WA Branch Chemaraderie – July 22nd 2025
Molecular Solids on Titan, a Moon of Saturn
Associate Professor Dino Spagnoli
School of Molecular Science, University of Western Australia, WA, Australia
Email: dino.spagnoli@uwa.edu.au
Abstract
NASA’s Dragonfly Rotorcraft is due to take off from Earth in July 2028 and arrive on the moon Titan in 2034. The mission aims to achieve the first powered and fully controlled atmospheric flight and to study the prebiotic chemistry on the Solar System's second-largest moon. Titan is unique in our Solar System as it is the only known moon to have an atmosphere thicker than Earth and clear evidence of stable bodies of liquids. When Dragonfly arrives, what types of molecular solids and liquids will it discover? In this talk, I will discuss the current understanding of the conditions and atmospheric chemistry on Titan. I wil
l explore the current theories of the types of molecular solids and organic liquids thought to be present on the surface of the moon. I will describe the research taking place at UWA, where we have investigated the types of molecular co-crystals that could be found on the surface using high-pressure X-ray crystallography and periodic density functional theory simulations. This talk will conclude by hypothesizing on the types of molecular solids Dragonfly may find when it lands on Titan.
Biography
Dino Spagnoli is an Associate Professor in the School of Molecular Science, UWA. Originally from the UK, Dino has a Masters in Chemistry with a year in industry from the University of Kent and a PhD from the University of Bath. He completed postdoctoral research positions at the University of California, Berkeley and Curtin University before taking up a lectureship position from UWA in 2008. His research interests in the field of computational materials chemistry include the application of atomistic simulations to the structure and stability of ionic and molecular solids. Dino is the current chair of the RACI Chemic
al Education Division. He was awarded the 2022 Wilf Ewers Citation for services to the profession of chemistry in WA and 2024 Chemical Education Division Medal.
Evening details
Date: Tuesday 22nd July
Time: 5.30pm Refreshments and registration
6.00pm Presentation
To be followed by more networking, and light catering
Venue: ChemCentre, Exhibition Space, Building 500, Curtin University.
Cost: Free (Please RSVP)
