Dr Paul Francis
  Phone   +61 3 522 71294
Email   paul.francis@deakin.edu.au
Position   ARC Future Fellow
Campus   Geelong
Research grouping   Chemistry and Forensic Sciences

Dr Francis’s research in analytical chemistry and molecular luminescence spectroscopy has been recognised
both nationally and internationally through the following honours: the Max O'Connor Research Lecture
Award (2011) from La Trobe University; an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship (2011-2015); a
Victoria Young Tall Poppy Science Award (2010) from The Australian Institute of Policy and Science; the
inaugural Robert Cattrall Early Career Medal (2007) from the Analytical Chemistry Division of the Royal
Australian Chemical Institute for excellence in pure or applied analytical chemistry research; The Gordon F.
Kirkbright Bursary Award (2005) from the Association of British Spectroscopists for his research into near-
ultraviolet and near-infrared chemiluminescence; and the Jim O’Donnell International Travel Award (2002)
from the Royal Australian Chemical Institute.

Research interests

  1. The chemistry, spectroscopy and analytical application of chemiluminescence and electrochemiluminescence reactions
  2. Rapid screening of illicit drugs using flow-analysis and microfluidics
  3. New methodology to determine the antioxidant status of foods and biological fluids

Career

ARC Future Fellow (2011-2015).
Lecturer in Chemistry (School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University; 2010-2011).
Postdoctoral Research Fellow (LES and ITRI, Deakin University; 2004-2009).

Key publications

E.H. Doevan, E.M. Zammit, G.J. Barbante, C.F. Hogan, N.W. Barnett and P.S. Francis (2012) Selective excitation of concomitant electrochemiluminophores: tuning emission color via electrode potential, Angewandte Chemie-International Edition 51, 4354-4357

C.M. Hindson, G.R. Hanson, P.S. Francis, J.L. Adcock, and N.W. Barnett (2011) Any old radical won’t do: An EPR study of the selective excitation and quenching mechanisms of [Ru(bipy)3]2+ chemiluminescence and electrochemiluminescence, Chemistry – A European Journal 17, 8018-8022

C.M. Hindson, P.S. Francis, G.R. Hanson and N.W. Barnett (2011) Confirmation of the classic tris(2,2′-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) and oxalate electrochemiluminescence mechanism using EPR spectroscopy, Chemical Communications 47, 7806-7808

T. Slezak, J.M. Terry, P.S. Francis, C.M. Hindson, D.C. Olson, D.K. Wolcott and N.W. Barnett (2010) Autocatalytic nature of permanganate oxidations exploited for highly sensitive chemiluminescence detection, Analytical Chemistry 82, 2580-2584

J.M. Terry, J.L. Adcock, D.C. Olson, D.K. Wolcott, C. Schwanger, L.A. Hill, N.W. Barnett and P.S. Francis (2008) Chemiluminescence detector with a serpentine flow-cell, Analytical Chemistry 80, 9817-9821

View entire list of audited publications

Professional activities

Division Secretary, Australian National RACI Analytical and Environmental Chemistry Division.
Editorial Advisor for Analytica Chimica Acta.
Editorial board of the Journal of Analytical Methods in Chemistry.
Honorary Visiting Scientist, La Trobe University.

 

Postdoctoral fellows

NameProject title
Greg BarbanteNew analytical strategies based on electrochemiluminescence detection.  

 

PhD students

Student nameThesis title
Jessica TerryEnhancing the chemiluminescence determination of biologically and forensically important molecules. Elizabeth ZammitExploration of the chemiluminescence of platinum group metal complexes David DonaldsonDetection of nitro-explosive compounds using derivatisation and tris(2,2'-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) chemiluminescence. Zoe SmithManganese-based chemiluminescence reagents.  

 

Honours students

Student nameThesis title Mark Roderick. Noah Kebede.  

 

Teaching areas

Chemistry
Analytical Chemistry
Instrumental Analysis
Spectroscopy


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22nd September 2011