Professor Nelson Torto

Professor Nelson Torto BSc Hons (UMIST), MSc (Botswana),PhD (Lund)

Professor of Analytical Chemistry and Head of Department

Provisional IUPAC Member for Division V, 2008 ACS award winner for separation science, SEANAC Secretary General, 2008 Merit Award Nigerian Chemical Society (Osun State Chapter) 

My group‘s current research is focussed on development of sampling and sample handling strategies (in-situ sampling, in-situ clean-up, in-situ pre-concentration, on-line and at-line introduction to high pressure driven separation techniques and various types of detection systems) for biotechnological (carbohydrates), pharmaceutical and environmental samples. Our approach aims to produce analytical systems that have good selectivity, as well as sensitivity to enable their application to small sample volumes in complex matrices. We employ various sampling, sample clean-up and pre-concentration techniques including; solid phase extraction (SPE), solid phase micro-extraction (SPME), microdialysis sampling, and molecular imprinted polymers (MIPs). Because we recognise biological systems to possess natural selectivity, electrospun nano fibres are employed to build selective sampling systems with specific moieties for both environmental and pharmaceutical samples.

Contact Information Tel: +27 46 603 8924;  Secretary +27 46 603 8254/5; Fax: +2746 6225109
Postal Address: Department of Chemistry, Rhodes University, PO Box 94, Grahamstown, 6140, SOUTH AFRICA.

Courier Address: Room F40 Department of Chemistry, Cnr of University and Artillery Roads, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6140, SOUTH AFRICA.

Email Address: n.torto@ru.ac.za