Khashayar Ghandi

Current Research Group

Cody Landry: PhD student
Alexander (Alec) Morrison: PhD student
Arash Fattahi: PhD student
Farshad Farshidfar: PhD student
Somia Benchikh: PhD student
Breanna Clark: MSc student
Michael Lapolla: MSc student
Hannah Oreskovic: MSc student
Quaid Hawkins: Undergraduate student

Current Openings

Current Openings for highly qualified and passionate for scientific research Graduate Students (MSc or PhD) starting January 2019

We have a range of both basic science and applied (industrial based) research fields in our group. However, to make sure we can be a good match, you need to understand more about our group research please check our Research section and Publications.

Highly qualified candidates that are passionate for scientific research and interested in summer research, honours thesis, graduate studies and postdoctoral research in our group are welcome to send your CV to kghandi@uoguelph.ca. Candidates applying for graduate studies or postdoctoral positions should include detailed information about their research experience in the CV.

The Guelph-Waterloo Centre for Graduate Work in Chemistry and Biochemistry (GWC2) is a joint graduate program offered by the Departments of Chemistry at the University of Guelph and the University of Waterloo. To apply for the MSc/PhD program, please visit GWC².

Please see the following links

List of Awards/Scholarships for Graduate Students at the University of Guelph

List of Awards/Scholarships Specific to Graduate Students at the College of Engineering and Physical Science

There are a number of scholarships and awards available at the University of Guelph for Canadian and international graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. For details, please visit Scholarships and Awards Administrative Guidelines.

There are a number of scholarships and awards available via TRIUMF national lab. For details, please visit http://www.triumf.ca/academic-programs/awards-fellowships

We appreciate the interests of all applicants. After sending your information, only candidates selected for interview will be contacted. We may require other information as well before and after an interview.

Alumni

Most recent M.Sc. Student and Thesis Supervision

Selected Publications

A-1 Nanomaterials

K. Ghandi*, F. Wang, C. J. Landry, M. Mostafavi, (2018) Naked Gold Nanoparticles and Hot Electrons in Water, Nature Sc. Rep , 8, 1-6.

C. J. Landry, M. Mostafavi, K. Ghandi*, (2018) Interaction of radiation with metal nanostructures in water: a review within the context of radiation therapy and nuclear medicine, 38th Annual Conference of the Canadian Nuclear Society.

K. Ghandi*, A. Findlater, Z. Mahimwalla, C. S. MacNeil, E. Awoonor-Williams, F. Zahariev, M. Gordon* (2015) Ultra-fast electron capture by electrosterically-stabilized gold nanoparticles, Nanoscale, 7, 11545-11551 (cover article).

Some of above works were featured on the website of the US Department of Energy. In this work we first designed a novel green process to make metal nanoparticles and keep them stable in water for months. The synthesis is founded on our expertise in ionic liquids and is designed to make the surface of metal nanoparticles available in water. These gold nanoparticles can be considered undressed in an aqueous environment which makes their reactivity with certain species very high, yet stable towards aggregation. Applications for the interaction with ionizing radiation in water were demonstrated in this work. The discovery we made in this study has potential applications to both radiation therapy and the nuclear industry.

C. J. Landry, Burns, F. P., Baerlocher, F., Ghandi, K. (2018) Novel Solid‐State Microbial Sensors Based on ZnO Nanorod Arrays. Advanced Functional Materials, 28, 1706309-1706318 (editors selected for video abstract).

Y. Tan, Y. Chen, Z. Mahimwalla, M.B. Johnson, K. Ghandi*, R. Bruening, T. Sharma (2014) Novel synthesis of rutile titanium dioxide - polypyrrole nano composites and their application in hydrogen generation, Synthetic Metals, 189, 77-85.

M. Farren-dai, E. Williams, C. MacNeil, Z. Mahimwalla, K. Ghandi* (2014) A Novel Gold Nanoparticle Stabilization and its Muon Chemistry, Chemical Physics Letters, 28, 331-334 (Editor’s choice).

Y. Tan, K. Ghandi* (2013) Synthesis of Polypyrrole/cellulose composites in Ionic Liquids, Applied Polymer Composites, 1, 125-154.

