QUB Centre Heads For The Moon

The world's first centre in the world to focus on the development of ionic liquids has now been opened in Belfast - and it is already planning a moon-based project.

Researchers at Petronas Laboratory at Queen’s University's QUILL (Queen's University Ionic Liquids Laboratories) Research Centre are currently part of a new project which will involve the task of helping put a telescope on the moon in 2018.

The Minister for Employment and Learning, Sir Reg Empey, officially opened the new QUILL Research Centre this week and said it was the first research centre in the world to focus on the development of these ionic liquids. It is now the leading centre worldwide.

A total of £5.25 million is to be provided by the company over a three-year period, funded through UTP (Universitiy Teknologi Petronas), the private university set up and owned by Petronas.

Commenting on this cutting edge work, Sir Reg said: "The advanced research involved to find and develop an ionic liquid which will remain liquid at lunar temperatures and which can also be coated with a layer of metal to make a reflector is demonstrably a case of what once would have been regarded as science fiction becoming very much a reality as science fact.

"This work is proof that with over one million possible ionic liquids, the usage possibilities are endless and I am very proud that a Northern Ireland based research centre is at the forefront of understanding this leading edge technology and, critically, how it can be exploited for real economic and environmental benefit across the world."

Speaking at the event the Minister said: "In Government, we consider the work of QUILL to be an exemplar of industry and academic collaboration, not just for Northern Ireland but for the United Kingdom as a whole.

"The ground-breaking work of QUILL continues to receive worldwide acclaim within its area of research expertise, and I welcome the financial support and commitment that Petronas has given to the project."

(BMcC)