Prof Michael James
Staff Profile
Role at ANSTO
Professor Michael James is currently seconded from the Bragg Institute to the Australian Synchrotron in Melbourne, as Head of Science. Prior to 2013, he had been an instrument scientist for the PLATYPUS neutron reflectometer. He received his B.Sc. from the University of Sydney, and PhD in inorganic chemistry from the University of Cambridge (UK), where he investigated new classes of magnetic and superconducting ceramics. Postdoctoral positions followed at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (UK), and the University of Nagoya (Japan).
He built Australia’s first neutron reflectometer at the 10 MW HIFAR reactor at ANSTO, and developed a SAXS and X-ray reflectometry facility, before leading the design, construction and operation of the $4 million PLATYPUS time-of-flight neutron reflectometer at Australia’s OPAL 20 MW research reactor.
Other roles at ANSTO included leading the Chemical Deuteration Laboratory and in 2007 he was appointed a visiting Professor with the School of Chemistry at the University of New South Wales. In January 2013, he took-up the role of Head of Science at the Australian Synchrotron.
During his career he has worked in numerous areas of neutron and X-ray scattering, including instrumentation, solid state chemistry, powder diffraction from molecular and magnetic materials; as well as reflectometry from nanoscale thin films, chemical and biological sensors, and molecular interactions with biomimetic cellular membranes.
Other current research interests include the study of organic photovoltaics and organic light-emitting diodes. He has published more than 130 peer-reviewed scientific papers.
Publications
2013 Publications
D. Pelliccia, S. Kandasamy and M. James, “Characterization of thin films for X-ray and neutron waveguiding by X-ray reflectivity and atomic force microscopy”, Physica Status Solidi A, Published On-line 21st August, 2013. DOI: 10.1002/pssa.201330113
T. A. Darwish, E. Luks, G. Moraes, N. R. Yepuri, P. J. Holden, and M. James, “Synthesis of Deuterated Oleic Acid-d32 and its Phospholipid Derivative DOPC-d64”, Journal of Labelled Compounds and Radiopharmaceuticals, Published On-line July 16th (2013). DOI: 10.1002/jlcr.3088
F. H. Scholes, T. Ehlig, M. James, K. H. Lee, N. Duffy, A. D. Scully, T. B. Singh, K. N. Winzenberg, P. Kemppinen and S. E. Watkins, “Intraphase Microstructure–Understanding the Impact on Organic Solar Cell Performance”, Advanced Functional Materials, Published On-line May 16th 2013.
H.-H. Shen, V. Lake, M. James, A. P. Le Brun, L. Waddington, Y. Peng, K. M. McLean and P. G. Hartley, “Targeted Detection of Phosphatidylserine in Biomimetic Membranes and In Vitro Cell Systems Using Annexin-Containing Cubosomes”, Biomaterials, 34, 8361–8369 (2013).
N. Mills, M. James and A. Peele, “The Evolution of the Australian Synchrotron”, Synchrotron Radiation News, 26, 16-23, (2013). DOI: 10.1080/08940886.2013.812446
K. Shin, M. James, H. S. Nalwa, Opportunities and Challenges at Chemical and Biological Interfaces, Journal of Chemical and Biological Interfaces, 1, 64-67 (2013). DOI: 10.1166/jcbi.2013.1004
A. P. Le Brun, T. A. Darwish, and M. James, Studies of Biomimetic Cellular Membranes Using Neutron Reflection, Journal of Chemical and Biological Interfaces, 1, 3-24 (2013). DOI: 10.1166/jcbi.2013.1005
P. E. Shaw, H. Cavaye, S. S. Y. Chen, M. James, I. R. Gentle and P. L. Burn, “The binding and fluorescence quenching efficiency of nitroaromatic (explosive) vapors in fluorescent carbazole dendrimer thin films.”, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 15, 9845-9853 (2013). DOI: 10.1039/C3CP51372f
S. Ciampi, M. James, M. H. Choudhury, N. Darwish, J. J. Gooding, “The Detailed Characterization of Electrochemically Switchable Modular Molecular Assemblies on Silicon Electrodes”, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 15, 9879-9890 (2013).
A. Ge, H. L. Wu, T. A. Darwish, M. James, M. Osawa, and S. Ye, Structure and Lateral Interaction in Mixed Monolayers of Dioctadecyldimethyl Ammonium Chloride (DOAC) and Stearyl Alcohol, Langmuir, 29, 5407–5417 (2013). DOI: 10.1021/la400143k
T. Saerbeck, D. L. Cortie, S. Brück, J. Bertinshaw, S. A. Holt, A. Nelson, M. James, W. T. Lee and F. Klose, “Time-of-Flight Polarized Neutron Reflectometry on PLATYPUS: Status and Future Developments”, Physics Procedia, 42, 213 – 217 (2013).
N. R. Yepuri, S. A. Jamieson, T. A. Darwish, A. Rawal, J. M. Hook, P. Thordarson, P. J. Holden and M. James, “Synthesis of per-deuterated alkyl amines for preparation of deuterated organic pyromellitamide gelators”, Tetrahedron Letters, 54(20), 2538-2541 (2013).
K. H. Lee, Y. Zhang, P. L. Burn, I. R. Gentle, M. James, A. Nelson, and P. Meredith,, “Correlation of Diffusion and Performance in Sequentially Processed P3HT/PCBM Heterojunction Films by Time-Resolved Neutron Reflectometry”, Journal of Materials Chemistry C, 1, 2593-2598 (2013).
