39th International Conference on Coordination Chemistry

Event: 39th International Conference on Coordination Chemistry
Delegates: 405 delegates from 40 countries
Destination: Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Duration: July 2010

Since 1950, the bi-annual International Conference on Coordination Chemistry (ICCC) has been the central meeting of coordination chemists from all over the world.

This year, the 39th conference in the series was brought to Australia for the third time – after the Gold Coast (1989) and Sydney (1969). More than 400 chemists from 40 countries travelled to Adelaide for the conference to report on the latest progress in coordination chemistry.

Kevin Wainwright, Professor of Chemistry at Flinders University, Adelaide, and Deputy Chair of the conference said the key to the success of the conference was the high calibre of presenters and discussion generated among delegates.

“The conference had an outstanding program, including presentations from the world’s leading coordination chemists. It provided a forum to showcase the latest research and developments in the field, an opportunity for knowledge sharing, collaboration and healthy debate, all of which are instrumental in the way science moves forward,” Professor Wainwright said.

Presentations demonstrated the diversity of modern coordination chemistry today and how it can be applied to address some of the pressing concerns of the 21st century.

“It’s these types of applications that are vital to improving the quality of life and the development of sustainable industry. We are pleased that we were able to attract such an impressive line-up of globally leading chemists to share their research,” Professor Wainwright said.

Each conference in the ICCC series moves to a different host city, selected due to the active involvement of local scientists and their national associations, and the city’s suitability to host the event. After a rigorous selection process, Adelaide was named as the successful bidder to host the 39th conference, eight years in advance of the event.

Adelaide’s selection was a tribute to the high distinction and prominence of the local coordinating team, led by conference Chair Stephen Lincoln, Professor of the School of Chemistry and Physics and the Research Institute for Climate Change and Sustainability at the University of Adelaide, and others including Professor Wainwright.