Dr David Beattie
Contact Details
Tel: +61 8 8302 3676
Fax: +61 8 8302 3683
Email: david.beattie@unisa.edu.au
Position
Senior Research Fellow
Qualifications
BSc(Hons) PhD Edinburgh UK
Background
David was educated in his home country of Scotland, obtaining his BSc
(Hons) degree in Chemical Physics and PhD in Chemistry from the University
of Edinburgh. After completing his studies, he undertook postdoctoral
research at the University of Oxford, during which time he was awarded a
British Ramsay Research Fellowship and spent two years as a tutor at Wadham
College. He took up the position of Research Fellow at the Ian Wark Research
Institute (The Wark), in November 2000. He was promoted to the level of
Senior Research Fellow in January 2007.
David’s main research interest is the adsorption and structure of molecules
at surfaces, and the relation of adsorption parameters to macroscopic
properties. His research spans a range of areas including mineral
processing, soil contamination, and nano- and biolubrication phenomena.
Throughout his research, he emphasizes the importance of in situ analysis of
adsorption, studying adsorbed molecules under ambient conditions (i.e. wet
systems). Doing so is critical if one is to gain insight into the adsorption
process, and the alteration of surface properties caused by the adsorption.
David has published 31 articles in leading chemical and engineering
journals, along with one book chapter and 12 conference proceedings
contributions. His research over the last 8 years has been the recipient of
more than $3 million in funding from the Australian Government, and
Australian and international industry. He has been recognized for his
research leadership by UniSA, through his selection to participate in the
inaugural UniSA Research Leadership Program. The program is the first of its
type in Australia, designed to develop mid-career researchers into the next
generation of research leaders.
David is also the South Australian representative on the Royal Australian
Chemical Institute (RACI) Colloid and Interface Science Division Committee.
He plays an active role in the Division and the Australian colloid science
community, with organizing roles in the Division’s two major conference
series (the Australian Colloid and Interface Symposia, and the Australian
Colloid and Surface Science Student Conference series).
Current Projects
Polymers at Minerals Interfaces – ARC Linkage Project (Lead CI)
AMSRI (Australian Mineral Science Research Institute) – ARC Linkage Project
Recent Journal Publications
1. ‘In Situ Particle Film ATR-FTIR Spectroscopy of CMC Adsorption on Talc:
Binding Mechanism, pH Effects, and Adsorption Kinetics’, L. T. Cuba-Chiem,
L. Huynh, J. Ralston, D. A. Beattie, accepted for publication in Langmuir.
2. ‘Adsorption of Modified Dextrins on Talc: Effect of Surface Coverage and
Hydration Water on Hydrophobicity Reduction’, A. Mierczynska-Vasilev, J.
Ralston, D.A. Beattie, accepted for publication in Langmuir.
3. ‘In Situ Particle Film ATR-FTIR Studies of CMC Adsorption on Talc: The
Effect of Ionic Strength and Multivalent Metal Ions’, L. T. Cuba-Chiem, L.
Huynh, J. Ralston, D. A. Beattie, in press, Minerals Engineering.
4. ‘Copper and arsenate co-sorption at the mineral-water interfaces of
goethite and jarosite’, M. Gräfe, D.A. Beattie, E. Smith3, W.M. Skinner, B.
Singh, in press, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science.
5. ‘The Effect of Bulk Iron content on the Copper Activation of Sphalerite’,
S.L. Harmer, A. Mierczynska-Vasilev, D.A. Beattie, J.G. Shapter, in press,
Minerals Engineering.
6. ‘Light-Induced Aggregation of Colloidal Gold Nanoparticles Capped by
Thymine Derivatives’, J. Zhou, R. Sedev, D. Beattie, J. Ralston, Langmuir,
24, 2008, 4506-4511.
7. ‘Colloid Stability of Thymine Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles’, J.
Zhou, D. A. Beattie, J. Ralston, R. Sedev, Langmuir 23, 2007, 12096-12103.