Some of our patents originated from our computational, microscopic and fundamental studies in this area. We used green chemistry methods (mostly related to our work on aqueous chemistry) to design and make nanotechnology with applications in sensors; the energy industry (bio-based solar cells, one of the least expensive methods to generate hydrogen from water using sunlight, and material for a novel type of electricity generation from nuclear waste in water); and nanomedicine (material to be used in medical engineering devices as well as material that may decrease the side effects of radiation therapy).

A-2. Ionic liquids (ILs)

M. Farren-Dai, S. Cameron, M. B. Johnson, K. Ghandi* (2017) Crystal Structure and Properties of Imidazo-Pyridine Ionic Liquids, Journal of Computational Chemistry, in press. (Invited article)

R. Pettipas, Z. Mahimwalla, M. B. Johnson, K. Ghandi* (2016) Ionicity and Electrochemical Properties of Visible Light Absorbing Pyrrolidinium m-Nitrophenolate, Insights in Analytical Electrochemistry, 2,1-6. (Invited article)

S. Nazari, K. Ghandi* (2015) Green methods for oxidation of an aromatic diketone to an aromatic anhydride: oxidation of aceanthraquinone, Fresenius Environmental Bulletin, 4, 456-461.

K. Ghandi*, A Review of ionic liquids, their limits and applications (2014) Green and Sustainable Chemistry, 4 (1), 44-53. (Invited review article)

S. Nazari, S. Cameron, M. B. Johnson, K. Ghandi* (2013) Physicochemical properties of imidazo-pyridine protic ionic liquids, J. Mater. Chem. A, 1, 11570-11579. (Cover article)

In the above-mentioned works we used combination of computational and physical chemistry methods to study solvent effects within the context of green chemistry and made a new class of protic ionic liquids (PILs) with high thermal stability and good ion conductivity. We established a framework to understand the effects of molecular structure on the physicochemical properties and mesoscopic organization of PILs. This work opened a path for inexpensive thermally stable PILs. Recent extensions of this work have also led to two patents. In addition, two other publications are being prepared for submission that if students are interested to know about we can discuss.

F. Burns, P. Themens, K. Ghandi* (2013) Assessment of phosphonium ionic liquid-dimethylformamide mixtures for dissolution of cellulose, Composite Interfaces, 21, 59-73.

C. Alcorn, M. Cuperlovic-Culf, K. Ghandi* (2012) Comparison of the computational NMR chemical shifts of choline with the experimental data, Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 341, 1-11.

B. Taylor, P. Cormier, J. M. Lauzon, K. Ghandi* (2009) Investigating the solvent and temperature effects on the cyclohexadienyl radical in an ionic liquid, Physica B, 404, 936-939.

R. Robski, P. Cormier, K. Greenway, K. Ghandi* (2009) The experimental and theoretical study of the reaction of 2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol with Mu, Physica B, 404, 943-945.v

J. M. Lauzon, D. J. Arseneau, J. C. Brodovitch, J. A. C. Clyburne, P. Cormier, B. McCollum, K. Ghandi. (2008) Generation and detection of the cyclohexadienyl radical in phosphonium ionic liquids. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 10, 39, 5957-5962.

J. Dwan, D. Durant, K. Ghandi* (2008) Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Studies of the Trihexyl (Tetradecyl) Phosphonium Chloride Ionic Liquid Mixtures with Water, C. Eur. J. Chem., 6, 347-358. (Invited article)

