-Stable, Low-Cost Quinone as a Practical Redox Standard for Non-Aqueous Redox Flow Battery - Heshan Chathuranga Liyanaarachchi
• Safe and Sustainable On‑Site Generation of Gases and Liquid Nitrogen for Chemical and Materials Applications   - Nicole Pendini
• Bismuth ferrite (BiFeO₃) fabrication under high shear - Shafi Alanazi
• A reapproach to AAK1 inhibition via non-classical scaffold hops - Max Boyd
• Chemical probes to investigate cyclic ADP-ribose function and nucleotide binding proteins     - Gause Miraj
• Design and synthesis of novel P2X7 receptor antagonists to treat neurodegenerative disease - Nick Lynch
• Targeted delivery of coenzyme Q10 to mitochondria - Muhammad Tahir Waseem
• Synthesis and characterisation of binuclear gold-based drugs for the effective treatment of cancer - Arthur AH Hentschel
• DFT enabled design of quinone bioisosteres in inhibitors of endocytosis - Nicholas S O'Brien
• Design synthesise and evaluate metabolically stable and cell-permeable nucleotide modulators as chemical probes of Effector Triggered Immunity (ETI) in plants - Premraj Rajaratnam
• Designing metabolically stable anti-Toxoplasma gondii analogues using density functional theory and Fukui indices - Kelly A Young
• Novel fluorogenic probes for site-specific protein labeling by nitrile-aminothiol (NAT) click chemistry - Mohammed Siddeek Fathima Nusra
• Design and structure-activity relationships of small-molecule allosteric activators of SERCA - Stefan Paula
• Modular dendronised amphiphilic peptide oligomers as a platform for nucleic acid delivery - Lennart Schaefer
• Polar sulphur accumulation as indicator for bacterial membrane stress - Simone Ries
• Synthesis and evaluation of mitochondria-targeted triphenylphosphonium–NODA ligands for Al/¹⁸F and ⁶⁸Ga radiolabelling - Neha Agarwal
• Development of small molecule senolytics for the modulation of senescence in neurodegenerative diseases. - Jessica O'Driscoll
• Chemical inhibition of FANCM-RMI unleashes telomere maintenance toxicity in osteosarcoma cells - Joshua S Mills
• Exploring the IKK-16 pharmacophore for TDP-43 protein aggregation - Angus J Tolmie
• Small‑molecule dynamin modulators across diverse chemical scaffolds   - Irina Zharinova
• High-throughput screening to discover small molecule FANCM-RMI inhibitors - Jiayi Shen
• A molecular hybridisation approach towards the development of CNS active small molecule activators of mitophagy - Andrew P Montgomery
• Macrocyclic binding motifs for anionic phospholipid recognition - Paris Walters
• Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Gold-Phosphine Complexes with Anticancer Activity - Pooran Kumar
• Development of polysaccharide-based inhibitors of bacterial motility - Raihan Uz Zaman
• Environmental Influence on the Degradation of Polymeric Biomaterials - Barbara Guzdek
• Enhanced peroxymonosulfate activation for antibiotic and heavy metal removal using ZIF-67-derived magnetic Ni/Co-LDH@NC: bimetallic electronic synergy and oxygen vacancy effects - Di ZHAO
• The removal of methyl orange from water using biochar derived from a blend of carrot and potato peels   - Mapule PM Thabede
• Selective dissolution of solid salts for sustainable lithium extraction - PAN LIU
• Chemistry student support in the age of the Australian Universities Accord - Tim Corkish
• SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION WITH SCIENTIFICALLY AWARE AI - Jenica Marie Madridejos

Join us for a series of interactive workshops covering professional development, career pathways, industry engagement, and skills for success.

• Disrupting proteins with phage display discovered peptides to halt the ALT in cancer - Lisa J Alcock
• Towards optimizing carbon-11 radiolabelling of pharmaceuticals through design of experiment and bayesian optimization campaigns - Jonathan JL Li
• Phage-derived peptides that bind NONO to target telomerase-positive cancers - Tianyi Gao
• Potent immunomodulators developed from an unstable microbial metabolite - Jeffrey YW Mak
• Bioorthogonal prodrug activation for targeted delivery of combretastatin A-4 prodrugs. - Julia Constantino Camilli
• Targeting TRF2 with cyclic and linear peptides identified through phage display - Jun Xuan Ang

• Surface reconstruction in carbonates of the calcite group: when, how, and why - Raffaella Demichelis
• Insights into hydrogen storage in TiFe from first-principles modelling - Kai Sellschopp
• Ultrafast Singlet Exciton Dissociation in Organic Photo-Catalysts for Hydrogen Generation - Tak W Kee

• Rare Earth Elements in River Sediments as Tracers of Climate Variability and Anthropogenic Influence in an Urban African Catchment - Nehemiah Mukwevho
• Co-based mixed metal oxides for environmental applications - Tereza Bílková
• What's so poisonous about poison peas?  - Juliette King
• MOF templated synthesis of homogeneously doped SrTiO3:La/Rh - Thomas J O'Dea

