University of the Free State Chemistry Department
University of the Free State Chemistry Department, The Department of Chemistry was one of the first independent academic departments established at the UFS more than 100 years ago. In this time, the department grew from one faculty member to 18 lecturers who currently teaches approximately 1 000 undergraduate students and train approximately 30 MSc and 25 PhD postgraduate students as researchers per year in all four classic divisions in chemistry, namely Analytical, Inorganic, Organic, and Physical Chemistry. Postdoctoral fellows from as far as India, Germany, Netherlands, and Zimbabwe are currently enhancing their research expertise in the department. In 2015, the department received two new NMR spectrometers (300 and 400 MHz with solid-state capabilities) worth R12 million.
Feel free to contact us if you are interested in research or a career in chemistry. South Africa needs scientists to unlock our mineral wealth and create jobs.
Research equipment available in the department includes:
- High-performance computing centre
- 300, 400, and 600 MHz NMR spectrometers
- Single-crystal and powder X-ray diffractometers
- Inductive coupled-plasma (ICP-OES) spectrometer
- DSC and TGA equipment
- Gas (GC) and high-performance liquid (HPLC) chromatography
- Electrochemistry (CV, SW, and LSV)
- High-pressure and industrial/research microwave reactors
Research areas and groups in the department:
- Organometallic and coordination chemistry
- Industrial process chemistry
- Natural product isolation and synthesis
- Electrochemistry
- Computational chemistry
- X-ray crystallography
- Analytical method development and validation
- Reaction kinetics and mechanistic studies
- Hydrometallurgy
- Photochemistry
- Radiopharmaceutical development
- Polymer science (Qwaqwa)
Principal researchers:
- Prof B.C.B. Bezuidenhoudt
- Prof A. Roodt
- Prof J.C. Swarts
- Prof J. Conradie
- Prof W. Purcell
- Dr S. Bonnet
- Prof K. von Eschwege
- Dr L. Hlalele (QwaQwa)
For details on postgraduate bursaries (Hons, MSc and PhD) and postdoctoral positions available at the Department of Chemistry, UFS, click here.