Polymers, Materials and Nanoscience

Our substantial expertise in synthetic polymer chemistry and polymeric materials characterisation is used to tackle a broad range of real-world problems.

Masters students working in the Soft Matter Analytical Laboratory

Important analytical techniques include small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), thermogravimetry, aqueous electrophoresis, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), and various particle size analysis instruments, such as analytical centrifugation, dynamic light scattering and laser diffraction.

This cluster has a strongly interdisciplinary outward-facing ethos, as evidenced by many collaborations both with other academic disciplines (e.g. physics, biology and engineering) and industrial partners, including Unilever, Lubrizol, AkzoNobel, Ashland, Scott Bader, Syngenta, DSM, BASF, SC Johnson, BTG, GEO, Dow Chemicals, P&G, Aliaxis, Kingspan, G2O and Diamond Light Source.

Major themes

Polymers - block copolymer self-assembly, water-soluble polymers, polymer nanoparticles and latexes, polymeric biomaterials, conducting polymers
Materials - polymer crystallisation, polymeric soft matter, small-angle-X-ray scattering, Pickering (nano)emulsions, polyurethane foams, porous polymers
Surfaces - 2D patterned substrates, polymer brushes, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, AFM, nanolithography, supported lipid bilayers