• Microenvironment Roles in Nano-to-Atomic Catalysis - Zongyou Yin
• Operando Spectroscopic Analysis for Photo/Electro-catalysis - Wooyul Kim
• Current Density and History-Dependent Mechanistic Shifts and Dopant-Free Durability Strategies for Acidic OER on RuO2 - Zongping Shao
• Liquid Metal Alloys as Next-Generation Catalysts for Clean Chemical Production - Torben Daeneke
• Controlling photoactivity in ZnO nanoparticles to improve safety and stability - Mina Mohebimorad
• Facile Synthesis of High Areal Density and Stable Pt Single-Atom Electrocatalysts by Arc Discharge Atomization and CoNi Trapping - Hongzhe He

• Accelerating the Discovery of Metal Organic Frameworks for Capture, Separation and Activation of Small Molecules   - Ravichandar Babarao
• ALF – the Smallest MOF for Gas Separation - Fengxia Wei
• Carbon dots derived from the mixture of amino acids and their potential biological applications - Navya Pundarikanakallahalli Nagaraju
• Ferroelectric Domains and Dynamics: Insights Enabled by Machine Learning   - Liangzhi Kou

• Cultivating Potential: Shaping the Future of Gifted Chemistry Education Across Australia - Brodie L Reid
• Implementing IUPAC Oxidation State Recommendations (2016) in a Secondary School Science Curriculum learning environment. - John Drew
• Authentic, valid and reliable assessment of Year 11 and 12 chemistry practicals - Sally Harban and Alexandra Yeung

• Probing fast and slow Redox Processes and their Implication for the Design of Catalysts for small molecule activation - Rosalie Hocking
• Divalent organocopper complexes: Masked radicals for effective electrochemically driven atom transfer radical addition (eATRA)   - Masnun Naher
• Structure/function Dependence of Homogeneous Cobalt Catalysts for Selective Reduction of NO_x^- ions - Tony F Masters

• Nitrogen Heterocycle Synthesis via Energy Transfer Catalysis - Wade F Petersen
• Nickel NHC-Phosphite Precatalysts for C-C and C-N Bond Formation - Scott G Stewart
• Building Polymer Microstructure From the Ground Up - Karen Hakobyan
• Trapped Cycloadducts of 1-Azabutadienes via Microwave-Assisted Ring Opening of N-acyl-2-Azetines - Jacob P Cameron

• Evolving role of research at the Little Forest legacy low level radioactive waste site - Timothy E PAYNE
• Engineering hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks for artificial photosynthesis - SI LIU
• A thermal calcification cause for seasonal oscillations in the increasing Keeling Curve on Mauna Loa and near Cape Grim: Reversing causes of environmental warming from their effects - Ivan R Kennedy
• Ni/Zeolite-Catalyzed Hydrogenation of Methyl Methacrylate: Toward Efficient Production of Methyl Isobutyrate - Borhan Alalimi

• SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION WITH SCIENTIFICALLY AWARE AI - Jenica Marie JM Madridejos
• Fused Polycyclic Indoles: Synthesis and Biological Applications - Hendra Gunosewoyo

