ISSN 0110-5566 Volume 82, No.3, July 2018 Trace element partitioning during calcite growth: implications for climate reconstruction studies from New Zealand caves Flavour and aroma analysis by solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography Obituary: Michael Philip Hartshorn FNZIC, FRSNZ Obituary: Kevin Russel Tate FNZIC, FRSNZ Death from the sky: the role of chemistry and chemists in understanding biological extinctions The Periodic Table: revelation by quest rather than by revolution Book review: Mendeleev to Oganesson. A multidisciplinary Perspective on the Periodic Table Some Unremembered Chemists: Francis Brian Shorland Published on behalf of the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry in January, April, July and October. The New Zealand Institute of Chemistry Publisher Incorporated Rebecca Hurrell PO Box 13798 Email: [email protected] Johnsonville Wellington 6440 Advertising Sales Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Printed by Graphic Press Editor Dr Catherine Nicholson Disclaimer C/- BRANZ, Private Bag 50 908 The views and opinions expressed in Chemistry in New Zealand are those of the individual authors and are Porirua 5240 not necessarily those of the publisher, the Editorial Phone: 04 238 1329 Board or the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry. Mobile: 027 348 7528 Whilst the publisher has taken every precaution to ensure the total accuracy of material contained in Email: [email protected] Chemistry in New Zealand, no responsibility for errors or omissions will be accepted. Consulting Editor Copyright Emeritus Professor Brian Halton The contents of Chemistry in New Zealand are subject School of Chemical and Physical Sciences to copyright and must not be reproduced in any Victoria University of Wellington form, wholly or in part, without the permission of the PO Box 600, Wellington 6140 Publisher and the Editorial Board. Email: [email protected] Contents Volume 82, No.3, July 2018 Articles and features 109 Trace element partitioning during calcite growth: implications for climate reconstruction studies from New Zealand caves Ingrid I. Lindeman 114 Flavour and aroma analysis by solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography Bruce Morris 118 Obituary: Michael Philip Hartshorn FNZIC, FRSNZ 119 Obituary: Kevin Russel Tate FNZIC, FRSNZ 120 Death from the sky: the role of chemistry and chemists in understanding biological extinctions Peter Hodder 128 The Periodic Table: revelation by quest rather than by revolution Peter Hodder 134 Book review: Mendeleev to Oganesson. A multidisciplinary Perspective on the Periodic Table 139 Some Unremembered Chemists: Francis Brian Shorland Brian Halton Other columns 98 From the President 145 Dates of note 99 July news 147 Chemeca 2018 97 Chemistry in New Zealand July 2018 Comment from the President Welcome to the July issue of Chemistry in New Zealand. Hopefully you have all had a chance to go to the new NZIC website and use it to renew your membership. It is hoped that the modern and up-to-date website will be- come a hub for chemistry information for both members and the public alike. I want to thank Paul Plieger and Jo- anna Dowle for all their hard work getting the website NZIC President operational. In other NZIC news there has been an application to Council to form a new Education Branch of the Institute. As many of you will know, the membership of the Insti- tute has been falling over the years and it is hoped that the formation of the new Education Branch will make membership more attractive to school teachers. This, coupled with the fact that one of the more important roles of the Institute is chemical education, has led to Council thinking that the new branch would be a positive change. The formation of a new branch requires a vote by the whole membership. So later in the year, once the details of the structure of the new branch are finalised, you will all be asked to vote (probably via an online form) as to whether or not you approve of the formation of the new Education Branch. 2019 is the 150th anniversary of Dmitri Mendeleev’s first report of the periodic table. As I mentioned previously, it was announced by the IUPAC and United Nations that RSC and RACI and her work has been honoured by nu- 2019 will be the International Year of the Periodic Table merous awards including the NZIC Easterfield Medal and of Chemical Elements (IYPT 2019: https://iupac.org/ Chemical Sciences Prize and the Rutherford Medal of united-nations-proclaims-international-year-periodic-ta- the Royal Society Te Aparangi. In addition to this brilliant ble-chemical-elements/). A New Zealand committee in- research, Professor Brimble has also provided strong volving the NZIC, MacDiarmid Institute, IUPAC and RSNZ leadership in our discipline over many years including has now been established to try and organise events for acting as the President of the IUPAC Organic and Bio- 2019. If you have