Research Focus: Base-metal catalysis for fine-chemical synthesis and engery applications
Our efforts in this sub-program is focused on the development of catalytic processes with application in synthesis and energy:
Base-metal catalysis for organic transformations and energy – In this thrust we develop catalyst systems derived from earth-abundant metals such as iron, manganese, copper and nickel. Transformations which are investigated include alkane and alcohol oxidation, the hydrogenation of unsaturated organic compounds, with particular emphasis on carbon dioxide hydrogenation as well as chemical and electrochemical water splitting. Products of catalysis find varied application in the fine-chemical and agrochemical industries, as well as in the environmentally relevant area of carbon dioxide utilisation and alternative fuel synthesis. In our approach we employ modern organic and organometallic synthesis techniques, develop novel reactivity patterns and aim to establish a thorough mechanistic understanding of the process.
Image 1:
Research Focus: Surfactant development: Synthesis, Properties and Applications
Our efforts in this sub-program is focused on the development of catalytic processes with application in synthesis and energy:
(i) Surfactant Synthesis – Surface Active Agents, also called surfactants, are compounds which lower the surface tension between two liquids or a liquid and solid. These materials find widespread application as wetting agents, emulsifiers, foaming agents and dispersants. Their widespread utility in every day life cannot be overestimated. In this thrust we employ and develop modern synthetic organic chemistry techniques to prepare and characterise surfactants. In particular, emphasis is placed on synthetic routes which are easily scalable, producing minimal by-products and which are operationally simple. Typically these prepared surfactants encompass the following sub-categories: cationic and zwitterionic surfactants.
(ii) Surfactant properties – While surfactants are ubiquitous in their everyday use, a thorough understanding of their physicochemical properties is often lacking. As such we aim to employ modern spectroscopic and analytical techniques to characterise our prepared surfactants, which informs their potential application. Analytical methods include NMR, HPLC and tensiometry.
Research Leaders
Prof Andrew Swarts (Group Leader)
 |
Position: Associate Professor |
| Telephone: +27 18 299 2356 | |
| Email: Andrew.Swarts@nwu.ac.za | |
| Physical address: Building G8, room G11, Potchefstroom Campus | |
| Expertise: Inorganic chemistry - Synthesis; Organometallic chemistry; Kinetics/reaction mechanisms; Catalysis | |
|
External links: |
Andrew Swarts obtained his Ph.D. in 2013 from Stellenbosch University, working with Prof Selwyn Mapolie in the area of homogeneous catalysis. He moved to North-West University (NWU) in 2014, where he is currently employed as Associate Professor (since 2020). Since his move to NWU, he has established a research niche within the Catalysis and Synthesis Research Group focused on benign catalytic transformations. A NRF Y-rated researcher, Andrew’s research interests are focussed on the development of efficient catalytic processes for oxidation and hydrogenation reactions with applications in synthetic methodology and energy. Key goals include operating at low temperatures and at ambient pressures, employing earth-abundant metals as catalysts or catalyst precursors. He served as national committee member of the Catalysis Society of South Africa (2018-2019) and Group Leader of the Catalysis and Synthesis Research Group (since 2018).
Prof Manie Vosloo
 |
Position: Professor |
| Telephone: +27 18 299 1669 | |
| Email: Manie.Vosloo@nwu.ac.za | |
| Physical address: Building G9, room G11, Potchefstroom Campus | |
| Expertise: Analytical chemistry; Computational chemistry; Catalysis; Organic chemistry - Synthesis; Petrochemicals; Industrial chemistry; Homogeneous catalysis; Organometallic synthesis; Polymer chemistry | |
|
External links: |
Manie Vosloo completed a PhD in 1991, focussed on the metal-catalyzed polymerisation of alkynes at the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education (currently NWU). Following a brief stint as a teacher he returned to his alma mater, where he progressed through the ranks and was appointed full Professor. Currently he serves as director of the Research Focus Area: Chemical Resource Beneficiation at the Potchefstroom campus of the North-West University and manager of the RSA Olefins programme of c*change. As a NRF C-rated researcher, Manie has diverse research interests. Areas of specialisation include metathesis and related chemistries, molecular modelling of homogeneous catalytic systems, polymer synthesis and characterization, and surfactant chemistry.
