5th International Congress of Chemists and Chemical Engineers of Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Society of Chemists and Technologists of CantonSarajevo and the University of Sarajevo - Faculty of Science has successfully organized the5th International Congress of Chemists and Chemical Engineers of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Congress was held from June 27 to June 30, 2024 at the Radon Plaza Hotel, Sarajevo.

This Congress represents the continuation of the international cooperation of researchers from various fields of chemistry, chemical technologies, environmental chemistry and related fields, where the latest achievements and challenges in many branches of chemistry were presented. Renowned scientists have delivered special lectures encouraging dialogue and academic networking in order to facilitate further research opportunities and establish lasting connections between educational and scientific-research institutions.

The following lectures were given by invited speakers:

1. Dr. Emira Kahrović (University of Sarajevo - Faculty of Science, Academy of Sciences and Arts, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina): Tumor Selective Ru(III) Schiff Bases Complexes, Discrimination of Ru(III)/Ru(II) Complexes in Solution: A DFT Study
2. Dr. Stefan Wuttke (Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao; Spain): Reticular Nanoscience: Bottom-Up Assembly Nanotechnology
3. Dr. Walter Goessler(University of Graz, Graz, Austria): Element Accumulation in Mushrooms
4. Dr. Sanja Grgurić-Šipka (University of Belgrade, Faculty of Chemistry, Belgrade; Serbia): Ruthenium Complexes as Antitumor Agents – Current Status and Perspective
5. Dr. Demetrio M. Milea (Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Biologiche, Farmaceutiche ed Ambientali, Italy): The “Pure Water” Model, a New/Old Approach for the Medium and Ionic Strength Dependence of Formation Constants
6. Dr. Sunčica Roca (Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb; Croatia): Characterization of Silver(I) Complexes with Halo-Substituted Pyridine Derivatives in Solution and in the Solid State
7. Dr. Anita Đonlić(Princeton University, New Jersey, USA): A Chemical Biology Toolkit to Understand and Target Biomolecular Condensates
8. Dr. Milutin Smiljanić (National Institute of Chemistry Ljubljana; Slovenia): Understanding the Activity and Stability of Electrocatalytic Materials
9. Dr. Maitham Abbas Ali Khajah (Kuwait University, Kuwait): Anti-inflammatory Effects of Onion Bulb Extract in the Murine DSS-Colitis Mode.

The Congress was attended by 125 participants from different countries of the world, with 11 oral and 101 poster presentations presented.

Awards (in cash) for three best student poster presentations and one best oral presentation were sponsored by the Royal Society of Chemistry. Three-member judging committee (Dr. Stefan Wuttke (Spain), Dr. Demetrio Milea (Italy) and Dr. Milutin Smiljanić (Slovenia)), awarded the students who presented their research in the best way, after discussion with each competitor. Students from the Chemistry Department of the University of Sarajevo - Faculty of Science awarded for their poster presentations were:

1. Emina Očuz, 1st study cycle - mentor: prof. dr. Adnan Zahirović;
2. Amina Huko, 2nd study cycle – mentor: prof. dr. Jelena Ostojić;
3. Enis Šuta, 3rd study cycle - mentor: prof. dr. Nevzeta Ljubijankić.

The award for the best student oral presentation went to Ana-Maria Blečić, a student of the third study cycle from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka and mentored by prof. dr.  Srećko Valić.

Two more cash prizes were awarded under the auspices of the Nenad M. Kostić Foundation for Chemical Sciences. The awarded poster presentations were:

1. Zahirović, A., Fetahović, S., Višnjevac, A., Žilić, D., Bešta-Gajević, R., Dahija, S. Roca, S. Crystallographic Evidence of Oxidative Dehydrogenation in Copper(II) Complexes of Schiff Bases Derived from Salicylaldehyde and 8-Aminoquinoline: Synthesis, Characterization, and Antimicrobial Activity
2. Jurko, L., Makuc, D., Štern, A., Žegura, B., Plavec, J., Radić, J., Bošković, P., Kargl, R. Eco-Friendly Quaternization of 2-Hydroxyethyl Cellulose: Structural Characterization and Multifunctional Applications

We would like to thank our sponsors: Ministry of Science, Higher Education and Youth of Sarajevo Canton, Federal Ministry of Education and Science, Royal Society of Chemistry, Zeochem, Mikro+Polo, MPS Lab, Euro Lab, ECP, Semikem, Dijal M, Soldo Metali, Altium, Kefo, Nenad M. Kostić Foundation for Chemical Sciences.

More detailed information about the Congress can be found on the website https://icccebih.dktks.ba/ .