Blaine Fiss, PhD

A pair of MM400 mixer mills with images of R2-D2 and C-3PO on the front to act as labels

The Dasog Research Lab has a history of naming lab equipment (it makes booking easier).

Being such strong Star Wars fans, I feel like we picked the right duo. (Insert some cheesy pun about using "The Force" in our chemistry)!

#mechanochemistry #greenchemistry

Like weird metal clusters? Our latest work shows an unprecedented "open" Sb8 cluster, out now as a HOT article in the Main Group issue of @inorgchemfront.rsc.org! Congrats to MSc student Mitch on his 1st first auth paper!
cc Chemistry @uvic.ca @dalchemistry.bsky.social
pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...

I ran into this earlier this month. Was told the expected shipping date was April 2039

Poster bearing the UofT department of Chemistry logo, a photo of a lecturer, and the same info, time/date and links as the text of this social post.

Analytical Seminar Series: Professor Sanela Martic from Trent University will present “Diverse Stories of Electrochemistry,” on Thursday November 20, 2025, at 11:00 AM. Learn more at uoft.me/ChemSeminars

“Having that first example [of another wheelchair user in chemistry] spurred me to believe that [chemistry] is something I should pursue. The ground was broken when that happened.”
— Dr. Blaine Fiss ( @canukchemist.bsky.social ) of @dalhousieu.bsky.social

➡️ Listen now: bit.ly/3KRiW4g
#ChemSky

“This has to start with a conversation. If we stigmatize having open conversations or villainize others who want to learn, we silo people and hinder the path to making tangible effort.”
— Dr. Blaine Fiss ( @canukchemist.bsky.social ) of @dalhousieu.bsky.social

➡️ Listen now: bit.ly/3KRiW4g
#ChemSky

A major thank you to the Carbon to Metal Coating Institute (C2MCI, @c2mci.bsky.social) for inviting me to speak and to Eden Goodwin (@chemkid1.bsky.social) and Jordan Bentley for hosting me!

I am grateful for the fruitful discussions around actionable behaviour and the best steps moving forward.

In this #EDIICatalyst episode, Dr. Blaine Fiss ( @canukchemist.bsky.social ) of @dalhousieu.bsky.social joins us to discuss how his experiences as a chemist with cerebral palsy have shaped his approach to accessibility, mentorship, and innovation in the lab.

➡️ Listen now: bit.ly/3KRiW4g
#ChemSky

Very much looking forward to sharing my journey and (hopefully) some wisdom!

Thank you @c2mci.bsky.social for the invitation!

I hope that the community is able to expand on this discovery! We have more exciting work to come!

Grateful to the @killamtrusts.bsky.social, @dalchemistry.bsky.social, the leadership of Prof. Mita Dasog, all the Dasog lab, and the funding agencies for supporting this work!

Synthesis of Free‐Standing Alloyed Plasmonic ZrxHf1‐xN Nanoparticles This study highlights a facile synthesis of tunable plasmonic mixed-metal nitride (ZrxHf1-xN, 0 ≤ x ≤ 1) nanoparticles using commercially available precursors. These nanoparticles exhibit adjustable ...

This was a very unique and fun project and I'm thrilled to see it online in Small!

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Many lessons learned on the nuance and challenges faced when making alloyed nitride nanoparticles at high temperature.

Our work on PFAS degradation has been a massive team effort and would not be possible without the Dasog Research Lab, Mita Dasog and Sarah Martell (@smarty4.bsky.social)!

Congrats to all participants and award winners!

All participants of the Falling Walls Atlantic Canada lab standing in front of a screen with the logo and 'Congratulations'

Blaine Fiss presenting his opening slide for the Falling Walls Atlantic Canada Lab

Blaine Fiss standing in front of a screen with the Falling Walls Lab logo and 'Congratulations'

I am honoured to secure 2nd place in this years Atlantic Canada Falling Walls Lab! There were so many incredible pitches and walls being broken down!

@dalchemistry.bsky.social @killamtrusts.bsky.social

Years ago, when I began my journey in STEM, I never would have imagined chemists with disabilities like myself would ever been seen as "trailblazers".

Now, I am so grateful that the @acs.org and @cenmag.bsky.social have celebrated chemists with various disabilities in this years Trailblazers issue!

Anyone from the University of Montreal here? Please DM.

Please RT.

Happy Disability Pride Month!!