Dr Johan Jordaan
 |
Position: Chief Subject Specialist |
| Telephone: +27 18 299 2349 | |
| Email: Johan.Jordaan@nwu.ac.za | |
| Physical address: LAS: Building G6, room G05, Potchefstroom Campus | |
| Expertise: Analytical chemistry; Computational chemistry; Catalysis; Organic chemistry - Synthesis; Petrochemicals; Industrial chemistry; Homogeneous catalysis; Organometallic synthesis; Polymer chemistry | |
|
External links: |
Johan Jordaan completed his PhD in 2005 at the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education (currently NWU) which focussed on the synthesis of tetracyclic amino acids. Thereafter he shifted his focus to analytical technique development, underpinned by the completion of a number of international training worskhops on instrumentation and method development. He currently serves as Head of the Laboratory for Analytical Services (LAS). His areas of specialisation include metathesis and analytical method development.
Dr Danie Otto
 |
Position: Senior Subject Specialist |
| Telephone: +27 18 299 2361 | |
| Email: Daniel.Otto@nwu.ac.za | |
| Physical address: Building G6, room G06, Potchefstroom Campus | |
| Expertise: Analytical chemistry; NMR; surfactants and colloids; drug delivery | |
|
External links: |
Danie Otto attained his PhD in 2008 at the North-West University. It focused on copolymerization of vinyl monomers and their application as drug delivery systems. Thereafter he completed postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Johannes Gutenberg University at Mainz and lastly at the NWU in Potchefstroom. He worked in the pharmaceutical industry and returned to NWU in 2017. As a C-rated researcher, Danie focuses his research on surfactants and colloids and their applications. He applies his specialised training on high-end equipment such as NMR spectrometers to study colloids. He provides NMR spectrometry services at the Laboratory for Analytical Services at the CRB. He also offers support on various other analytical instruments.
Publications
Publications from 2017 - 2020
 |
Lindie Marais, Hermanus C.M. Vosloo and Andrew J. Swarts Mol. Catal., 2020, 486, 110839 |
 |
M. Cassiem Joseph, Andrew J. Swarts and Selwyn F. Mapolie Appl. Organomet. Chem., 2020, 34, e5595 |
 |
Jean I. du Toit, Marié du Toit, Cornelia G.C.E. van Sittert and Hermanus C.M. Vosloo Catal. Today, 2020, 342, 187 |
|
|
Tegene T. Tole, Johannes Jordaan and Hermanus Vosloo Current Org. Synth., 2020, ASAP |
|
|
Karakterisering van Grubbs-tipe-prekatalisatore met behulp van kernmagnetieseresonansiespektrometrie Frans Marx, Daniel Otto, Christo de Lange, Johan Jordaan and Hermanus Vosloo Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif vir Natuurwetenskap en Tegnologie, 2019, 38, 1 |
 |
Functionalising lignin in crude glycerol to prepare polyols and polyurethane Louis Muller, Sanette Marx, Hermanus Vosloo and Idan Chiyanzu Polym. Renewable Resour. 2019, 10, 3
|
 |
Aluminum triflate-cocatalyzed radical copolymerization of styrene and ethyl acrylate Upenyu Guyo, Daniel P. Otto, Desmond A. Young and Hermanus C.M. Vosloo Polym. Bull., 2019, 77, 2227 |
 |
