Organic Reaction Mechanisms

Castleton 2008

2008-07-10T21:49:00.002+01:00

The next Castleton 'chalk talks' meeting will be held at Losehill hall from September 6th-7th.

Registration forms can be downloaded from our new site!:

http://www.physorg.info/

See you there!

SymPOC 2008 - Call for Papers

2008-01-22T20:42:00.000Z

(Symposium on Physical Organic Chemistry)

16th-18th April 2008, Department of Chemistry, Durham University
http://www.dur.ac.uk/sympoc.2008/

Organised by the RSC Organic Reaction Mechanisms Group and the Department of Chemistry at Durham University

Sponsored by EPSRC and AstraZeneca

Invited Speakers:
Professor dr. Jan Engberts (Groningen)
Professor Chris Hunter (Sheffield)
Professor Guy Lloyd-Jones (Bristol)
Professor Jonathan Percy (Strathclyde)
Professor John Richard (SUNY at Buffalo)

Local Plenary Lecturer:
Professor Colin Bain (Durham)

The registration fee for SymPOC2008 is £55 for registration before Friday 22nd February 2008 and £65 for late registration.

Several 30-minute time slots are available for oral presentations. Postdocs and final-year PhD students are invited to apply for a 20-minute time slot. In addition, posters can be presented.

Anyone wishing to present work (oral or poster presentation) should register before 22nd February 2008 and submit an abstract (single page A4 in PDF) for an oral presentation or a (tentative) title for a poster presentation upon registration.

Registration for this event must be done online at:
http://www.dur.ac.uk/sympoc.2008/

Further information about the conference, accommodation, registration and abstract submission is available at the website above or by contacting:

Dr AnnMarie O’Donoghue
Conference Secretary RSC Organic Reaction Mechanisms Group
Department of Chemistry, Durham University
E-mail: sympoc.2008@durham.ac.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)191 3342 592; Fax: +44 (0)191 3844 737

SymPOC 2007 Update

2006-12-27T14:37:00.000Z

The Organic Reaction Mechanisms Group of the RSC and the Cardiff School of Chemistry are organising SymPOC2007 (Symposium on Physical Organic Chemistry), which will be held on April 19 & 20, 2007 in Cardiff.

The official website can be found at http://www.cf.ac.uk/chemy/seminars/conferences/SymPOC2007.html .

Further details including registration dates, costs and accommodation information ...
Invited Speakers (confirmed / alphabetical order)

Call for Papers
Several 30-minute time slots are still available for oral presentations. Postdocs and final-year PhD students are invited to apply for a 20-minute time slot. In addition, posters can be presented. Anyone wishing to present work (oral or poster presentation) should register before March 5^th and submit an abstract (single page A4 in PDF) for an oral presentation or a (tentative) title for a poster presentation upon registration.

Registration
A registration form will be available on this site from early January 2007.

Registration Deadlines

"registration incl. presentation"	March 5^th 2007
"early registration"	April 1^st 2007
"late registration"	April 13^th 2007

Registration Fee
The registration fee for SymPOC2007 is £37.50 for registration before April 1^st and £50.00 for late registration. You will be sent an electronic invoice for the registration fee after registration.

Location
SymPOC2007 is to be held at Cardiff University (map), School of Chemistry (directions).

Accommodation
To guarantee maximum flexibility in both location and price, accommodation is to be organised by participants themselves. A wide range of choices in accommodation is available. Please note that bookings for the Thistle hotel and the Cardiff Hilton through the Cardiff School of Chemistry are available at a discounted price. Please contact the organisation for further information.

Travelling Arrangements
Participants are strongly advised to use public transport for travel to Cardiff. However, a limited number of parking spaces will be available for participants. Please contact the organisation if you intend to travel by car.

Evening Program
Although there is no official evening program, a limited list of suggested restaurants and/or pubs will be provided so that these venues can act as "default venues" for physical organic chemists.
Contact
For further information, please contact Niek Buurma (buurma #at# cf.ac.uk).

3rd Castleton Meeting a success!