Remember you are loved this month and every other month 💜

Screenshot of Blain Fiss' talk "Bottom-up synthesis of ternary group IV nitride nanoparticles via halide metathesis" Mon. June 16th at 3 p.m. in Meeting room 201 for the Nanostructured Materials -Preparation and Characterization Symposium

I'm excited to be speaking on my recent work on mixed metal plasmonic nitride nanoparticles at the CSC2025 in a few days!

chemrxiv.org/engage/chemr...

Looking forward to catching up with old friends, and making new ones! #CSC2025 #Nano

Synthesis of Free-Standing Alloyed Plasmonic ZrxHf1-xN Nanoparticles Transition metal nitride nanomaterials are emerging as promising candidates for applications in photochemistry and plasmonics due to their stability and tunable optoelectronic properties. While single...

Excited to share my first paper (now on ChemRxiv) as a @killamtrusts.bsky.social postdoctoral fellow with the Dasog Lab. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first example of plasmonically tunable mixed metal nitride nanoparticles from a bottom-up approach.

chemrxiv.org/engage/chemr...

Congratulations! Glad everyone is healthy!

C&EN's Trailblazers

Nominate a chemist with disabilities for C&EN's Trailblazers 2025!

Please tell us about your chemistry heroes, mentors, mentees, and inspirations—or nominate yourself.
👉 cenm.ag/nominatetrai...

#chemsky 🧪 #phdsky #academicsky #STEM #phdchat #academicchatter

I'm helping lead @cenmag.bsky.social's Trailblazers 2025, and I want you 🫵 to nominate a chemist with disabilities for us to feature. Before June 4, fill out this form and recognize a chemist who inspires you: cenm.ag/nominatetrai...

Nominate this year's @cenmag.bsky.social Trailblazers! We will be featuring the work of chemists with disabilities and highlighting how they make their workspaces accessible. Before June 4, use this form to tell us about who inspires you—maybe even yourself? :)
forms.office.com/Pages/Respon...

A group of members from the CDI team at UBC and Blaine, sitting around a table at lunch.

Blaine standing in front of the main library on UBC's campus

View of the clocktower and old library at UBC

Totem pole present in the central mall of UBC

This week I enjoyed fruitful and thought-provoking discussions with the Chemists for Diversity and Inclusion UBC team and @chem.ubc.ca on both my latest research, as well as sharing my experiences and path as a chemist with cerebral palsy.

I am grateful for the invitation and hope to visit again!

Had a great discussion this morning giving a guest lecture on the use of mechanochemistry for inorganic materials synthesis! Many thanks to Matej Baláž for reaching out and giving me the honour to speak to your students.

Very cool new family of BN-organometallic polymers from Holger Helten's group at Wuerzburg!

chemistry-europe.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

I hope to continue this journey long into starting my own group, and will continue to work toward removing barriers in chemistry. A massive thank you also to Dreenan Shea and @smarty4.bsky.social for organizing at @dalhousieu.bsky.social this year!

Image taken from the audience of Blaine FIss opening his talk for the GWB 2025 at Dalhousie University.

From left to right, Blaine, Dreenan, Mita and Sarah posing together for the GWB2025 event at Dalhousie

Thankful and grateful for the opportunity to share my involvement with @csc-wide.bsky.social at this years IUPAC Global Women's Breakfast 2025. I am fortunate to have been mentored by three fantastic women in chemistry (@audreymoores.bsky.social, Johanna Blacquiere and now Mita Dasog).

Photo of BH library

Photo of Royal Society of Chemistry sign.

Join us as we celebrate the @iupac.bsky.social Global Women’s Breakfast! 🎉 Our day is packed with inspiring talks, presentations, discussions and networking online and in person. #GWB2025 #GWB

PowerPoint title slide showing "Mechanochemistry for Materials Chemistry" for the CHEM 4105/5105 course by Dr. Blaine Fiss at Dalhousie University

I am late in posting this, but incredibly honoured to have given a guest lecture on #mechanochemistry for the Inorganic Materials Synthesis course taught by Mita Dasog at Dalhousie! A great learning experience and I loved sharing the benefits, research directions that mechanochemical methods offer.

A Retsch MM400 mixer mill, sitting with the cover open on a lab bench

Beyond excited to have our new MM400 ball mill in the Dasog Research Lab @dalhousieu.bsky.social! Excited to put #mechanochemistry in action for clean material syntheses! Many thanks to RETSCH and Fisher Scientific for supplying and delivering the equipment!