Stefan Bon interviewed by freelance writer Chris Woolston for Nature

Prof.dr.ir. Stefan Bon had a pleasant conversation with freelance writer Chris Woolston on the UK visa and immigration policy of the UK and the impact on his research team. Stefan stressed that "the changing landscape of the UK with respect to immigration and work permits is of great concern and highly worrying. The UK is increasingly fast squandering its international reputation."

An article written by Chris was published in the scientific leading journal Nature today (02 March 2017, 543, 139–141) containing an excerpt of the discussion: "Long waits for English-proficiency tests have also vexed Stefan Bon, a chemical engineer at the University of Warwick in Coventry, UK. Last year, one of his postdocs had to travel from Germany to the Netherlands to take the test, and the whole process — scheduling it, taking it and waiting for the results — took almost six months. Bon says that principal investigators (PIs) should expect delays, and that all prospective lab members should take the test as early as possible."

Stefan Bon invited by ESC2017 - 16th European Student Colloid Conference

Prof.dr.ir. Stefan Bon has been invited to participate and talk at the European Students Colloid Conference, sponsored by ECIS (European Colloid & Interface Society) that will be held in Florence on June 19 - 22, 2017 (ESC2017).

He said: "I am absolutely delighted with the invitation. I am excited to participate and interact with students from all over Europe and discuss aspects of colloid science. I am very much looking forward to, what promises to be, an outstanding conference."

Prof.dr.ir. Stefan A. F. Bon 

The meeting will be devoted to young physicists/chemists in the field of colloid science, and it will be a great opportunity for PhD students to present their research results and to meet their peers from different research units. 

The topics of the conference range from adsorption and interfacial phenomena, to biomaterials, to micro- and nano-structured materials... and much more. The conference program consists of oral and poster sessions, with many social events. Seven outstanding invited speakers have already confirmed their attendance.

Several prizes will be awarded for the best presentations, including the ECIS/ACIS prize for student exchange.

Abstract submission: February 1 - March 15, 2017

Notification of acceptance: April 15, 2017

Early bird registration deadline: May 15, 2017

Regular registration and bursary travel application deadline: May 29, 2017

For more information:

please visit: http://www.esc2017.it/

or email the ESC 2017 Organizing Committee: esc2017@csgi.unifi.it

Feel the sensation of emulsion polymerization

Master students at the University of Warwick registered on the Polymer MSc programmes were treated to an exciting labday by BonLab packed with polymer and colloid science. In the true spirit of "feel the sensation of emulsion polymerization", a slogan ascribed to dr. Harold Schoonbrood and originating from the research group of Anton German at the Eindhoven University of Technology in the 1990s, the students were fascinated by hands-on synthesis of a polymer latex and its particle size characterization.

Master students on the Polymer MSc programmes feel the sensation of emulsion polymerization, organized by prof.dr.ir. Stefan Bon with research members of BonLab

Every student carried out their own emulsion polymerization under guidance of prof.dr.ir. Stefan Bon and two of the research members of the BonLab, Brooke Longbottom and Andrea Lotierzo. Emulsion polymerization is a process of high industrial relevance, with applications of the resulting polymer colloids in coatings/adhesives, construction, personal and household care, energy and health. The latex particles made by the participants were analysed by both dynamic light scattering, a technique relying on the random Brownian motion of the latex particles dispersed in water, and hands-on scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Andrea Lotierzo, a PhD researcher in BonLab, works together with students on the characterization of a polymer latex with dynamic light scattering (DLS).

The labday formed part of a postgraduate module on colloidal materials taught by prof.dr.ir. Stefan Bon. He says: "We at BonLab are delighted to give students hands-on experience in the fabrication and analysis of polymer colloids. This area is of tremendous value in the design of innovative materials, and it is key that the underlying knowledge is transferred to the next generation of scientists."  

Hands-on scanning electron microscopy training was provided by BonLab to the master students on the Polymer MSc programmes at the University of Warwick

More information:

please contact prof.dr.ir. Stefan A. F. Bon directly.

Images are courtesy of BonLab and taken by Junxin Chen (FEB2017).