Group Members

Research Staff

Dr. Raffaella Mammucari (Lab Manager / Senior Researcher)
	Contact Info Rm 213, F10 - Chemical Sciences Building Ph: (02) 9385 5575 Fax: (02) 9385 5966 Email: Raffaella Mammucari
Education	PhD UNSW Bachelor of Chemical Engineering at University of Naples "Federico II" 1998
Main Research	Formulation of Cyclodextrins' inclusion complexes by SCF
Work Experience	Dintec (Italy) - Collection and diffusion of technical rules and standards Technapoli (Italy) - Innovative technological processes implementation UNSW Casual Academic

Dr. Silvio Alexandre Beisl Vieira de Melo (Visiting Professor)
	Contact Info Rm 213, F10 - Chemical Sciences Building Ph: (02) 9385 5575 Fax: (02) 9385 5966 Email: Silvio Vieira de Melo
Education	PhD in Chemical Engineering - Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (COPPE-UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (1997) M.Sc. in Chemical Engineering - Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (COPPE-UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (1994) B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering - Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil (1992)
Professional Employment	2006 - Present: Associate Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, Polytechnic School, Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. 2003-2005: Scientific Director, Sergipe State Foundation for Research and Technology (FAP-SE), Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil. 1999–2006: Assistant Professor, Institute of Science and Technology, Tiradentes University (UNIT), Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil. 1997-1999: Research Fellow, Department of Chemical Engineering, Polytechnic School, Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. 1994-1996: Visiting Fellow, University of Padova, Italy.
Main Research	Supercritical fluid processes for the natural products extraction. High-pressure phase equilibria. Experimental determination, modeling and simulation of kinetics for separation processes. Simulation of high-pressure phase equilibrium behavior with cubic equations of state and mixing rules that incorporate group contribution activity coefficient models. Transesterification of vegetable oils in supercritical fluids. Dense gas processes for the formation of nano and micro-particles with narrow particle size distribution, applied to the formulation of pharmaceutical compounds. Nanoparticles encapsulation in supercritical fluid medium for controlled drug delivery systems.
Project Title	Supercritical micronization of levothyroxine sodium
Recent Publications	Lobão, M.W.N., Alberton, A.L., Vieira de Melo, S.A.B., Embiruçu,M., Monteiro, J.L.F., Pinto, J.C., Kinetics of Toluene Disproportionation: Modeling and Experiments, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., v. 51, p. 171-183, 2012. Pinto, J.C., Lobão, M.W.N., Alberton, A.L., Schwaab, M., Embiruçu, M., Vieira de Melo, S.A.B., Critical Analysis of Kinetic Modeling Procedures, Int. J. Chem. Reactor Eng., V. 9 (1), 1-33, 2011. Costa, G.M.N., Kislansky, S., Oliveira, L., Pessoa, F.L.P., Vieira de Melo, S.A.B., Embiruçu, M. Modeling Solid-liquid equilibrium for polyethylene and polypropylene solutions with equations of state. J. App. Polym. Sci., Vol. 121, 1832-1849, 2011. Costa, G.M.N. ; Kislansky, S.; Guerrieri, Y.; Pessoa, F.L.P.; Vieira de Melo, S.A.B.; Embirucu, M.. Calculation of pressure-temperature diagrams and distance for phase transition in polyethylene solutions. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 49, pp. 12242-12253, 2010. Costa, G.M.N. ; Guerrieri, Y. ; Kislansky, S.; Pessoa, F.L.P.; Vieira de Melo, S.A.B.; Embirucu, M.. Simulation of Flash Separation in Polyethylene Industrial Processing: Comparison of SRK and SL Equations of State. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 48, pp. 8613-8628, 2009. Vieira de Melo, S.A.B.; Costa, G.M.N. ; Viana, A.C.C. ; Pessoa, F.L.P. . Solid pure component property effects on modeling upper crossover pressure for supercritical fluid process synthesis: A case study for the separation of Annatto pigments using SC-CO2. J. Supercrit. Fluids, 49, pp. 1-8, 2009. Azevedo, A.B.A. ; Kieckbusch. T.G. ; Tashima A.K. ; Mohamed, R. S.; Mazzafera, P., Vieira de Melo, S.A.B., Extraction of green coffee oil using supercritical carbon dioxide. J. Supercrit. Fluids, v. 44, p. 186-192, 2008. COSTA, G.M. N.; Dias, T.;Cardoso, M.; Guerrieri, Y. ; Pessoa, F.L.P.; Vieira de Melo, S.A.B. ; Embirucu, M. . Prediction of vapor-liquid and liquid-liquid equilibria of polymer systems: comparison of activity coefficients models, Fluid Phase Equilibria, v. 267, p. 140-149, 2008.

