In celebration of our partnership with Monash University in Australia, we caught up with Dylan, an exchange student from Monash who is currently studying Advanced Science – Research (Bachelor). Dylan gives us insight into his experience studying at Imperial in London for a term.
Q: What drew you to apply for the exchange programme?
What first drew me into the programme was the prospect of pushing the current bounds of my research degree and branching out into the international community by becoming involved with the exchange programme offered by my university. Being in a tailored research degree, the opportunity to attend Imperial as a fellow researcher in world-class facilities and to be similarly immersed with equally talented individuals was more than enough reason to apply.
Q: What’s the project you’re working on here at Imperial?
The project that I am involved in is the investigation of catalyst efficiencies around the amidation reactions between aniline and carboxylic acids. Amidation reactions are one of the many utilised bond-formation reactions used extensively in research, and industry, with pharmaceuticals such as acetominaphen, lidocaine, and imidocarb, to name a few relying on this reaction- with the acquisition of greater yields, through greater reaction rates, using easier conditions a long-standing goal for chemists. In particular, the investigation of anilines as the amine molecule is of particular interest due to the divergence of its basicity from other amines such as ammonia or ethylamine. This distinguishing difference lends to it having the tendency to form salts of the respective base and acids, instead of the amide product itself, more so than aliphatic combinations. This necessitates strong forcing conditions to induce the formation of the product anilide, often not environmentally friendly or sustainable. By being able to forego the use of such conditions, the goal of working towards green chemistry can be achieved, and decipher how best catalysis can be utilised.
Q: Reflecting on your time in the Department of Chemistry, have you had the chance to speak with PhD students or work in our research facilities?
I have spoken and conversed with a few PhD students during my time in the laboratory. Primarily, these have been isolated to chance encounters due to time, however, I always find it interesting hearing the experiences of their academic journey and their own research as well as it allows me to inform my own future decisions and better know the academic spaces around the world.
Whilst my research hasn’t necessitated the use of specialised equipment as of recently, I have been greatly enjoying the laboratory facilities and the modern and clean appearance of the entire department, being granted a dedicated fume hood to work in with bench space.
Q: What has been you gavourite memory, inside or outside the lab?
Going out for a group lunch during the last week. Outside of the busy lab environment, the more casual setting was more relaxing, and a great change of pace after the hectic weeks prior. It allowed me to interact with my group members in a way that I was never really granted the time to prior, and engage in conversations to learn and share things about each other.
Q: What’s it been like studying in London and being part of Imperial and how does this compare to studying back in Australia?
Being the city that it is, studying and researching in London is expectedly a very big change of pace compared to what it has been back home. With a greatly interconnected network present at one of the leading universities in the world, being part of the Imperial College London community has been incredibly fulfilling, allowing me to take on a dedicated role as a researcher during my time in London.
Compared to my studies back in Australia, I would say the transition to Imperial has certainly been different, culturally and academically. In terms of the research environment, I have found the setting to be greatly more self-driven, with less direct supervision. Although this may carry a negative connotation, I felt that I was able to immerse myself within my own project, given a mandate, and the expectations to plan, carry out, and analyse experiments and tasks, and allowing me to learn and adapt whilst gradually over time working towards the end goal of finalising the project.
Q: In terms of looking ahead, would you say this experience has made you more interested in Chemistry, or even changed your aspirations?
My experiences at Imperial over the last six weeks have helped shape my perspective, allowing me to participate and engage in the international collaboration that exists throughout research. This, alongside the great support that I have been provided along the way from start to finish, has enhanced the existing passion I have for Chemistry, driving me to always discover more.
In terms of my aspirations, this experience has also revealed the reality of being a researcher, and the nature of it, with many aspects -as I have encountered- being bittersweet. Although I do very much plan to continue on with pursuing research in due course and advancing my studies through the research pathway, I have also developed a strong interest in industry, viewing a potential career within the sector a viable option for me as well, helped with the skills gained through my time in research.