Using computational and experimental methods, we advanced free radical chemistry in ILs and have contributed to the understanding of free radical chemistry in ILs and free radical chemistry of IL precursors [Lauzon et al., PCCP, 10, 5957-5962 (2008); Taylor et al., Physica B, 404, 936-939 (2009); Robski et al., Physica B, 404, 943-945 (2009); Ghandi and Miyake, Charged Particle and Photon Interactions with Matter, Advances, Applications, and Interfaces, edited by A. Mozumder and Y. Hatano (Taylor & Francis), 2011 (Invited book chapter)]. In addition we have contributed to the understanding of intermolecular interactions of water and ILs [Dwan et al., C. Eur. J. Chem., 6, 347-358 (2008) (Invited article); Alcorn et al., J. Physics, 341, 1-11 (2012); Ghandi, Green and Sustainable Chemistry, 4 (1), 44-53 (2014) (invited review article); and intermolecular interactions in solutions of cellulose in ILs and their solutions in molecular solvents, including water [Tan Y., Ghandi K, Applied Polymer Composites, 1, 125-154 (2013); Burns et al., Composite Interfaces, 21, 59-73 (2013)]. Our work on radiation chemistry of ILs and their solutions in water is important for applications of ILs in the nuclear industry. Concerning free radical applications, Kubisa, Progress in Polymer Science, 34, 1333 (2009) refers to our PCCP, 10, 5957-5962 (2008)] work on page 1343: “Radical reactivity may depend on minor changes in the media and until now these phenomena for radicals in ILs have not been described and compared with organic solvents [160] (above work). More kinetic studies of radical polymerization in ILs are needed to explain the effect of IL on the reactivity of radicals in propagation, which may shed some light on the problem of radical reactivity in general.”

We developed novel nanocomposites [Tan Y. and Ghandi, Applied Polymer Composites, 1, 125-154 (2013)] and the patent section of publications originated from these types of microscopic and fundamental studies of reactivity in ILs, nanocomposites formation and properties in water and comparing those properties with those formed in water and other molecular solvents. Also, our experimental and computational studies of interactions of ILs with water [Dwan et al., C. Eur. J. Chem., 6, 347-358 (2008)] have been followed in several similar physical/computational chemistry and synthetic works by other groups: Ananikov, Chem. Rev., 111, 418-454 (2010); Xu et al., Science China Chemistry, 53, 1561-1565 (2010); Ermolaev et al., Dalton Transactions, 39, 5564-5571 (2010); Grimme et al., PCCP, 14, 4875-4883 (2012).

A-3. Effects of external fields on chemistry in liquids

K. Ghandi*, I. P. Clark, J. S. Lord and S. P. Cottrell (2007) Laser-muon spin spectroscopy in liquids—A technique to study the excited state chemistry of transients, PCCP, 9, 353-359. (cover article)

In collaboration with Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) researchers, I developed a new type of spectroscopy that makes it possible to study excited-state reactions of transient intermediates in water and other liquids. The work along with our computational studies opened up the field of Mu reactions with excited state molecules and laser muonium chemistry in liquids, which led to the recent construction of a permanent laser station for muon studies at RAL. The development helped the studies by Bakule, et al., Physica B: Cond. Mat., 404.5, 1013-1016 (2009); Bakule, et al., J. Phys. Chem. Let., 3.1, 2755-2760 (2012) and Aldegunde, et al., Mol. Phys., 1-13 (2013). It also taught us many engineering design aspects that we used to build microwave-ion beam instrumentations that can be used to study the effects of electric and magnetic fields of microwave radiation in aqueous solutions at any temperature.

We are also investigating effects of other external fields on chemistry. The work of reference 4 above is an example of an active research program in our group in which we are investigating fundamental aspects of the magnetic field and gravity on chemistry. Another aspect we are developing is effect of electric and magnetic fields in different shapes on free radical and radiation chemistry that are reflected in some of our patents. We have approved proposals at Rutherford Appleton laboratory and TRIUMF for some of these studies and some studies will be done in our lab.

A-4 Computational and physical chemistry in supercritical water and other supercritical fluids

Liu, G., Chen, Y., Morrison, A. H., Koda, A., Percival, P. W., K. Ghandi* (2018) Supercritical Water Experimental Setup for µSR, J. Phys. Soc. Japan, Conf. Proc. 011065, 1-9.

Liu, G., Landry, C., K. Ghandi* (2018) Prediction of rate constants of important chemical reactions in water radiation chemistry in sub and supercritical water–non-equilibrium reactions. Canadian Journal of Chemistry, 96, 267-279 (invited article).

Morrison, A. H., Liu, G., K. Ghandi* (2018). Presenting Muon Thermalization with Feynman QED. J. Phys. Soc. Japan, Conf. Proc. 011039, 1-7.

G. Liu, T. Du, L. Toth, K. Ghandi* (2016) Prediction of Rate Constants of Important Reactions in Water Radiation Chemistry in Sub- and Supercritical Water, Equilibrium Reactions, CNL Nuclear Review, 5, 345-361.