Current PhD Candidates

Grace Teoh (PhD Student)
	Contact Info Rm 213, F10 - Chemical Sciences Building Ph: (02) 9385 5575 Fax: (02) 9385 5966 Email: Grace Teoh
Education	PhD (2008 to present) MPhil (Engineering for Sustainable Development) - University of Cambridge 2005/06 B.E. (Hons.Chemical) - Universiti Kebangsaan Malayasia 2001
Project Title	Nanomedicine applications using dense gas technology
Past Projects	Assessment of the WEEE Directive and its Implementation in the UK, and Implications for Precious Metals using Sustainability Criteria. 2006 Aplikasi Teori Larutan Cair (Dilute Solution Theory) di dalam Meramalkan Kebolehlarutan Bahan Organik di dalam Bendalir Superkritikal (translated: Application of the Dilute Solution Theory in Predicting the Solubility of Organic Compounds in Supercritical Fluids). 2001
Publications	M. Markom, Teoh Wen Hui. 2007. Solution predictability of low volatile solutes in supercritical carbon dioxide in the absence of saturation pressure data. Journal of Supercritical Fluids 40 (2007) 170-175 M. Markom, W.H. Teoh, W.R. Wan Daud. 2002. Saturation Pressure Estimation of Low Volatile Organic Compounds in Supercritical Fluids. Asia Pacific Conference on Chemical Engineering (APPCChe) 2002 Wen Hui Teoh and Masturah Markom. 2001. Predicting the Solubility of Solutes in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Using Dilute Solution Theory in the Absence of Saturation Pressure Data. 15th Symposium of Malaysian Chemical Engineers SOMChe 2001
Work Experience	Dec 2006 - August 2008: Lecturer, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia August 2001 - Sept 2005 : Research and Development Executive , Asahi Chemical Research Lab
Awards	Dean List (2000/2001) Shell Centenary Chevening Scholarship (2005/2006) to the University of Cambridge, UK
Jane Chau Chun Beh (PhD Student)
	Contact Info Rm 213, F10 - Chemical Sciences Building Ph: (02) 9385 5575 Fax: (02) 9385 5966 Email: Jane Beh
Education	PhD (2009 to present) Bachelor of Chemical Engineering (Hons I), UNSW, 2007
Project Title	Formation of Vesicles by Dense Gas Processing
Project Description	Liposome and polymersome are vesicles composed by natural phospholipids and synthetic polymer respectively. Vesicle contains a membrane that consists of bilayer hydrophobic and hydrophilic segments. Liposome had been used as carrier system especially for therapeutic drugs since decades ago, and several liposomal products are currently on market. Vesicle increases the bioavailability of active pharmaceutical compounds, reduces their toxicity, and increases the residence time in the body. Polymersome has better resistance to degradation due to its polymer composition, which could be functional to drug targeting; in fact longer circulation time can increase the ability of drug loaded vesicles to hit their target in the body. Apart from stability, polymersome is more robust under strain and less permeable to water than liposome. The dense gas process, referred to as Depressurization of an Expanded Solution into Aqueous Media (DESAM) is a fast and single-step production method operating at moderated pressures and temperatures, which is used in this study to produce vesicles.
Publications	Chau Chun Beh, Raffaella Mammucari, Neil R. Foster, Lipids-based drug carrier systems by dense gas technology: A review, Chemical Engineering Journal, 2012. Volume 188, P 1-14
Conference Attended	C.C. Beh, R. Mammucari, N. Foster. Formation of Nano-Carriers by Dense Gas Processing. CHEMECA 2011, Sydney, Australia – September 2011 [Peer-Reviewed] C.C. Beh, R. Mammucari, N. Foster. Formation of Nano-Carriers by Dense Gas Processing. International Conference on Process Intensification for Sustainable Chemical Industries (ICPI 2011), Beijing, China – June 2011 C.C. Beh, R. Mammucari, N. Foster. Formation of Vesicles by the Depressurization of an Expanded Solution Into Aqueous Media Process. 9th International Symposium on Supercritical Fluids (ISSF 2009), Arcachon, France - May 2009 Jane C.C. Beh, Raffaella Mammucari, and Neil R. Foster. Formation of Vesicles by Dense Gas Processing. International Conference on Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICONN 2008), Melbourne - February 2008

Alumni

Adam Carr (Alumni -PhD submitted 2010)

