3-8 November 2019, Okinawa, Japan

The joint RSC/SCI colloids committee is delighted to partner with The Division of Colloid and Surface Chemistry (DCSC) of The Chemical Society of Japan as part of the OKINAWA COLLOIDS 2019 international conference. The OKINAWA COLLOIDS 2019 conference is celebrating the 70th anniversary of the divisional meeting of the DCSC and will provide one of the finest opportunities for researchers worldwide to discuss the latest developments across the multidisciplinary fields of colloid and interface sciences, while also enjoying the tropical atmosphere of Japan’s southern island.

Graham Lecture and Symposium 2019, SCI, Belgrave Square, London, UK

Tuesday 9th July 2019

Organised by SCI’s Colloid & Surface Chemistry Group and RSC’s Colloid & Interface Science Group

This meeting showcased recent advances in suspension science, with a particular emphasis on proven and potential applications to industry and other disciplines such as geology.  The programme was concluded with the 2019 Graham Lecture by Professor Wilson Poon (Edinburgh University), who, together with a set of outstanding industrial and academic speakers, will address real-world applications based on excellent science. 

The Graham Lecture is awarded, biennially, to a scientist in the UK who in the prime of their research career who has established an international reputation in colloid science by their distinguished contributions to the field.

The full program of this event can be found at this link.

A flyer for the event can be found at this link.

Friday 12 April 2019, SCI, London, UK

The Sir Eric Rideal Lecture honours an individual who has made a sustained and distinguished contribution to colloid and interface science in the UK and a one-day scientific meeting is organised around the winner. This year’s awardee is Professor Peter Lovell from the University of Manchester. This year’s one-day symposium featured six invited lectures by his colleagues and collaborators to talk on both their more recent research related to polymer colloids and the newest challenges in the field. The meeting concluded with Professor Lovell’s Rideal award lecture.

This meeting brought together chemists, chemical engineers and physicists interested in the fundamentals of polymer colloids research, as well those interested in the preparation, analysis and application of these materials. One of the aims of the meeting was to allow young researchers and students a unique platform to get first-hand information from world-renowned scientists on topics of prime importance in colloid science.

The flyer for this event can be down loaded from this link.

McBain Medal Meeting 2018

SCI, Belgrave Square, London, UK Tuesday 11 December 2018

Organised by SCI’s Colloid & Surface Chemistry Group and RSC’s Colloid & Interface Science Group

This meeting was for both industrial and academic researchers, particularly those from colloid chemistry, soft matter physics and chemical engineering backgrounds working in functional, responsive, and self-healing materials; controlled release; tuneable soft materials and soft actuation. The meeting  focussed on fundamental aspects that underpin applications in formulations, catalysis, soft robotics, nanomaterials processing and more.  In addition to hearing great presentations and the opportunity to contribute a poster, there was plenty of scope for networking to catch up with old friends and make new ones.

Synopsis This meeting showcased outstanding soft matter scientists describing some of their recent research in a programme constructed by Dr Valeria Garbin of Imperial College London.  Dr Garbin is the 2018 recipient of the McBain Medal and her lecture and the presentation of the award conclude the meeting.  Dr Garbin’s research programme focuses on fundamental aspects of microscale transport phenomena in soft and biological matter. Her team has performed the first measurement of steric interactions between nanoparticles at fluid interfaces, discovered new mechanisms of the removal of nanoparticles from fluid interfaces, and pioneered the use of optical tweezers to manipulate biocolloids for ultrasound medical imaging. The McBain Medal is presented annually to an early career researcher (within 15 years of the award of a PhD) for outstanding achievement in colloid and interface science. 

The full program can be found in this link.

Co-organised with the Industrial Physical Chemistry Group, the Commercialisation of Pickering Emulsions offer a day-long programme to:

• enhance the interface between industry and academia with respect to further understanding of Pickering technologies and to identify any challenges in commercialisation;

• establish “A Beginners Guide to Pickering Technologies”;

• direct future academic research to tackle the perceived current commercial limitations of Pickering emulsions; and

• give young colloid scientists the opportunity to meet established companies in the field.

When a colloidal dispersion is dried the material transitions from a liquid to a solid. The process determines the final properties of the dry material and understanding the physics of the drying is crucial for a range of industries, including paints and varnishes, pottery and self-assembly applications.

This one day meeting comprised invited lectures by international experts. We also had talks from submitted abstracts to highlight the breadth of work being carried out on the drying of films in the UK. The meeting was aimed at industrialists formulating and producing coatings through to agrochemicals, as well as academics who work in colloids, fluid mechanics and formulations.

For a flyer for this event please visit this link.

Watching colloids work

The McBain medal is awarded annually by the RSC/SCI Joint Colloids Group to recognize a rising star in colloid and interface science. The 2017 McBain medal awardee is Dr Rico Tabor (Monash University). This meeting showcased some of the latest work in colloids that respond to external stimuli, and state-of-the-art techniques to ‘watch them work’, with applications in areas as diverse as smart water treatment and functional foods.

The meeting was held on Tuesday, 12th December 2017 at the SCI in London and included talks from

• Prof Julian Eastoe, University of Bristol, UK

• Prof Alex Routh, University of Cambridge, UK

• Dr Isabelle Grillo, Institut Laue-Langevin, France

• Dr Sarah Rogers, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, STFC, UK Prof Ray Dagastine, University of Melbourne, Australia

• Prof Charl Faul, University of Bristol, UK

The meeting will conclude with the award lecture from Dr Rico Tabor. A dedicated poster session will also give students the opportunity to present their work.

A flyer for the event can be found at this link.