Past Students

Dr. Chatterjee joined Dr. Clive Oliver as the recipient of a 2-year NRF Postdoctoral Fellowship in August 2016, her project being “Crystal Engineering of metal-organic frameworks based on mixed ligands". In March 2018 Nabanita joined Prof Janet L Scott at the University of Bath as a visiting Rutherford post doctoral fellow on a collaborative project with UCT. In September 2018 she returned to UCT to assist Dr Oliver with his project of metal organic frameworks and its applications. Currently Nabanita is exploring the scope for future post doctoral positions in the department.

Dr. Zacharias obtained her PhD degree entitled "Carboxylate metallogels - an adventure in supramolecular chemistry", under the supervision of Prof. Susan Bourne and Dr. Gaelle Ramon, in April 2018. She has a two year post doc position at Chlamers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden under the supervision of Henrik Sunden. Henrik is an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the division for organic chemistry. Savannah will be continuing to work on supramolecular gels and expanding her chemistry skills, this time in organic synthesis and she will begin this new venture in mid 2019.

Leigh received her PhD in Supramolecular Chemistry (2012) at Stellenbosch University under the guidance of Prof. Leonard J. Barbour. She received a Claude Leon Fellowship for a postdoc with Prof. Delia Haynes and Dr Tanya Le Roex investigating Ionic Supramolecular Materials as Novel Hosts (2012-2014). She then joined the Centre for Supramolecular Chemistry Research (2014-2015) to study the Supramolecular Beneficiation of Candidate Drug Molecules under the guidance of Prof. Mino Caira and in collaboration with Prof. Kelly Chibale and the H3-D Centre. Leigh then took up a post-doctoral position in the group of Prof. Tomislav FrišÄić at McGill University, Canada, developing solvent-free techniques for organic and organometallic synthesis. She is currently back at Stellenbosch University, as a post-doctoral researcher, managing the running of the Diffraction laboratory in Prof. Leonard Barbour's group.

Dr. Samipillai was a Claude Leon Postdoctoral Research Fellow under the supervision of Prof. Luigi Nassimbeni for two years from 2012-2014. His research was mainly focused on the topics of inclusion compounds and their applications for separation of constitutional isomers and stereoisomers. He also worked on physicochemical properties of co-crystals collaborating with Dr. Bathori, in which he studied the influence of supramolecular structure of co-crystals on their physical properties. Dr. Samipillai moved to Durban, where he worked as a postdoc and X-ray Crystallographer in the Catalysis and Peptide research Unit, of the University of KwaZulu-Natal. He is currently working as postdoctoral associate at Western University, Ontario, Canada, focusing on pharmaceutical cocrystals, solid state modifications of APIs for improved physical properties.

Buntu completed his MSc entitled "A Physicochemical study of the inclusion of the antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid and selected derivatives in native and methylated cyclodextrins", under the supervision of Professors Caira and Bourne, in December 2013. He is currently serving as an intern at the National Metrology Institute of South Africa, located in Pretoria. The focus of his project is on Biodiesel and bioethanol. Since the prices of fossil fuels are increasing and their utilization negatively impacts the environment, biofuels are the alternatives. Certain sets of test values must be attained before either biodiesel or bioethanol is certified for use and he is involved (as a metrologist, or learner metrologist) in the development of reliable analytical methodology to identify and quantify the components of the final bioethanol or biodiesel final product.

Halima graduated in June 2011 under the supervision of Prof. Caira and Prof. Bourne. Her thesis was entitled "Supramolecular derivatives of selected bioactive compounds: a physicochemical study". The study gives an account of the systematic conversion of selected drugs into various solid forms, namely polymorphs, solvates, co-crystals and cyclodextrin inclusion complexes to establish whether these forms might present any pharmaceutical or technological advantages over the untreated drugs. The study involved the isolation and complete physicochemical characterization of the modified forms, including quantitative assessment of their in vitro aqueous solubility in relation to the untreated drugs. Two anti-tumoral drugs and the antiretroviral Nevirapine were selected for investigation.  
She is working at the University of the Western Cape, School of Pharmacy, lecturing pharmacy students and continuing with research in the area of supramolecular chemistry, pre-formulation and formulation of pharmaceuticals.

