Rate My Professor Mark Buntine

Professor Mark Buntine is the John Curtin Distinguished Professor and Head of the WA School of Mines within the WASM: Minerals, Energy and Chemical Engineering school in the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Curtin University. He concurrently serves as Interim Director of the Curtin Corrosion Centre. Prior to his current roles, Buntine was Head of the Department of Chemistry at Curtin University from 2009 to 2016 and held the position of Professor and Head of Chemistry at the University of Adelaide from 1994 to 2009. He has also served in senior leadership positions including Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor and as Past President of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI). Buntine earned his BSc (Hons) and MSc from Monash University, PhD from Stanford University under Richard Zare, and Graduate Certificate in Education (Higher Education) from the University of Adelaide. His credentials include FRACI CChem and GAICD.

Buntine's research focuses on chemistry, encompassing nanomaterials synthesis such as high-entropy metal sulfides and colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals like ZnSe, ZnTe, and CdTe nanoplatelets; photocatalysts for solar fuel production; electrocatalysts for urea oxidation and oxygen evolution reactions; nanoparticle formation via laser ablation; and surface ligand effects in nanocrystals. He has produced 132 publications garnering 2,404 citations, with notable works including 'Rapid Synthesis of High-Entropy Metal Sulfides under Ambient Conditions as Efficient Catalysts for Urea Oxidation Reaction' (2026), 'Heavy-metal-free colloidal semiconductor ZnSe nanoplatelets for UV photodetectors' (2025), 'Colloidal Zn-based Semiconductor Nanocrystals: Recent Advances and Challenges' (2024), and 'Alloy-Tunable Single-Layer 2D Heterophase Photocatalysts for Efficient Solar Fuel Production' (2024). Buntine has received the RACI Leighton Memorial Medal (2017), RACI Centenary of Federation Teaching Award, and a Curtin University Honorary Award recognizing over 30 years of service to Australian science, leadership in advancing Curtin's reputation and national science policy, and excellence in chemistry research and science education innovation. His contributions extend to undergraduate laboratory education, promoting active learning in large chemistry classes.