Education	PhD (2007 to 2010) B.E. (Chemical) - University of Sydney
Project Title	Subcritical water as a novel processing medium for the manufacturing of micronized biomaterials
Project Description	This project looks into investigating whether subcritical water may be used as a processing fluid for pharmaceuticals. Subcritical water has been used for extractions of bio-active compounds for neutraceuticals. Examples include anti-oxidants from oregano, essential oils from Thymbra Spicata, damnacanthal from noni roots, and proteins from various other sources. These examples have shown that, not only are high recoveries possible, but that degradation of functional activity due hydrolysis of the active structure was not an issue. It therefore seemed plausible to use subcritical water to dissolve a number of pharmaceuticals and attempt to increase the bioavailability of the compounds (via micronization or encapsulation). This was to be achieved using a bottom-up type process. By dissolving a number of model pharmaceuticals in water, and triggering a rapid precipitation of said compounds, particles of micron-nano size with narrow particle size distributions may be possible. The process is similar in many ways to a supercritical anti-sovent type system. However this method does not rely in the intense change in density and permeability of SC-CO2, but rather relies on the changing polarity of water with temperatures change. The project has already demonstrated that micronization of crystalline pharmaceuticals is possible, and that particle with narrow particle size distribution may be achieved. A range of pharmaceuticals (anti-inflammatories, anti-cancers, analgesics, and stimulants) are being trialled using this method currently, with promising results.
Work Experience	2006, Qenos on USYD Scholarship Project (MIPPS)
Awards	2006 CHEMECA Aker Kvaerner award for best undergraduate plant design 2006 Design award for best plant design (University of Sydney) 2007, Runner-up National Student Sustainability Award, awarded by the Society for Sustainability and Environmental Engineering (SSEE) (group leader) 2009, Postgraduate Research Travel Scholarship to International Symposium of Supercritical Fluids, Arcachon, France 2010, Finalist, Inventor of the Year Awards (Winner announced September 2nd 2010)
Publications	Adam G. Carr, Raffaella Mammucari, Neil R. Foster, The Solubility and Micronization of Griseofulvin in Subcritical Water, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 2010. 49(7): p. 3403-3410)
Presentations	AICHE 2007 annual meeting, Subcritical Water as a Novel Fluid for Pharmaceutical Processing and Drug Delivery Formulation ICONN 2008, Subcritical water as an innovative green fluid for the manufacturing of micronized biomaterials ISSF 2009, Controlled Precipitation of Hydrophobic-Pharmaceuticals in Subcritical Water. Poster and Conference Proceedings.
Luu Thai Danh (Alumni - graduated 2010)
	Contact Info Rm 213, F10 - Chemical Sciences Building Ph: (02) 9385 5575 Fax: (02) 9385 5966
Education	PhD (2006 to 2010) M.Sci. (Molecular Biology), Belgium, 2004 Bachelor of Agricultural Science,University of Queensland, 2000
Project Title	Development of process for purification of Î± and Î² vetivone from Vetiver essential oil and investigation of effect of heavy metals on quality and quantity of extracted Vetiver oil
Project Description	Since the ancient time, Vetiver grass has been used as a fragant material and in traditional medicine because its roots contain essential oils that have aromatic and biological properties. Recently, Î± and Î² vetivone of vetiver essential oil are found to possess antioxidant and insecticidal activity. These compunds have great potential of industrial application. Furthermore, Vetiver grass is not only grown for oil extraction but also for phytoremediaton of heavy metal contaminated soils. In addition, all commercial extraction and research of Vetiver essential oil are based on the commercial variety of Vetiver, Vetiveria zizanioides, no studies are carried out on essential oils extracted from other Vetiver species, such as native Vetiver specices. Therefore, in this study, we will develop method based on supercritical fluid extraction and fractionation to purify Î± and Î² vetivone, investigate the effect of heavy metals on quality and quatity of Vetiver essential oil as well as study the yield and chemical composition of 3 Australian native Vetiver grass.
Conferences Attended	6th International Conference on Phytotechnologies, St. Louis, Missouri, USA, December 1-4, 2009 11th European Meeting on Supercritical Fluids, Barcelona, Spain, May 4-7, 2008 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, November 4-9, 2007 The fourth international conference on Vetiver, ICV4. Caracas, Venezuela - October 2006 The third international vetiver conference, ICV3. Guangzhou, China - Otober 2003
Awards	TVN Award, 2003
Publications	Luu Thai Danh, Paul Truong, Raffaella Mammucari and Neil Foster, 2010. Economic incentive for applying vetiver grass to remediate lead, copper and zinc contaminated soils. International Journal of Phytoremediation (Article in Press) Luu Thai Danh, Paul Truong, Raffaella Mammucari and Neil Foster, 2010 Effect of calcium on growth performance and essential oil of vetiver grass grown on lead contaminated soils. International Journal of Phytoremediation. Article in Press. Luu Thai Danh, Raffaella Mammucari, Paul Truong and Neil Foster, 2010. Extraction of Vetiver essential oil by ethanol modified supercritical carbon dioxide. Chemical Engineering Journal.Article in Press. Luu Thai Danh, Raffaella Mammucari, Paul Truong and Neil Foster, 2009. Response surface method applied to supercritical carbon dioxide extraction of Vetiveria zizanioides essential oil. Chemical Engineering Journal, 155, 617-626. Luu Thai Danh, Paul Truong, Raffaella Mammucari, Tam Tran and Neil Foster, 2009. Vetiver grass, Vetiveria zizanioides: A choice plant for phytoremediation of heavy metals and organic wastes. International Journal of Phytoremediation 11, 664- 691.