2006-12-06T16:33:00.000Z

Once again, the Physical Organic Chemists's Residential meeting was a resounding success. Read More ...

In May 2004, the RSC Organic Reaction Mechanisms Group established the “Physical Organic Chemists Residential Meeting” in a location in the Peak District close to Castleton. The meeting was judged a success by all in attendance, and has been continued on an annual basis. The third such event was held in the same location from July 23rd – 25th 2006. The meeting was made up of group leaders giving short talks and accompanying postdoctoral fellows and PhD students presenting posters, with time set aside for informal discussion (similar to the format used by Gordon conferences). Over 45 people attended the event from all parts of the UK.

The event focused on topics relevant to physical organic chemistry (POC), which covers a wide field based around understanding and influencing chemistry at the molecular level, especially quantitatively or mechanistically. The RSC Organic Reaction Mechanisms Group represents the interests of POC, and is actively trying to strengthen and encourage younger members of the community by developing a stronger network and ensure a healthy future for the subject.

Dr Simon Webb from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Manchester, one of the young academics who attended the event in July 2006, commented "The scientific programme at the Castleton meeting was diverse and a wide variety of topics were covered in the programme, showing the breadth of physical organic research today. Excellent presentations were made on subjects ranging from fundamental studies on molecular recognition to novel self-replicating chemical systems. The organisers promoted an informal feel during the meeting, which helped to stimulate lively discussions during lectures and the poster session. From a personal point of view, as a newly appointed researcher, the informal and friendly nature of Castleton meeting made it an excellent way of meeting other researchers working in complementary parts of the discipline, many of whom are also newly-appointed staff. In particular, having a chance to discuss with other researchers their thoughts on reactivity and recognition at surfaces was especially useful."

The “Physical Organic Chemists Residential Meeting” in July 2006 was also a useful forum for young postdoctoral research associates with aims of establishing a career in POC in either industry or academia. According to Dr Ian Greig, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Chemistry in the University of Bath "The residential summer meeting of the RSC's Organic Reaction Mechanisms group illustrated the increasingly ecumenical nature of the physical organic community in the UK and beyond. Topic covered included classical kinetic studies of reaction mechanisms, supramolecular chemistry, and theoretical organic and biological chemistry. Its informal atmosphere is a pleasant deviation from the norm and encourages a forum for the exchange of ideas as well as results. These ideas reflected all stages of the scientific process from the inception of an idea, through preliminary studies of mechanisms, to a detailed analysis of binding contributions to catalysis. Memorable contributions included a discussion of a century-old reaction that has resided, virtually untouched, in the literature since and 'pre-grant-writing' thinking and initial studies associated with self-assembly, molecular recognition and medium effects. As a post-doc returning to the UK after a time spent abroad, this meeting provided a welcome opportunity to touch base with a community that I had been too distant from for the past couple of years."

The 2006 Residential Meeting filled the Castleton venue to capacity, which is a trend that will hopefully be repeated in future years. The next “Physical Organic Chemists Residential Meeting” will be held in summer 2007.

Participants at the “Physical Organic Chemists Residential Meeting”in the Peak District close to Castleton in July 2006

SymPOC2007

2006-12-02T22:01:00.000Z

SymPOC2007 - A symphony of Physical Organic Chemistry

To be held in Cardiff, 19th and 20th April 2007.

Main Speakers include:

Guenter von Kiedrowski, Peter Chen and Barry Carpenter

with more, including registration details, to be announced soon ....

Post Graduate Conference

2006-07-01T10:24:00.000+01:00

A one day meeting for research students to be held at GlaxoSmithKline (Tonbridge, Kent) on molecular recognition, structure, reactivity and mechanisms in organic chemistry.

Friday 22nd September 2006

The theme of the conference is physical organic chemistry, which we
define as the study of mechanism, reactivity, structure and binding in
organic systems, especially leading to the quantitative, molecular level
understanding of their properties. Contributions are invited from
students whose research can be considered under this heading, which is
interpreted very broadly.