8. ‘Synthesis and Surface Structure of Thymine-Functionalised,
Self-Assembled Monolayer Protected Gold Nanoparticles’, J. Zhou, D. A.
Beattie, R. Sedev, J. Ralston, Langmuir, 23, 2007, 9170-9177.
9. ‘The Effect of Modified Dextrins on the Depression of Talc and their
Selectivity in Sulphide Mineral Flotation: Adsorption Isotherms, AFM
Imaging, and Flotation Studies’ D.A. Beattie, L. Huynh, A.
Mierczynska-Vasilev, M. Myllynen, and J. Flatt, Canadian Metallurgical
Quarterly, 46(3), 349-358, 2007. Special issue to honour Professor Janusz
Laskowski.
10. ‘Raman Scattering from Confined Liquid Films in the Sub-nanometre
Regime’, D.A. Beattie, S.A. Winget, C.D. Bain., Tribology Letters, 27, 2007,
159-167.
11. ‘Direct Attachment of Well-Aligned Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube
Architectures to Silicon (100) Surfaces: A Simple Approach for Device
Assembly’, J. Yu, J.G. Shapter, J.S. Quinton, M.R. Johnston, D.A. Beattie.
Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 9(4), 2007, 510-520.
12. ‘In situ Total Internal Reflection Raman Spectroscopy of Surfactant
Adsorption at a Mineral Surface’, D.A. Beattie, M. Lidström Larsson, A.R.
Holmgren, Vibrational Spectroscopy, 41, 2006, 198-204.
13. ‘Sum-Frequency Spectroscopy of a Monolayer of Zinc Arachidate at the
Solid-Solid Interface’, D.A. Beattie, R. Fraenkel, S.A. Winget, A. Petersen,
C.D. Bain, Journal of Physical Chemistry B., 110, 2006, 2278-2292.
14. ‘Depression Mechanisms of Sodium Bisulphite in the Xanthate-induced
Flotation of Copper Activated Sphalerite’, T.N. Khmeleva, J.K. Chapelet, W.
Skinner and D.A. Beattie, International Journal of Mineral Processing, 79,
2006, 61-75.
15. ‘Influence of Adsorbed Polysaccharides and Polyacrylamides on Talc
Flotation’, D.A. Beattie, L. Huynh, G.B.N. Kaggwa, and J. Ralston,
International Journal of Mineral Processing, 78, 2006, 238-249.
16. ‘An In Situ ATR-FTIR Study of Polyacrylamide Adsorption at the Talc
Surface’, L.T. Chiem, L. Huynh, J. Ralston, and D.A. Beattie, Journal of
Colloid and Interface Science, 297, 2006, 54-61.
17. ‘The Effect of Polysaccharides and Polyacrylamides on the Depression of
Talc and the Flotation of Sulphide Minerals’ D.A. Beattie, L. Huynh, G.B.N.
Kaggwa, and J. Ralston. Minerals Engineering, 19, 2006 598-608.
18. ‘Effect of Polyphosphate and Naphthalene Sulfonate Formaldehyde
Condensate on the Rheological Properties of Dewatered Tailings and Cemented
Paste Backfill’, L. Huynh, D.A. Beattie, D. Fornasiero, and J. Ralston,
Minerals Engineering, 19, 2006, 28-36.
19. ‘XPS and ToF-SIMS Study of a Chalcopyrite-Pyrite-Sphalerite Mixture
Treated with Xanthate and Sodium Bisulphite’, T.N. Khmeleva, T.V. Georgiev,
M. Jasieniak, W.M. Skinner and D.A. Beattie, Surface and Interface Analysis,
37, 2005, 699–709.
‘Depressing Mechanisms of Sodium Bisulphite in the Collectorless Flotation
of Copper-activated Sphalerite’, T.N. Khmeleva, W. Skinner and D.A. Beattie,
International Journal of Mineral Processing, 76, 2005, 43–53.