Postdoctoral Research Fellow : Dr Zul Merican

Address:
Centre for Magnetic Resonance
The University of Queensland
Brisbane Qld 4072
E-mail address: Zul Merican
Telephone: +61-7-3366 3869
Fax: +61-7-3365 3833
Home Page: Zul Merican

Career Profile:

Dr Merican is a member of the Polymer Research Group (AIBN) and his major research theme has been to develop novel biosensors based on polymer/gold nanoparticles which are encoded with molecular barcodes. The project involved establishment of a collaboration with Prof. Craig Hawker at UCSB and A. Prof Peter Fredericks at QUT.

The first aim of the collaborative research project was to synthesise and characterise a series of polymer chains. Sophisticated synthesis techniques will be used to generate a series of functional hybrid polymer-gold nanoparticles. The second aim was to identify a method to stabilise the gold or silver nanoparticles with polymer chains. These hybrid materials will overcome problems generally associated with gold nanoparticles developed for use in bioassays, such as physiochemical stability, whilst maintaining sensitivity. Investigation in further depth towards the interface of the gold nanoparticles will be carried out, where small molecules and polymers are assembled at the surface. Techniques such as SERS, XPS, TEM and NMR will be utilised. Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy will be utilised to decode the nanoparticles.  The third aim was to investigate a method for encoding hybrid polymer/gold nanoparticles for bioassays. A noble metal binding dye and protein binder will be coated into these nanoparticles. This will also further develop techniques associated with nano-assembly for use in biomedical research.

Research Interests :

»	novel biosensors based on polymer/gold nanoparticles which are encoded with molecular barcodes

 

Selected Publications:

• Merican, Z., Schiller, T.L., Hawker, C.J., Fredericks, P.M. and Blakey, I. (2006).  Self assembly of hybrid polymer-gold nanoparticles for applications in bioassays.  12th International Conference on Surface and Colloid Science (12ICSCS), Beijing, China, 15-20 October.

• Merican, Z., Schiller, T.L., Hawker, C.J., Fredericks, P.M. and Blakey, I. (2006).  Synthesis and characterisation of hybrid polymer-gold nanoparticles: towards novel biosensors.  International Conference on Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Brisbane, Australia, 3-7 July.

• Schiller, T.L., Fredericks, P.M., Merican, Z. and Blakey, I. (2006). Characterisation of hybrid gold-polymer nanoparticles for use in bioassays.  International Conference on Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Brisbane, Australia, 3-7 July.

• Margetic, D., Dong, Z., Merican, Z., Officer, D., Hesheng, T., Warrener, R.N., Butler, D.N. and Gunter, M.J. (2006).  Molecular design and complexation properties of supramolecular bis-porphyrin ‘molecular tweezers’.  3rd International Symposium on Macro- and Supramolecular Architectures and Materials (MAM06): Practical Nano-Chemistry and Novel Approaches, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan, May 28-31.

• Gunter, M. J. and Merican, Z. (2005) Neutral donor-acceptor porphyrin-stoppered [2]rotaxanes.  Supramolecular Chemistry 17(7): 521-528 [IF: 1.751;  C: 0]

• Merican, Z. and Gunter, M.J. (2007).  Covalent functionalisation of porphyrin stoppers towards self-assembly of [2]rotaxanes.  Eur. J. Org. Chem. (manuscript in preparation)

• Merican, Z., Schiller, T.L., Hawker, C.J., Fredericks, P.M. and Blakey, I. (2007).  A novel method for the self assembly of polymer stabilized gold nanoparticles and their encoding with surface enhanced Raman dyes. Langmuir (manuscript in preparation).
  

Grants 2000-present :

2006    UQ New Staff Research Startup.  Z. Merican. 
$12,000


Other activities:

Awards: 2005 ARC Postdoctoral Research Fellowship; 2001-1998: ARC Postgraduate Research Award (UNE); 1997: K.G. Lewis Prize (UNE).