Synthesis and evaluation of chromone derivatives as inhibitors of monoamine oxidase Annah Mpitimpi, Jacobus Petzer, Anél Petzer, Johannes Jordaan and Anna Lourens Mol. Diversity, 2019, 23, 897 |
|
Tegene T. Tole, Johan H.L. Jordaan and Hermanus C.M. Vosloo Beilstein J. Org. Chem., 2019, 15, 194 |
 |
Nicholas C.C. Breckwoldt, Neill J. Goosen, Hermanus C.M. Vosloo and Percy van der Gryp React. Chem. Eng., 2019, 4, 695 |
 |
Biomimetic Cu/Nitroxyl catalyst systems for selective alcohol oxidation Lindie Marais and Andrew J. Swarts Catalysts, 2019, 9, 395 |
 |
Angelique Blanckenberg, Gerbrandt Kotze, Andrew J. Swarts and Rehana Malgas-Enus J. Nanopart. Res., 2018, 20, 44 |
|
Tegene Tole, Johannes Jordaan and Hermanus Vosloo Molecules, 2018, 23, 896 |
 |
Phillimon Modisha, Johan Jordaan, Andreas Bosmann, Peter Wasserscheid and Dmitri Bessarabov Int. J. Hydrogen Energy, 2018, 43, 5620 |
|
Frans Marx, Esna Pieters and Hermanus Vosloo LitNet Akademies, 2018, 15, 1 |
|
|
Rigid polyurethane foams from unrefined crude glycerol and technical lignins Louis Muller, Sanette Marx, Hermanus Vosloo, Elvis Fosso-Kankeu and Idan Chiyanzu Polym. Renewable Resour. 2018, 9, 111 |
|
Daniel Otto, Johann Combrinck, Anja Otto, Louwrens Tiedt and Malgardt de Villiers Pharmaceuticals, 2018, 11, 134 |
 |
Daniel Otto and Melgardt de Villiers Int. J. Pharm., 2018, 547, 545 |
 |
Poly(amidoamine) Dendrimers as a Pharmaceutical Excipient. Are We There yet? Daniel Otto and Melgardt de Villiers J. Pharm. Sci., 2018, 107, 75 |
 |
Catalytic oxidation of alcohols with novel non-heme N 4-tetradentate manganese(II) complexes Vincent Vermaak, Desmond A. Young and Andrew J. Swarts Dalton Trans., 2018, 47, 16534 |
 |
M. Cassiem Joseph, Andrew J. Swarts and Selwyn F. Mapolie Dalton Trans., 47, 12209 |
 |
A bis (pyridyl)-N-alkylamine/Cu(I) catalyst system for aerobic alcohol oxidation Lindie Marais, Jordi Burés, Johan Jordaan, Selwyn Mapolie and Andrew J. Swarts Org. Biomol. Chem., 2017, 15, 6926 |
|
|
Application of Halloysite Clay Nanotubes as a Pharmaceutical Excipient Raghuvara Yendluri, Daniel Otto, Melgardt de Villiers, Vladimir Vinokurov and Yuri Lvov Int. J. Pharm., 2017, 521, 267 |
 |
Daniel Otto and Melgardt de Villiers Current Drug Discovery Technologies, 2017, 14, 72 |
 |
Waylin Peddie, Jacobus van Rensburg, Hermanus Vosloo and Percy van der Gryp Chem. Eng. Res. Des., 2017, 121, 219 |
 |
Synthesis of high-performance superabsorbent glycerol acrylate-cross-linked poly (acrylic acid) Aliyu Mohammed, Desmond Young and Hermanus Vosloo Res. Chem. Intermed., 2017, 43, 2187 |
 |
Polyol preparation by liquefaction of technical lignins in crude glycerol Louis Muller, Sanete Marx and Hermanus Vosloo J. Renewable Mater., 2017, 5, 67 |
|
|
Synthesis and Application of Novel Ruthenium Catalysts for High Temperature Alkene Metathesis Tegene Tole,Jean du Toit, Cornelia van Sittert, Johan Jordaan and Hermanus Vosloo Catalysts, 2017, 7, 22 |
|
Temitayo Aiyelabola, Ezekiel Akinkunmi, Efere Obuotor, Idowu Olawuni, David Isabirye and Johan Jordaan Bioinorg. Chem. Appl., 2017, 9 |
 |
Structural Assignment of Commercial Polyisobutylene Succinic Anhydride-based Surfactants Marina van der Merwe, Marilé Landman, Petrus van Rooyen, Johannes Jordaan and Daniel Otto J. Surfactants Deterg., 2017, 20, 193 |