any great ideas of things that could be molecular Chemistry Division, as an associate editor of done to celebrate IYPT 2019, please let myself or Joanna the RSC journal Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry and Dowle know and we can pass on the information to the as a Marsden Panel Convener. The same week as being committee, as this represents a huge opportunity to get elected FRS, Professor Brimble was also awarded the RSC chemistry out into the public eye. George & Christine Sosnovsky award for cancer therapy. There are a couple of chemistry-related conferences, So on behalf of the NZIC I would like to congratulate Pro- MOF2018 (http://mof2018.com/) and AMN9 (www. fessor Brimble on her spectacular success and thank her amn9.co.nz) that will be held in New Zealand in Decem- for showing what can be achieved as a chemist in New ber 2018 and February 2019 respectively. In addition, Zealand. the Canterbury branch, led by Sarah Masters, are busy James Crowley organising the next NZIC conference and are just trying NZIC President to finalise the dates but the conference will be held in December 2019 so please keep that time free. Finally, I want to congratulate Distinguished Professor Margaret Brimble CNZM, MNZM who was elected a Fel- low of the Royal Society (FRS). This is a richly deserved award, with less than 50 New Zealanders having ever been elected as Fellows and very few chemists having achieved this honour. Professor Brimble has made ex- tensive contributions to organic chemistry including the synthesis of bioactive natural products and peptides, and the development of new small molecule drugs such as trofinetide (NNZ-2566). She is also a Fellow of the NZIC, 98 Chemistry in New Zealand July 2018 New Zealand Institute of Chemistry News supporting chemical sciences July News AUCKLAND International Day of Light, Historic one-day event featured two minute Science Fair 1st year PhD talks, 8 senior PhD stu- The University of Auckland dent talks, a poster session, competi- Cather Simpson and the Photon Fac- tions, a high-profile keynote lecture Welcome tory coordinated an event on 13 May by Carla Meledandri, and was fol- for the International Day of Light (the We have welcomed Michael Groom lowed with a reception to bring to- actual day to celebrate the invention as our new Group Services Manager. gether students, staff, industry, and of the laser was on 16 May). The Michael joins us from the Depart- government researchers. Watch this event included an all-day science fair ment of Exercise Sciences where he space for photos from the event and with fantastic demonstrations of 3D just completed his term as Business an announcement of the prize win- photoprinting, photonic crystals in Operations Manager. We look for- ners! nature, natural radioactivity, fluores- ward to working with you, Michael. cence, and many other light-related ANZNMF 2018 Farewell phenomena, together with a panel discussion by women scientists in- The 2018 Australia and New Zealand We recently said farewell to Professor cluding Dr Erin Leitao and Dr Mi- Nano and Microfluidics (ANZNMF) Lynda Pitcaithly, who has moved to a chel Nieuwoudt, Cinnamon Latimer, meeting took place from 27 – 29 new position at the Liggins Institute. Ankita Gangotra, chaired by Cather. June at the University of Auckland. Lynda was our first Group Services School children from all over the city The conference covered all areas of Manager. Lynda was a very positive attended. A big thanks to Cather, microfluidic and nanofluidics, from influence, both in her outlook and her Andy Wang, Rakesh Arul and Rachel theory, fundamentals and engineer- impact on the School. She played a key Ou as well as a number of other vol- ing developments, through to bion- role in such activities as preparation unteers who made the event pos- anotechnology and the latest innova- of our three year plans and monthly sible. tive technologies – so there is good budget planning, as well as managing alignment with some research in the the Group Services team. We wish Inaugural lecture by Professor Brent School of Chemical Sciences. On 27 her well in her new role. Copp June there was a student workshop aimed at developing skills for gradu- Events On 16 May, Professor Brent Copp ate student researchers. The 28th and gave his inaugural lecture entitled, th Chemistry Olympiad 29 were research sessions, with From natural products to zombie keynote speakers Professor Sandra The Chemistry Olympiad camp fin- drugs: chemicals with biological ef- Troian (CalTech) and our own Profes- ished on 4 May and the team was fects. Natural products are molecules sor Jadranka Travas-Sejdic. selected. Team members were Ste- produced by living organisms. These phen Ma from Auckland Grammar so-called secondary metabolites are Visitors School, Stefan Ivanov from Westlake thought to improve the survival fit- On 7 March, Dr Peter Canfield from Boys on the shore, Callun Loomes ness of the producer.