Some examples are: organic reactivity; conformational analysis;
establishing mechanistic pathways; mechanisms in synthesis and
catalysis; supramolecular interactions, complexation and reactivity;
computation of transition states and mechanisms; molecular recognition,
reactions and catalysis in biology; structure activity correlations;
materials where molecular structure controls function; interactions and
reactivity in organised assemblies and interfaces.

Please note that all applicants wishing to offer oral or poster
presentations are asked to apply by e-mailing Dr Ann Marie O’Donoghue
(Department of Chemistry, University Science Laboratories, South Road,
Durham, DH1 3LE. Tel: 0191 3342592, Fax: 0191 3844737, E-mail:
annmarie.odonoghue@durham.ac.uk. The Organic Reaction
Mechanisms Group will provide bursaries to cover travel and other
expenses of those presenting a talk or a poster. The e-mail application
should include all the information requested below and an abstract
should be attached as a Word (.doc) or (.txt) file.

There is no registration fee, but all participants should register by
e-mailing Dr Ann Marie O’Donoghue whether offering a presentation or not.

The closing date for applications is Friday 1st September 2006

20th International Symposium on Synthesis in Organic Chemistry

2006-06-19T12:35:00.000+01:00

The Organic Division of the RSC is pleased to announce the 20th International Symposium on Synthesis in Organic Chemistry, which will be held at Churchill College, Cambridge, from Monday 16 to Thursday 19 July 2007.

For more info see: http://www.rsc.org/ConferencesAndEvents/RSCConferences/OS07/

Workshop on Understanding Chemical Processes

2006-05-09T23:01:00.000+01:00

Southampton Statistical Sciences Research Institute (S3RI)
20-22 September 2006

http://www.understandingchemicalprocesses.net

Once again, S3RI will be holding a 2/3-day workshop at the University of Southampton which aims to provide "hands on" training for the academic chemistry community. It is suitable for academic staff and postdoctoral researchers, as well as PhD students. Thanks to generous industrial sponsorship, the costs are minimal. Full details, including how to apply, are available on the above website.

Physical Organic Chemists Residential Meeting 2006

2006-04-19T14:23:00.000+01:00

24th – 25th July 2006

Organised by the RSC Organic Reaction Mechanisms Group and sponsored by the EPSRC.

Physical organic chemistry (POC) covers a wide field based around understanding and influencing chemistry at the molecular level, especially quantitatively or mechanistically. As a group representing the interests of POC, we are trying to strengthen and encourage younger members of the community by developing a stronger network and ensure a healthy future for the subject.

In May 2004 we held the first “Physical Organic Chemists Residential Meeting” in a location in the Peak District close to Castleton. The meeting was made up of group leaders giving short talks and an accompanying PDRA or PhD student presenting posters, with time set aside for informal discussion (similar to the format used by Gordon conferences). The meeting was judged a success by all in attendance, and the following year we filled the venue to capacity so we are continuing the event on an annual basis.

The third such conference will be on July 24th-25th 2006, at the same location in the Peak District (close to Castleton), and we would like everyone interested in attending to contact AnnMarie O’Donoghue (Conference Secretary of the RSC Organic Reaction Mechanisms Group; e-mail: annmarie.odonoghue@durham.ac.uk). The cost is estimated to be £100 and includes accommodation and meals. The meeting will commence on the morning of Monday 24th July (check-in from the evening of Sunday 23rd July) and the formal programme will finish mid-afternoon of Tuesday 25th July.

We define POC broadly and welcome people from complementary disciplines so that the proposed meetings can foster interdisciplinary research and contacts.

ICPOC18, Warsaw

2006-04-19T12:53:00.000+01:00

The 18th international IUPAC conference on Physical Organic Chemistry, ICPOC18, will this year be held in Warsaw on August 20-26th 2006.

POMS - Physical Organic Mini-symposia in Canada

2006-04-19T12:44:00.000+01:00

The POMS - Physical Organic Mini-symposiumis an annual conference held in Canada are one of the international highlights of the physical organic chemistry community and have been running since 1973. They provide an excellent forum for relaxed exchange of information and networking.

