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07 November 2019 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Leonie Bolleurs
Chemistry
Discussing progress in green energy and nuclear medicine during the recent ReMec2, were from the left: Dr Dumisani Kama (UFS), Prof Roger Alberto (University of Zurich), Prof Andreas Roodt (UFS), and Dr Orbett Alexander (UFS).
Scientists in South Africa and Switzerland, with a research collaboration of 20 years, are working together to make a difference. A major focus of their work is nuclear medicine and green energy. 

Since the end of October, 22 speakers from five countries met for five days at four different sites in South Africa to discuss their work during the second symposium on reaction mechanisms, better known as ReMec2. The Department of Chemistry at the University of the Free State (UFS) hosted this event. 

Considerable reduction of carbon dioxide

According to Prof Andreas Roodt, lead researcher from the UFS Department of Chemistry, ReMec2 focused mainly on two projects: nuclear medicine and an R8 million project titled: Solar Light-driven Homogeneous Catalysis for Greener Industrial Processes with H2 (hydrogen gas) as Energy Source and CO2 (carbon dioxide) as C1 Building Block. This is a sunlight-driven project in search of new catalysts, which are chemical compounds that make the reactions faster and more effective, but which are not consumed during the reaction. The aim is to provide greener industrial processes with hydrogen as energy source, and to reduce carbon dioxide in the environment.

This research, if applied, has the probability of preventing the release of more than 100 kg of harmful carbon dioxide for every one kg of hydrogen produced. “Together with the Swiss group, we are at that stage of the research where these compounds, with just one molecule of the catalyst, can make 80 000 hydrogen molecules (very clean energy, as hydrogen in a car's engine burns to clean water; not like gasoline that burns to harmful carbon dioxide),” Prof Roodt explains. 

The UFS and the research group from Prof Robert Alberto at the University of Zurich have been working together on this research for the past twenty years. According to Prof Roodt, they are studying complete reaction mechanisms, including the time profile of how the different chemical compounds are reacting with each other and not just the simple product analysis as studied by most groups in the world. 

International patent on nuclear medicine

In June 2019, they registered an international patent on nuclear medicine model compounds. The patent was granted. During ReMec2, a lecture was presented on this patent, according to which a compound with an imaging isotope [Tc-99m] that has its own ‘X-rays’, can shed light on an affected organ in the human body for doctors to see where medicine should be administered. The same compound also contains the medicine to treat the disease. 

The work of these scientists is 100% in line with South Africa’s National Development Plan and it supports the UFS Strategic Plan. “The programme also builds on students’ research and increases network and collaboration possibilities. We receive more international acknowledgement for our research efforts and compete with the best in the world. Our research is not necessarily about having the best equipment (although it is very important), but critically it is about the generation of innovative ideas,” says Prof Roodt. 

News Archive

Launch of the Africa office of the IIDE
2006-05-25

Attending the launch of the Africa office of the IIDE were from the left Prof Sytse Strijbos (Chairperson of IIDE Europe), Rev Kiepie Jaftha (Chairperson of the IIDE in Africa’s Board of Directors and Chief Director: Community Service at the UFS) and Prof Frederick Fourie (Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS).

 

Attending the launch were from the left Prof Lucius Botes (Director: Centre of Development Support at the UFS), Dr Samuel Kareithi (Head: Community Development at the Cornerstone Christian College, Cape Town), Rev Kiepie Jaftha (Chairperson of the IIDE in Africa’s Board of Directors and Chief Director: Community Service at the UFS), Prof Sytse Strijbos (Chairperson of IIDE Europe) and Dr Ezekiel Moraka (Vice-Rector:  Student Affairs at the UFS).

Africa office of IIDE launched on UFS main campus 

The Africa office of the International Institute for Development and Ethics (IIDE) was today (26 May 2006) launched on the Main Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS) in Bloemfontein.

“The IIDE specialises in the studying and research of general questions of developmental theory and practices and provides services and support in education, strategic planning, policy formulation, advocacy and capacity building of development agencies,” said Rev Kiepie Jaftha, Chairperson of the IIDE in Africa’s Board of Directors and Chief Director: Community Service at the UFS.

According to Rev Jaftha the IIDE in Africa will focus on the conceptual and normative aspects of developmental processes in Sub-Saharan Africa.  “We want to foster local and international partnerships with various relevant role-players in civil society, the private sector and public sector in the SACD region and later expand our operations to the rest of Africa,” said Rev Jaftha.

The IIDE in Africa cooperates with a similar foundation in Europe, functioning as the IIDE Europe.  This institute was founded in 2003 and its head office is situated in the Netherlands.  The UFS is a funder of the IIDE in Africa together with the Paul Foundation and private sponsors from the Netherlands.

“We have already started with various projects which are in various stages of implementation,” said Rev Jaftha.  Some of these projects include, among others, the broadening of the master’s degree in Christian Studies of Science and Society (MACSSS) which is currently housed at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam to tertiary institutions in South Africa such as the UFS, the University of Stellenbosch and the Potchefstroom Campus of the Northwest University.

“Another project is an investigation into the possibility of initiating a broad development initiative in the poverty stricken Qwaqwa area.  This initiative will attempt to concentrate on issues like the training and empowerment of prospective entrepreneurs in the region, the identification of prospective entrepreneurs for the rendering of development support and the monitoring of the impact of information and communication technology on local communities during the implementation of sustainable development initiatives,” said Rev Jaftha.

“The establishment of the Africa office of the IIDE on the UFS Main Campus is an indication of one of the aims of the UFS to play a role in South Africa and Africa.  It also signifies our aim to contribute meaningfully to research and development and to establish links between the academe and practice,” said Rev Jaftha. 

 

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel:   (051) 401-2584
Cell:  083 645 2454
E-mail:  loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
26 May 2006

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