P. Cormier, C. Alcorn, G. Legate, K. Ghandi *(2014) Muon Radiolysis Affected by Density Inhomogeneity in Near-Critical Fluids, Rad. Res., 181, 396-406.

C. Alcorn, J. -C. Brodovitch, P. W. Percival, M. Smith, K. Ghandi*(2014) Kinetics of the Reaction between H· and Superheated Water Probed with Muonium, J. Chem. Phys., 435, 29-39.

P. Cormier, R. Clarke, R. McFadden, K. Ghandi* (2014) Selective Free Radical Reactions using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide, JACS, 136 (6), 2200-2203.

K. Ghandi*, R. McFadden, P. Satija, P. Cormier, M. Smith (2012) Radical Kinetics in Sub- and Supercritical Carbon Dioxide: Thermodynamic Rate Tuning, PCCP, 14, 8502-8505.

P. Satija, R. McFadden, P. Cormier, K. Ghandi* (2011) Selectivity of Free Radical Reactions with Vinylidene Fluoride in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide, Probed by Muon Spin Spectroscopy, International Review of Chemical Engineering, 5, 542-549.

P. Cormier, D. J. Arseneau, J.-C. Brodovitch, J.M. Lauzon, B. Taylor, K. Ghandi* (2008) Free radical reaction of H atom and ethene in supercritical CO2, J. Phys. Chem. A., 112, 4593-4600.

K. Ghandi, -C. Brodovitch, B. McCollum, P. W. Percival* (2003) Enolization of Acetone in Superheated Water Detected via Radical Formation, JACS, 125, 9594-9596.

We are among the pioneers of free radical chemistry in supercritical fluids (SCF). We were the first to probe H atoms in supercritical CO2 (scCO2) [Ghandi et al., J. Phys. Chem. A, 52, 11613 – 11625 (2004) and in supercritical water [Ghandi et al., Physica B, 326, 76-80 (2003); J. Phys. Chem. A, 107, 3005-3009 (2003); Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 4, 586-595 (2002); Physica B, 289: 476- 481 (2000)]. These joint computational and experimental works led to three potential applications: 1) a move towards sustainable chemistry by using CO2 as a solvent instead of allowing the CO2 to be released to the atmosphere. This is also better than using most organic solvents; 2) the building of the capacity to study radiation effects in new generation of nuclear reactors that use supercritical water as their coolants; and 3) the acquisition of the know-how to design high pressure and high temperature systems to study hydrothermal conditions. Our work [Cormier et al., J. Phys. Chem. A., 112, 4593-4600 (2008)] opened the field of spectroscopy of reactive free radicals in scCO2 and our work in the field of free radical chemistry under hydrothermal conditions [Ghandi, et al., J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 125, 9594-9596 (2003)] was the first that showed the keto-enol equilibrium varies largely with temperature in a superheated aqueous solution of acetone.

Our other works [Ghandi, McFadden, PCCP, 14, 8502-8505 (2012)] and [Cormier et al., JACS (2014, 136 (6), 2200-2203)] showed the temperature and pressure ranges of thermodynamic rate, selectivity and reactivity tuning in scCO2. We can tune the processes by slight changes of temperature or pressure. The experimental and computational studies of fluorinated alkyl radicals in scCO2 [Satija et al., International Review of Chemical Engineering, 5, 542-549 (2011) and Cormier et al., Physica B, 404, 930-932 (2009)] and other radicals were topics in the theses of my students (Cormier, McFadden, Clarke and Satija). Each of my students’ presentations on their individual works in this regard won institutional, regional and national awards including the best poster award for research that encompasses NSERC values. Researchers across a wide range of disciplines have benefited from the results of this work. Two examples of studies that used our results for their studies include: Fleming et al., J. Phys. Chem. A, 115, 2778-2793 (2011), who used our computational method; and Wang, et al., Materials Letters, 109, 104-107 (2013), who used our discovery of the most energy efficient tunable range of scCO2 for tuning the synthesis of nanostructures in scCO2. K, Ghandi*, Z. Mahimwalla (2017) Plasma Induced Thin Films of Linalool Are Not Polylinaool, MOJ Biol. Med., 2, 1-2.

Some of our other recent research publications are listed in the following. The papers and patents prior to 2009 are not listed. Those can be searched for on line.

