The research interests of the Mills group are wide and varied including: dye and semiconductor photochemistry, redox catalysis (in particular, oxygen catalysis), solar energy conversion (in particular artificial photosynthesis) and colour and fluorescence based indicators and smart inks and plastic films.
During a recent trip to Prague to attend the SP4 meeting on semiconductor photochemistry we found we had run out of time and needed to produce a 3 min movie for an imminent pitch for funding our photocatalyst work through InkIntelligence. So, during the conference AM went out with Christopher O’Rourke and David Hazafy and filmed various parts, in the pouring rain, in different parts of Prague. This movie was filmed on an iPhone and the sound was recoded on a separate iPhone, in AM’s top pocket; Chris O’Rourke put it all together. Needless to say – we were all soaked at the end – but we did get through to the next round!
The 4th International Conference on Semiconductor Photochemistry (SP4), hosted by Professor Josef Krýsa of the Institute of Chemical Technology Prague was well attended by the Mills Group, with Professor Andrew Mills, two postdoctoral researchers and two PhD students representing the group.
Christopher O’Rourke and Nathan Wells both presented posters during the course of the conference, with the latter also giving a short oral presentation.
Mills group member Katherine Lawrie visited a research group at the University of Cadiz, Spain, as part of a collaboration aimed at creating a colourimetric UV dosimeter for solar water disinfection (SODIS). We want to develop a device which tells users of the SODIS method (typically those in third world countries) when a bottle has been exposed to sufficient amounts of sunshine and the water is safe for drinking.
