Jim Johnston

Biography

Professor Jim Johnston has a Personal Chair in Chemistry in the School of Chemical and Physical Sciences at Victoria University of Wellington. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand and a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry. His research programmes are positioned at the university-industry interface and are concerned with the innovative development of new materials and nanofunctionalised materials and new chemical process technologies. They include the use of nanogold and nanosilver are used as unique colourfast colourants and provide antimicrobial functionality on NZ wool for high value fashion apparel, upholstery textiles and carpets for international luxury markets.; nano-structured calcium silicate products and their industry applications; enhanced energy recovery from geothermal waters; and the use of wet air oxidation for treating organic waste streams. This has resulted in two new start up companies: Noble Bond Ltd to commercialize the nanogold and nanosilver wool technologies and products internationally, and Wetox Ltd to commercialize the wet air oxidation technology. He has published 140 research papers and is the inventor on 15 patents. Professor Johnston’s successes in the research and development and application of these innovative science and technology programmes have been recognised by him being awarded of the following prizes: 2007    NZ Institute of Chemistry “Industrial Chemistry Prize”. 2008    Wellingtonian of the Year 2008 (Science and Technology) 2009    The Bayer Innovation Award (Research and Development) 2011    Named one of New Zealand’s “40 Farm Thinkers” 2011    Victoria University of Wellington Research Excellence Award  

Research Interest

Chemical & Physical Sciences