D. G. Fleming*, S. P. Cottrell, I. McKenzie, K. Ghandi (2015) Rate Constant for the Slow Mu + Propane Abstraction Reaction at 300 K by Diamagnetic RF Resonance, PCCP, 30, 19901-19910.

J. C. Brodovitch, B. Addison-Jones, K. Ghandi, I. McKenzie, P.W. Percival* (2015) Proton, muon and 13 C hyperfine coupling constants of C 60 X and C 70 X (X= H, Mu)., PCCP, 17, 1755-1762.

K. Ghandi*, A. MacLean (2015) Muons as hyperfine interaction probes in chemistry, Hyperfine Interactions, 230, 17-34 (invited review)

S. Nazari, K. Ghandi* (2015) Solvent and Microwave effects on oxidation of aromatic α- diketones, Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, 21, 198-205.

G. Liu, K. Ghandi* (2015) Radiation chemistry in SCWR, CNS proceedings.

K. Ghandi*, B. A. Taylor, R. L. Hawkes, S. A. Milton (2015) Engagement. New Ground, 47-65.

R. LeBlanc, B. Hackman, G. Liu, K. Ghandi* (2014) Extrapolation of Rate Constants of Reactions Producing H2 and O2 in Radiolysis of Water at High Temperatures, PBNC.

A. J.W. Ward, M. Thistle, K. Ghandi* and S. Currie* (2013) Copper interacts with nonylphenol to cancel the effect of nonylphenol on fish chemosensory behavior, J. of Aquatic Toxicology, 142, 203–209.

Y. Tan, K. Ghandi *(2013) Kinetics and Mechanism of Pyrrole Chemical Polymerization, Synthetic Metals, 175, 183-191.

D. Zhan, T. Li, H. Wei, K. Ghandi, Q. Zeng* (2013) A Recyclable CuO-Catalyzed Synthesis of 4(3H)-Quinazolinones, RSC Advances, 3, 9325-9329.

P. Cormier, Y. Miyake, K. Ghandi*(2012) Muon Radiation in Methanol: in Support of the Spur Model, Physics Procedia, 30, 78-81.

C. Alcorn, M. Smith, A. Kennedy, J. -C. Brodovitch, K. Ghandi*, P. W. Percival (2011) Kinetics of the Reaction between H· and Superheated Water Probed with Muonium, Proceedings of International Symposium of the Supercritical Water Reactors (ISSCWR-5), 130-131.

G. Legate, C. Alcorn, J.-C. Brodovitch, K. Ghandi*, P. W. Percival (2011) Kinetics of the Reaction between Mu· and Ni2+ in Superheated Water, Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium of the Supercritical Water Reactors (ISSCWR-5), 84-98.

K. Ghandi*, C. Alcorn, J. -C. Brodovitch, E. Driedger, M. Mozafari, P. W. Percival, P. Satija (2011) Using Muonium to Probe the Kinetics of the Reaction between the H· Atom and OH- in Superheated Water, Proceedings of 5th International Symposium of the Supercritical Water Reactors (ISSCWR-5), 131-139.

P. Cormier, K. Ghandi*, C. Alcorn, G. Legate (2011) Effects of Density Inhomogeneity in Near-Critical Fluids on Muonium Formation, Proceedings of the 32nd ACNS Proceedings, 20-36.

K. Ghandi*, C. Alcorn, G. Legate, P. W. Percival, J. -C. Brodovitch (2010) Chemical Kinetics in H2O and D2O under Hydrothermal Conditions, Proceedings of the second Canada-China Joint Conference on Supercritical Water-Cooled Reactors, 88-103.

P. Cormier, B. Taylor, K. Ghandi* (2009) Hyperfine Interactions of Muoniated Ethyl Radical in Supercritical CO2, Physica B, 404, 930-932.

Book Chapters

Book chapter: K. Ghandi*, B. Taylor, R. Hawkes, S. Milton, Engagement: The Importance of Research-Intensive Experiences, (Sense Publishers), 2015.

Book chapter: Y. Tan, Michel B. Johnson, K. Ghandi*, Recent Trends in Natural Polymers and Bio-materials: Their Blends, Composites Nanocomposites or IPNs, edited by S. Thomas, K. Nandhakumar, Y. Weimen, B.M. Babu (Apple Academic Press, Canada/USA), 2014.