Autumn Postgraduate Meeting 2005

2006-04-19T12:42:00.000+01:00

Was successfully held at AstraZeneca (Loughborough) on Thursday 29th September 2005. The themes were: mechanism, reactivity, structure and binding in organic systems.

Young Physical Organic Chemist's residential meeting Castelton 2005

2006-04-19T12:40:00.000+01:00

Subsequent to the success of the first Castelton meeting last year, a return was made to Losehill Hall in the Peak district for the Young Physical Organic Chemists Meeting, June 25-26, 2005. It was again a highly successful meeting, which was strongly supported by both academia and Industry and many future meetings are certainly on the cards. The meeting is of similar format to that used by Gordon Conferences, where all attendees participate in presenting current work and close, informal discussion is strongly encouraged. If you are interested in participating in future meetings, or just want further information, please contact Dr Nick Williams.

Winter Meeting 2005 - Controversies in Biological Catalysis - Different or Just Better?

2006-04-19T09:00:00.000+01:00

The traditional winter meeting was this year held at the Chemistry Department, Sheffield University. An exciting line up of speakers, Prof. S. M. Roberts, Prof. C. A. Hunter, Prof. A. J. Kirby, Prof. R. Alleman, Prof. D. H. Williams, Prof. N. S. Scrutton, finishing with Prof. M. Page, gave the audience stimilating debate and lots of food for thought. The meeting certainly lived up to its promotion as the best contemporary understanding of biocatalysis presented by a first class group of speakers. The meeting was finished off with a wine mixer, but it can be certain that the debates were still raging late into the evening.

The Josef Loschmidt Prize for Excellence in Physical Organic Chemistry

2006-04-19T08:00:00.000+01:00

The Josef Loschmidt prize winner for 2004 has been announced as Dr Michael R Crampton of Durham University for his work on kinetic and mechanistic studies of reactions in solution. The next prize nomination deadline is 28th February 2006.

Forthcoming Events and Conferences

2006-04-19T07:00:00.000+01:00

The Organic Reaction Mechanisms group organises a number of events for its members and is active in promoting international events in physical organic chemistry.

Upcoming Events include:

Previous Meetings and News

2006-04-19T06:00:00.000+01:00

Some of our recent events include:

Other items of interest:

Josef Loschmidt Prize for Excellence in Physical Organic Chemistry

ORMG Mailing List

2006-04-19T05:00:00.000+01:00

The RSC Organic Reaction Mechanisms group committee runs a mailing list (called ORM) which is used as a way of communicating information to our group members. The information is generally about activities, conferences, vacancies, queries and news relevant to the physical organic chemistry community. The list is moderated and only usually attracts a rather small number of emails, around one a week, circulated to the subscribers.

To join the mailing list, enter your email address in the JISCmail form and select "Join ORM". To post a message to the forum, email to ORM@jiscmail.ac.uk. For those already subscribed to the mailing list who wish to unsubscribe, full instructions are available on the JISCmail website. Complete archives are also available.

Committee

2006-04-19T04:00:00.000+01:00

Members of the Committee of the Organic Reaction Mechanisms Group can be contacted as below.

Chairman: Dr Nick Williams, Centre for Chemical Biology, Krebs Institute for Biomolecular Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S3 7HF, Email n.h.williams@sheffield.ac.uk, Website www.shef.ac.uk/chemistry/staff/williamsnh/

Secretary/treasurer: Dr Jim Iley, Chemistry Department, The Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, Email j.n.iley@open.ac.uk, Website www.open.ac.uk/science/chemistry

Conference organiser: Dr AnnMarie O'Donoghue, Department of Chemistry, University Science Laboratories, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE , Email annmarie.odonoghue@dur.ac.uk, Website www.dur.ac.uk/chemistry/Staff/amod/amod.htm

Webmistress: Dr Anna Croft, Department of Chemistry, University of Wales Bangor, Bangor, LL57 2UW, Email a.k.croft@bangor.ac.uk, Website www.bangor.ac.uk/ch/akc

