Nigel (right) making a flame tornado at the 2012 ACU Chemistry Circus
Name: Nigel Gwini
Major: Biochemistry
Classification: Senior
Hometown: Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Mentor: Dr. Greg Powell, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
What I Study: I work in the Greg Powell research laboratory where we work on microwave-assisted small molecule synthesis. We particularly focus on organometallic chemistry with a special interest in improving the syntheses of osmium clusters that have the potential to become industrial catalysts and carrier molecules.
Why I do research: From a tender age, my dad taught me to develop an interest in getting to know the reasons behind how systems work and applying these basic mechanisms to simplify everyday tasks. Over time, I have grown my scientific curiosity and I plan on engaging in more translational research to improve the plight of under-served communities.
Honors and Conferences: Nigel was a finalist for the 2012 ACU Undergraduate Researcher of the Year. He received first place for his presentation at the 45th Meeting-in-Miniature of th3 American Chemical Society DFW Section in 2012. Nigel has also presented at the West Texas STEM Undergraduate Research Conference and the ACU Undergraduate Research Festival.
Publications: Nigel is a coauthor of a paper recently accepted for publication in the Journal of Cluster Science. “Microwave promoted oxidative addition reactions of Os3(CO)12; efficient syntheses of triosmium clusters of the type Os3(µ-X)2(CO)10 and Os3(µ-H)(µ-OR)(CO)10” Journal of Cluster Science. Published online: 25 November 2012