Invited book chapter: K. Ghandi* and Y. Miyake, Muon Interactions with Matter in Charged Particle and Photon Interactions with Matter, Advances, Applications, and Interfaces, edited by A. Mozumder and Y. Hatano (Taylor & Francis), 2011.

Patents

Microwave systems AND Methods for measurement of non-thermal effects, US Patent, 62/461,626. 2017, Inventor: Khashayar Ghandi.

Process for Generating Hydrogen Using Photo-Catalytic Composite Material, US Patent, 19.10.2016, Inventors: Khashayar Ghandi, Z. Mahimwalla, Y. Tan, Y. Chen

Homopolymers of Terpenoid Alcohols and Their Uses, US Patent, 2016, C08F 136/14, 15082411, Inventors: Khashayar Ghandi, J. Gallinger, G. Muir

Anti-Microbial Polymer Incorporating a Quaternary Ammonium Group, US Patent, 2016, A01N 43/40, 14418549, Inventors: Khashayar Ghandi, F. Baerlocher , Z. Mahimwalla, Y. Chen

Stabilized Gold Nanoparticles, WO Patent, 2016, A61K 33/24, PCT/IB2015/002035, Inventor: Khashayar Ghandi

Multi-Functional Anti-Microbial Polymers and Compositions Containing Same, US Patent, 2015, Inventors: Khashayar Ghandi, M. Kairsis , Y. Tan, Z. Mahimwalla

Cellulose-Polymer Composites, US Patent, 2015, H01L 51/00, 14409821, Inventor: Khashayar Ghandi

Nanostructured Microbial Sensors, US Patent, 2015, G01N 21/64, 14531702, Inventors: Khashayar Ghandi, F. Burns, C. Landry, Y. Tan, Z. Mahimwalla

Nanostructured Microbial Sensors, WO Patent, 2015, Inventors: Khashayar Ghandi, F. Burns, C. Landry, Y. Tan, Z. Mahimwalla

Process for the Production of Polystyrene in an Ionic Liquid and Novel Polymers Thereof, CA Patent, 2015, CA 2756511, Inventor: K. Ghandi, K. Greenway

Antimacrobial Polymer in Incorporating a Quaternary Ammonium Group, WO Patent, 2014, A01N 33/12, PCT/CA2014/000505, Inventor: Khashayar Ghandi, F. Baerlocher , Z. Mahimwalla, T. Yang

Process for Generating Hydrogen Using Photo-Catalytic Composite Material, WO Patent, 2014, B01J 35/12, PCT/CA2014/000352, Inventors: Khashayar Ghandi, Z. Mahimwalla, Y. Tan, Y. Chen

Synthesis Of Protic Ionic Liquids, WO Patent, 2014, C07D 471/04, PCT/CA2014/000285, Inventor: Khashayar Ghandi, Shidokht Nazari

Novel Gold Nanoparticles, 2014, Inventors: Khashayar Ghandi, Z. Mahimwalla

Cellulose-Polymer Composites for Solar Cells, WO Patent, 2013, C08L 49/00, PCT/CA2013/000596, Inventor: K Ghandi, Y. Tan, F. Burns, S. Robertson, Z. Mahimwalla

Novel Protic Ionic Liquids, US Patent, 2013, Inventors: Khashayar Ghandi, S. Nazari, M. Farren-dai

A Novel Polymer solar cell, US Patent, 2013, Inventors: K Ghandi, Y. Tan, F. Burns, S. Robertson, Z. Mahimwalla

Magnetic Nanocomposite Material and Processes for the Production Thereof, US Patent, 06.12.2012, H01F 1/42, 13484898, Inventors: Khashayar Ghandi, P. Themens

Process for the Production of Polystyrene in an Ionic Liquid and Novel Polymers Thereof, US Patent, 2012, C08K 3/32, 13259581, Inventor: K. Ghandi, K. Greenway

Process for the Production of Polystyrene in an Ionic Liquid and Novel Polymers Thereof, WO Patent, 2010, C08L 25/06, PCT/CA2010/000436, Inventors: Khashayar Ghandi, K. Greenway