Ordinary members: Dr Victor Chechik, Department of Chemistry, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, Email vc4@york.ac.uk, Website www.york.ac.uk/depts/chem/staff/vc.html
: Dr Andy Davis, Astra Zeneca R & D Charnwood, Email andy.davis@astrazeneca.com, Website www.astrazeneca.co.uk
: Dr George Hodges, Unilever Research and Development, Colworth House, Bedford, MK 44 1LQ, Email george.hodges@unilever.com, Website www.unilever.com
: Dr Florian Hollfelder, Department of Biochemistry, 80 Tennis Court Road, 3.84 Sanger Building, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1GA, Email fh111@cus.cam.ac.uk, Website www.bio.cam.ac.uk/dept/biochem/UTOs/Hollfelder.html

Activities of the Organic Reaction Mechanisms Group

2006-04-19T03:00:00.000+01:00

Activities are run by the group for its members and are aimed at dissemination of new developments, and promotion of the general subject of physical organic chemistry. Events include:

The Annual Postgraduate One Day Meeting
Generally held around September each year, this is a one day meeting to showcase new developments in physical organic chemistry by PhD and Masters research students. It is generally well attended by the major research groups in physical organic chemistry, and interested industrialists and is an excellent opportunity to network and initiate new scientific ideas and potential collaborations.

The Annual Winter One Day Meeting
This meeting, held usually in early January, gathers key speakers from research and industry to present cutting-edge research in physical organic chemistry, and is usually followed by a sociable wine-mixer.

Young Physical Organic Chemist's Residential Meeting
The first residential meeting was run in May 2004 in the Peak District and, due to its continued success in 2005, it is envisaged this will become an annual event, designed to strengthen and encourage younger members of the physical organic community by developing a stronger network and thus ensuring a healthy future for the subject. The meeting is of similar format to that used by Gordon Conferences, where all attendees participate in presenting current work and close, informal discussion is strongly encouraged. If you are interested in participating in future meetings, or just want further information, please contact Dr Nick Williams.

Conferences
The committee usually organises a major conference in the area of Physical Organic Chemistry every few years. Further, up-to-date details are found on the RSC's website by searching the conferences and events page. Further details on conferences can be obtained from the groups conference organiser, Dr AnnMarie O'Donoghue.

Ideas?
If you have ideas for other activities you'd like to see, then do not hesitate to contact the committee through the secretary, Dr Jim Iley.

Mission Statement of the Organic Reaction Mechanisms Group

2006-04-19T02:00:00.000+01:00

The Organic Reaction Mechanisms Group welcomes participation from those chemists interested and active in physical organic chemistry. We define this area of chemistry as the study of mechanism, reactivity, structure and binding in organic systems, especially leading to the quantitative, molecular level understanding of their properties. Examples of areas where this approach has been and is still productively applied include areas such as organic reactivity, conformational analysis and establishing mechanistic pathways, all essential to enhancing the deeper understanding of organic chemistry.

However, modern physical organic chemistry also encompasses a wider range of contexts (such as biology and materials) than ever before, and interactions which extend beyond reaction pathways (such as complexation and QSAR (quantative structure activity relations)). For example, some current topics where the approaches of physical organic chemistry are being fruitfully applied include: supramolecular interactions, aggregation and reactivity; computation of transition states and mechanisms; molecular recognition, reactions and catalysis in biology; materials where molecular structure controls function; structure activity correlations; mechanisms in synthesis and catalysis; and interactions and reactivity in organised assemblies and interfaces.

These shall no doubt continue to expand, and we aim to be a forum for those physical organic chemists who are applying their expertise to both traditional and new problems, and to those chemists across these diverse areas who identify a physical organic component in their approach to their sphere of research.

What is Physical Organic Chemistry and Why Should I Care?

2006-04-19T01:00:00.000+01:00

Physical organic chemistry is the quantitative study of the properties of molecules. From this information, we can get a fundamental understanding of how chemical reactions work, and begin to understand the basis of life and the world around us. Applications for these discoveries can include improved drugs for medicine, the development of new materials for novel technologies, and ways to protect the environment, to name but a few. Above all, physical organic chemistry emphasises understanding, and allows us to develop new chemical products and methods safely.

see also:
Mission Statement of the Organic Reaction Mechanisms Group