Don obtained his B Sc M Sc and Ph D degrees from the University of Queensland. He has worked in industry and conducted collaborative research at the University of New York and at SRI International. A long period of involvement in administration severely curtailed his research activity until recently
Research Interests
Initial research involved mechanistic studies of main group organometallics but interests soon broadened to include the fundamental structure of coal molecules and the development of novel heterolytic processes for the liquefaction of coal and oil shale.
Current reseach interests are in organic chemistry and analytical organic chemistry of relevance to Tasmanian industries and include the analysis of pyrethrum extracts, an investigation of fungal metabolites of morphine akaloids, and characterization control of dioxin emission from sintering processes.
Don teaches an introductory general chemistry unit catering for students with no background in Chemistry as well as the organic component of mainstream first year chemistry.
He teaches applied organic chemistry to Engineering students and an introductory course in Chromatography to second years.