M. Dimitrijev-Dwyer, L. He, M. James, A. Nelson, and A. P. J. Middelberg, “Insights into the role of protein molecule size and structure on interfacial properties using designed sequences”, Journal of the Royal Society: Interface, 10, 20120987 (2013). DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2012.0987
D. I. Fernandez, A. P. Le Brun, T.-H. Lee, P. Bansal, M.-I. Aguilar, M. James and F. Separovic, “Structural Studies of the Antimicrobial Peptide Maculatin 1.1 in Supported Lipid Bilayers”, European Biophysics Journal, 42, 47–59 (2013). DOI: 10.1007/s00249-012-0796-6
C. Tao, M. Aljada, P. E. Shaw, K. H. Lee, H. Cavaye, M. Balfour, R. Borthwick, M. James, P. L. Burn, I. R. Gentle and P. Meredith, “Controlling Hierarchy in Solution-processed Polymer Solar Cells based on Crosslinked P3HT”, Advanced Energy Materials, 3, 105-112 (2013). DOI: 10.1002/aenm.201200394
J.-P. Veder, K. Patel, J. Lee, M. T. Alam, M. James, A. Nelson and R. De Marco, “Is Ballistic Transportation or Quantum Confinement Responsible for Changes in the Electrical Properties of Thin Polymer Films?”, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 15, 1364-1368 (2013).
2012 Publications
B. Guan, S. Ciampi, E. Luais, M. James, P. J. Reece, J. J. Gooding, “Depth-resolved Chemical Modification of Porous Silicon by Wavelength-tuned Irradiation”, Langmuir, 28(44), 15444−15449 (2012). DOI: 10.1021/la303649u
D. I. Fernandez, A. P. Le Brun, T. C. Whitwell, M.-A. Sani, M. James and F Separovic, “The antimicrobial peptide aurein 1.2 disrupts model membranes via the carpet mechanism”, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 14(45), 15739-15751 (2012).
T. A. Darwish, Y. Tong, M. James, T. L. Hanley, Q. Peng and S. Ye, “Characterizing the Photoinduced Switching Process of a Nitrospiropyran Self-Assembled Monolayer Using In Situ Sum Frequency Generation Spectroscopy”, Langmuir, 28(39), 13852-13860 (2012). DOI: 10.1021/la302204f
D. L. Cortie, K-W. Lin, C. Shueh, X. L. Wang, M. James, H. Fritzsche, S. Brück, and F. Klose, “Exchange bias in a nanocrystalline hematite/permalloy thin film investigated with polarised neutron reflectometry”, Physical Review B, 86(5), 054408 (2012).
T. Saerbeck, F. Klose, A.P. Le Brun, J. Füzi, A. Brule, A. Nelson, S. Holt, and M. James, “Polarization ‘Down Under’: The polarized time of flight neutron reflectometer PLATYPUS”, Review of Scientific Instruments, 83, 081301 (2012). DOI: 10.1063/1.4738579 Cover of Journal
D. Hong, Y. Yoon, K. Shin, M. James, G. Tae, “Mimicking the receptor-aided binding of HIV-1 Tat protein transduction domains onto phospholipid monolayers at the air/water interface”, Soft Matter, 8(33), 8616-8623 (2012). DOI: 10.1039/c2sm25885d Cover of Journal
P.-W. Yang, T.-L. Lin, I-T. Liu, Y. Hu and M. James, “In-situ Neutron Reflectivity Studies on the Adsorption of DNA by Charged Diblockcopolymer Monolayer at the Air-water Interface”, Soft Matter, 8(27), 7161-7168 (2012). DOI: 10.1039/c2sm25297j (IF: 4.39)
M. Dimitrijev-Dwyer, L. He, M. James, A. Nelson, L. Wang, A. P. J. Middelberg, “The effects of acid hydrolysis on protein biosurfactant molecular, interfacial, and foam properties: pH responsive protein hydrolysates”, Soft Matter, 8(19), 5131-5139 (2012). (IF: 4.39)
A. P. Le Brun, J. Y. H. Chow, A. Nelson, A. S. Weiss and M. James, “Molecular Orientation of Tropoelastin is Determined by Surface Hydrophobicity”, Biomacromolecules, 13(2), 379-386 (2012). DOI: 10.1021/bm201404x
A. R. G. Smith, K. H. Lee, A. Nelson, M. James, P. L. Burn and I. R. Gentle, “Diffusion – the Hidden Menace in Organic Optoelectronic Devices”, Advanced Materials, 24(6), 822-826 (2012). DOI: 10.1002/adma.201104029
T. A. Darwish, A. R. G. Smith, I. R. Gentle, P. L. Burn, E. Luks, G. Moraes, M. Gillon, P. J. Holden and M. James, “Deuteration of conjugated aromatic heterocycles for morphological studies of organic light emitting devices”, Tetrahedron Letters, 53, 931–935 (2012).
S. Ciampi, M. James, G. Le Saux, K. Gaus, and J. J. Gooding, “Electrochemical ‘Switching’ of Silicon(100) Modular Assemblies”, Journal of the American Chemical Society, 134, 844-847 (2012). DOI: 10.1021/ja210048x
J.-P. Veder, K. Patel, M. Sohail, S. P. Jiang, M. James, R. De Marco, “An Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy/Neutron Reflectometry Study of Water Uptake in the Poly(3,4-Ethylenedioxythiophene): Poly(Styrene Sulfonate)/Polymethyl Methacrylate-Polydecyl Methacrylate Copolymer Solid-Contact Ion-Selective Electrode”, Electroanalysis, 24(1), 140-145 (2012). DOI: 10.1002/elan.201100524