• Hyperspectral Sensing for Understanding Mineral Systems - Bobby Pejcic
• Catalyst-on-hotspot nanoarchitecture: plasmonic focusing of light onto co-photocatalyst for efficient light-to-chemical transformation - Carice Chong
• Room temperature conversion of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to safe products - Cameron Shearer
• Rational Design of Triazole-Modified Quinone for High-Stability and Sustainable Aqueous Organic Redox Flow Batteries - Afzal Mr Afzal
• Solvate Ionic Liquids for Structural Energy Storage: From Molecular Design to Composite Integration - Timothy (Tim) Harte
• Controlled reconstruction for efficient and stable alkaline hydrogen evolution - Yawen Hao
• Electrochemical upgrading of biomass-derived platform chemicals toward sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production - Zifang Peng
• Turning coal slurry into carbon quantum dots via a room temperature harsh chemical free processing route - Ahmed Naseer
• Photocatalytic remediation of surfactant laden wastewater a comparative study of uv h2o2 and semiconductor assisted advanced oxidation processes - Ahmad Fraz
• Unlocking New Protein Target Insights Using The CAS BioFinder Discovery Platform™ - Heather Cole
• From minor groove binding to g quadruplex targeting investigation of hoechst based ligands for selective dna recognition - Paolo Gagliardi
• Probing ligand-induced conformational dynamics in class B GPCRs using solvatochromic BODIPY fluorophores - Binuki Wanniarachchi
• Discovery of a Purine-Based LSD1 Inhibitor Engaging Pyroptotic and Apoptotic Pathways in Oral Cancer - Stephin Baby
• Discovery of WEE1 Degraders: Integrating Macrocyclic PROTAC Design and High-Throughput Molecular Glue Screening - Aidan Bell
• Targeting Prolyl Hydroxylase Domain 2 (PHD2) for Stroke Therapy: From Molecular Design to Therapeutic Potential - Aya M. Soliman Yones
• Development of cyclic di-GMP mimics as Gram-negative biofilm disruptors - Nicholas Fantham
• Discovery of Spirocyclic Small-Molecule ERK1/2 Modulators Targeting Autophagy Pathways in Cancer  - Venkatesh Muthukumar
• Synthesis and invitro evaluation of antibacterial properties of hydroxylated cardanol from extracted cashew nut shell liquid - Victory Okodugha
• Structure-activity relationships of mefloquine derivatives and mefloquine–metal complexes with activity against Schistosoma mansoni flatworms. - Diogo Rodrigo DE MAGALHAES MOREIRA
• Comparative functional and structural analysis of bacterial trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatases - San Kim
• Structural Basis for Dual Mg²⁺ Coordination in a Class II Pyruvate Aldolase from Achromobacter xylosoxidans - Han-Gyeol Woo
• Covalent modulators of PPARγ: towards a new targeted cancer therapy - Jasmine L King
• Phytochemical investigation, characterization, haematological and histopathological studies of cancer induced Wistar rat fed with Piper nigrum extracts.   - Victory Okodugha
• BILE ACIDS- Method development update in tackling the ‘Biochemical Chameleons’ to better understand the irritable bowel syndrome - Monika Sostaric
• Engineering multi-stimuli-responsive polymer materials enabled by bio-inspired flavylium chemistry - Ayushi Chand
• The impact of ionic conductivity on the piezoelectric response of biopolymers - Yihan Yan
• Physics informed machine learning for degradation aware operation of low iridium PEM water electrolysers under intermittent renewable power - Moumita Ms Saha

• Allosteric modulation of paclitaxel efficacy by human tubulin variants - Jingyi Luo
• Target validation in drug discovery: Why it matters - Lenka Munoz

• Atmospheric Water Sorption–Desorption as a Pathway for Green Energy Generation - Dewei Chu
• Photothermal catalysis for solar fuels production - Jinqiang Zhang
• Synergistic integration of computational and synthetic chemistry for sustainable reaction design - Nadeem Sheikh
• On site electrochemical synthesis of peracetic acid in solid electrolyte flow cell - Yuhui Ge

• Computational Materials Design for Electrochemical Energy and Fuel Conversion - Jodie Yuwono
• Molecular Simulations of UiO‑66 for Water Harvesting and Catalytic Plastic Recycling - Martina Lessio
• Materials for A Sustainable Future using Machine Learning - Tu Le
• Colloidal Synthesis of Low-Toxic Photocatalytic Quantum Dots Heterostructure   - Dechao Chen

• Navigating Biological and Environmental Barriers with Self-Propelled Nanoswimmers - Kang Liang
• Biocatalytic approaches to complex molecule synthesis - Lauren A. M. Murray
• Greening lithography in an effort to improve microelectronic manufacturing waste streams. - Craig M Williams
• Lignin-Derived Carbon Materials for Electrochemical Energy Storage Applications  - Zhanying Zhang

• Rediscovering Chemistry through an Aboriginal Lens - Cally Jetta
• Making more highly qualified teachers of Years 7-10 chemistry: addressing a national shortage. - Mick Moylan
• Reimagining First-Year Chemistry Laboratories: Embedding Sustainability - Sonia Horvat

• Spin dynamics in rare earth molecular materials - Nicholas Chilton
• The Curious Case of Yb(III) Crystal Field Splitting - Marcus J Giansiracusa
• Inelastic Neutron Scattering as a Probe of Vibrational Dynamics and Spin-Phonon Interactions in Molecular Magnets”     - Richard A. Mole

Panel:

Prof Zachary Aman

A/Prof Muxina Konarova

Dr Gary Bowman

Prof Colin Raston

• Nonlinear Optically Active Liquid Crystals Based on Functional Bipyrimidine Cores for 3D Data Storage - Franck CAMEREL
• Detonation nanodiamonds with ultra-pure surface thanks to a combination of chlorine and fluorine gas treatments - Marc DUBOIS
• High-throughput screening of stable materials for band gap evaluation - Zi Kang Koi

• Optimizing Data Extraction from Materials Science Literature: A Study of Tools Using Large Language Models - Jeffrey R Reimers
• Predictive mass spectrometry from quantum-mechanical fragmentation and intensity modelling - Stephen G Dale
• Charge Transport through Linear Carbon Atomic Chains - Jarred Potter
• Grand Canonical Design of Electrified Interfaces for Energy and Environmental Applications - Yun Wang
• Machine Learning Aided Optimisation of Aluminium-Doped Magnetite Catalysts for Ketonisation - Jinxing Gu

• Molecular electronic materials for solar energy conversion - Jenny Nelson