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Staff Profiles

Dr Grainne Moran

 

Grainne Mary Moran

B.Sc.(hons) 1978, Ph.D., NUI Galway 1981, CChem, MRACI
Associate Professor (adjunct), School of Chemistry, and
Director, UNSW Analytical Centre
E-mail: g.moran@unsw.edu.au

BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS

Born 1957. B.Sc. 1978, Ph.D. 1981, National University of Ireland (Galway).
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Bristol 1981; Assistant Professor, American University of Beirut, Lebanon 1983; Postdoctoral Fellow/Research Fellow, Australian National University, Canberra 1986 -1989; Lecturer in Analytical Chemistry, University of New South Wales 1990; Senior Lecturer 1994; Associate Professor 2006.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopy - current project areas:

  • Solid-state NMR spectroscopy for the characterisation of ionomers
  • Thermosensitive surfactants and gels for extraction, preconcentration and analysis of environmental samples (analysis using AAS and ICP-AES)
  • Preparation and characterisation of silica-based sol-gels for sensor applications
  • Investigation of ion and solvent mobility in hydrophilic polymers using NMR relaxation measurements
  • Detecting toxic vapours using polymer-based optical sensors
  • Solid-phase extractants for determination of heavy metals in soil and sludge

NMR-based projects are carried out in collaboration with Dr. Graham Ball (School of Chemistry) and Dr. Jim Hook (UNSW Analytical Centre NMR Facility).

TEACHING ACTIVITIES

My specialist teaching interests are in analytical chemistry and spectroscopy. I am particularly involved in advancing the laboratory-based teaching of analytical chemistry and have recently introduced a new project-based laboratory course in advanced analytical chemistry.

PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS

Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI), Member; American Chemical Society, Member Deputy Director, Centre for Applied Polymer Science, UNSW UNSW Chemical Society, committee member and former president

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

  • 14N NMR Spectroscopy of NH4+ as a Probe of Ion Exchange Membranes Magn. Reson. in Chem., 32, 446, (1994)
  • Mercury-Polymer Interactions Characterised by 199Hg NMR, Bulletin of Magnetic Resonance, 17, 17226, (1995)
  • Comparison of Counterion Effects in Ionomer Membranes using 14N NMR Spectroscopy Bulletin of Magnetic Resonance, 18, 137-138, (1996)
  • Magnetic Circular Dichroism Spectroscopy of the Hexacyano Complexes of Ru(III) and Os(III) Inorg. Chim. Acta, 249, 231, (1996)
  • 14N NMR Spectroscopy of Nitrate Co-Ions in Ionomer Membranes Macromolecules, 30, 4357, (1997)
  • Phase Separation in Micellar Solutions of Non-Ionic Surfactants for Metal Extraction, XXX Colloquium Spectroscopicum Internationale, Melbourne, Sept 21-25, (1997)
  • NMR Relaxation Studies of Porous Sol-Gel Glasses, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, in press