Vincent graduated in 2009 under the supervision of Professors Caira and Bourne. His PhD thesis entitled "Complexation between cyclodextrins and phenylurea herbicides in solution and in the solid state", dealt with the preparation of cyclodextrin inclusion complexes of four phenylurea herbicides (metobromuron, monolinuron, monuron and fenuron) using the kneading and co-precipitation methods in the solid state while also determining complex formation of the same phenylureas in solution with selected cyclodextrins. He  became a postdoctoral fellow at Stellenbosch University, under the Professor Len Barbour, working on porous materials and currently holds a NRF Research Career Award Fellowship, in the Chemistry Department of the University of Stellenbosch.

           The synthesis of suitably modified ajoene derivatives.

           inclusion of the synthesized ajoene derivatives into cyclodextrin

           biological evaluation of the ajoene derivatives as anti-cancer agents. 

She is presently doing her doctorate at WITS University with the title of her thesis being, "Synthesis of novel oxidized aromatic compounds as potential anti-TB agents". She is on a PhD studentship in Council for Scientific Industrial Research (CSIR).

Nashia obtained her PhD degree in 2008 under the supervision of Professor Roger Hunter and Professor Mino Caira. Her thesis was entitled "Synthesis and Inclusion Studies of Stable Allicin Mimics as Novel Antimicrobial Agents". Her research was inspired by the potent but unstable antimicrobial agent, allicin, a known constituent of garlic and involved developing a new method for making new and stable antimicrobial agents. The compounds were included in various cyclodextrins to further enhance their stability and were investigated by various thermal techniques. She was awarded a Claude Leon Fellowship to carry out post doctoral research at UCT from January 2008 to December 2009. She worked with Professor Iqbal Parker at the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in Cape Town for the year 2010. Her research involved synthesizing and testing novel anti-cancer agents. She is currently working at The Center Research Laboratory at Agri Ibrahim Cecen University in Turkey.

Andreas joined the CSCR for 2 years as a postdoctoral fellow in July 2007. His project with Prof. Bourne was entitled "Crystal Engineering of Co-Crystals and Molecular Salts". The purpose of this 1-year research project was to identify intermolecular interactions, specifically neutral and charge-assisted hydrogen bonds that can reliably be used to synthesize or co-crystallize two or more molecules into one supramolecular assembly. His principal co-investigators where Dr. Manual A. Fernandes, Dr. Nikoletta B. Báthori, Prof. Mino R. Caira, as well as a number of UCT honours students. He concluded his second postdoctoral fellowship with Prof. Joel Bernstein at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel and is currently a lecturer at the School of Chemistry at WITS University.

Lesego graduated in 2006 under the supervision of Prof. SA. Bourne and Prof. L.R. Nassimbeni . His PhD thesis entitled "Novel hybrid organic/inorganic materials" was based on making crystals of organic-inorganic hybrids. These are compounds known to combine the inherent advantages of both organic and inorganic substances. They possess catalytic effects, gas storage capabilities, could be used for solvent adsorption and separation, water purification, etc. For his research study, a large scope of inorganic compounds was investigated and these include compounds of actinides, lanthanides, transition and main group metals using dipyridyl ligands. Compounds prepared were characterized by x-ray diffractometry. Crystal structures were elucidated using X-SEED program. Thermal analysis (TG, DSC and HSM) was used to determine the thermal behaviour of these compounds. Microanalysis was used to confirm the elemental composition of compound synthesized.  
He is currently employed as a senior scientist at Sasol Technology R&D in the Coal Processing Technologies (CPT) division. His projects are based on coal./td>

Thabani graduated in 2006 under the supervision and co-supervision of Prof Caira and Prof Nassimbeni respectively. His PhD thesis entitled "Polymorphism and Cyclodextrin Inclusion Complexes of Antihypertensive Agents" entailed a study on the potential of a group of antihypertensive agents to crystallise in more than one form, termed polymorphism and the inclusion of the poorly soluble drugs into cyclodextrins to enhance their solubility.  
He has since worked for Mintek, Randburg in the Nanotechnology Division.  His work focused on the modification of membranes with nanoparticles for water purification.  In August 2013 Thabani joined the Chemistry Department of Tshwane University of Technology, where he is continuing his research.