Nia Gray-Wannell
Nia graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2011 with a Masters in Chemistry with Industrial Experience, as part of her degree Nia spent one year working in the James Hutton Institute conducting work on PLFAs using GC-C-IRMS. Nia’s masters dissertation was focused on carbon nanotube research and was entitled “Functionalisation of multi-walled carbon nanotubes with ethylenediamine”.
After graduating Nia spent time in France as part of the EU funded Leonardo Da Vinci scheme and worked in scientific communications for a pharmaceutical company before returning to the UK and a job as a reserach assistant in the XRD department at the James Hutton Institute. As part of the research assistant role Nia conducted commerical analysis using XRD and ancillory techniques. In addition, Nia worked on various method development projects, the most used being the now UKAS accredited cobalt hexammine trichloride CEC method. Nia began a PhD in July 2017 funded by the MDT and in collaboration with the James Hutton Institute, Swansea Univeristy and Durham University entitled "Surface chemistry of halloysite nanotubes."
Conference/meeting presentations:
- 2015: Euroclay, Edinburgh - Oral presentation - "An investigation into the pH effects on the CEC of halloysite."
- 2017: Clay Minerals Group, Research in Progress meeting - Oral presentation - "The adsoprtion of phosphate by halloysite nanotubes."
- 2017: International Clay Conference (ICC), Granada - Oral presentation - "The adsorption of phosphate by halloysite nanotubes."
- 2019: Macaulay Development Trust lecture, poster- "Surface chemistry of kaolin minerals."
- 2018: Mid-European Clay Conference (MECC), Zagreb - Oral presentation - "Investigation of the surface sites of tubular halloysite using phosphate anions."
- 2019: Euroclay, Paris - Oral presentation - "Aspects of the surface and internal structure of halloysite nanotubes as revealed by various microscopy methods."
- 2019: Macaulay Development Trust lecture, poster - "Use of neutron scattering and diffraction to study interlayer water in halloysite nanotubes."
Committees and professional accreditations:
- Registered scientist with the RSC
- 2017-2019 - Ordinary member of the Aberdeen and North East Local Section of the Royal Society of Chemistry
- 2019-current - Secretary for the Aberdeen and North East Local Section of the Royal Society of Chemistry
Current research interests
PhD Studentship
Surface Chemistry of Kaolin Clay Minerals and the Prediction of Soil Adsorption Properties
Past research
Nia’s work involved both commercial and research projects employing the technique of X-Ray Powder Diffraction.
Bibliography
- Gray-Wannell, N.; Holliman, P.J.; Greenwell, H.C.; Delbos, E.; Hillier, S. (2020) Adsorption of phosphate by halloysite (7 angstrom) nanotubes (HNTs)., Clay Minerals, 55, 184-193.
- Ta, C.A.K.; Pebsworth, P.A.; Liu, R.; Hillier, S.; Gray, N.; Arnason, J.T.; Young, S.L. (2018) Soil eaten by chacma baboons adsorbs polar plant secondary metabolites representative of those found in their diet., Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 40, 803-813.
- Mayor, D.J.; Gray, N.B.; Hattich, G.S.I.; Thornton, B. (2017) Detecting the presence of fish farm-derived organic matter at the seafloor using stable isotope analysis of phospholipid fatty acids., Scientific Reports, 7, Article No. 5146.
- Gray, N.; Lumsdon, D.G.; Hillier, S. (2016) Effect of pH on the cation exchange capacity of some halloysites nanotubes., Clay Minerals, 51, 373-383.
- Hillier, S.; Brydson, R.; Delbos, E.; Fraser, T.; Gray, N.; Pendlowski, H.; Phillips, I.; Robertson, J.; Wilson, I. (2016) Correlations among the mineralogical and physical properties of halloysite nanotubes (HNTs)., Clay Minerals, 51, 325-350.
- Ceci, A.; Rhee, Y.J.; Kierans, M.; Hillier, S.; Pendlowski, H.; Gray, N.; Persiani, A.M.; Gadd, G.M. (2015) Transformation of vanadinite (Pb5(VO4)3Cl) by fungi., Environmental Microbiology, 17, 2018-2034.
- L.iang, X.J.; Hillier, S.; Pendlowski, H.; Gray, N.; Ceci, A.; Gadd, G.M. (2015) Uranium phosphate biomineralization by fungi., Environmental Microbiology, 17, 2064-2075.
- Mayor, D.J.; Gray, N.B.; Elver-Evans, J.; Midwood, A.J.; Thornton, B. (2013) Metal-macrofauna interactions determine microbial community structure and function in copper contaminated sediments., PLoS ONE, 8, Article No. e64940.
- Hillier, S.; Pendlowski, H.; Fraser, T.; Robertson, J.; Delbos, E.; Phillips, I.; Gray, N.; Wilson, I. (2013) Tubular halloysite., Minerals for Life, Appleton Tower, Edinburgh, 17-19 June 2013.
- Gromov, A.V.; Gray, N.; Szilagyi, P.A.; Campbell, E.E.B. (2012) Direct grafting of carbon nanotubes with ethylenediamine., Journal of Materials Chemistry, 22, 21242-21248.
- Gray-Wannell, N.; Holliman, P.J.; Greenwell, H.C.; Delbos, E.; Hillier, S. (2020) Adsorption of phosphate by halloysite (7 angstrom) nanotubes (HNTs)., Clay Minerals, 55, 184-193.
- Ta, C.A.K.; Pebsworth, P.A.; Liu, R.; Hillier, S.; Gray, N.; Arnason, J.T.; Young, S.L. (2018) Soil eaten by chacma baboons adsorbs polar plant secondary metabolites representative of those found in their diet., Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 40, 803-813.
- Mayor, D.J.; Gray, N.B.; Hattich, G.S.I.; Thornton, B. (2017) Detecting the presence of fish farm-derived organic matter at the seafloor using stable isotope analysis of phospholipid fatty acids., Scientific Reports, 7, Article No. 5146.
- Gray, N.; Lumsdon, D.G.; Hillier, S. (2016) Effect of pH on the cation exchange capacity of some halloysites nanotubes., Clay Minerals, 51, 373-383.
- Hillier, S.; Brydson, R.; Delbos, E.; Fraser, T.; Gray, N.; Pendlowski, H.; Phillips, I.; Robertson, J.; Wilson, I. (2016) Correlations among the mineralogical and physical properties of halloysite nanotubes (HNTs)., Clay Minerals, 51, 325-350.
- Ceci, A.; Rhee, Y.J.; Kierans, M.; Hillier, S.; Pendlowski, H.; Gray, N.; Persiani, A.M.; Gadd, G.M. (2015) Transformation of vanadinite (Pb5(VO4)3Cl) by fungi., Environmental Microbiology, 17, 2018-2034.
- L.iang, X.J.; Hillier, S.; Pendlowski, H.; Gray, N.; Ceci, A.; Gadd, G.M. (2015) Uranium phosphate biomineralization by fungi., Environmental Microbiology, 17, 2064-2075.
- Mayor, D.J.; Gray, N.B.; Elver-Evans, J.; Midwood, A.J.; Thornton, B. (2013) Metal-macrofauna interactions determine microbial community structure and function in copper contaminated sediments., PLoS ONE, 8, Article No. e64940.
- Gromov, A.V.; Gray, N.; Szilagyi, P.A.; Campbell, E.E.B. (2012) Direct grafting of carbon nanotubes with ethylenediamine., Journal of Materials Chemistry, 22, 21242-21248.
- Hillier, S.; Pendlowski, H.; Fraser, T.; Robertson, J.; Delbos, E.; Phillips, I.; Gray, N.; Wilson, I. (2013) Tubular halloysite., Minerals for Life, Appleton Tower, Edinburgh, 17-19 June 2013.
- Gray, N.; Hillier, S; Lumsdon, D.G; Holliman, P.; Gresswell, C. (2018) Adsorption/desorption of phosphate anions by halloysite nanotubes (HNTs)., The James Hutton Institute PhD Student Retreat, Birnam, Dunkeld, 8 March 2018. (Poster).
- Hillier, S.; Pendlowski, H.; Fraser, T.; Robertson, J.; Delbos, E.; Phillips, I.; Gray, N.; Wilson, I. (2015) Correlations among mineralogical and physical properties of halloysite nano-tubes (HNTs)., Euroclay 2015 Conference, Edinburgh University, 5-10 July 2015.
