Materials Chemistry
The study of the chemistry of materials is critical to understanding and optimising their performance. Our research underpins the following three institutional missions:
- chemistry4life: new biomaterials for use as wound dressings; technologies that enable early detection markers of diseases, new therapies for combating the rise of antimicrobial resistance.
- chemistry4energy: clean energy through carbon capture & storage; next-generation fuel and solar cells; catalysis; and efficient thermal fluids..
- chemistry4sustainability: defossilisation of the petrochemicals and plastics industry; enhanced soils for feeding 10 billion people, more sustainable home and personal care products, effective delivery of agrochemicals and design of degradable polymers.
Our research involves state-of-the art measurements that provide deep insights across multiple length scales from the atomic to the macromolecular level.
Members
- Professor Steven P Armes FRS
- Professor Lee Brammer
- Dr Marco Conte
- Dr Robert Dawson
- Dr Jonathan Foster
- Professor Robert M Mokaya OBE FRS
- Dr Oleksandr Mykhalyk
- Professor Anthony J Ryan OBE
- Professor Rob Short FTSE (Australia)
- Professor Andrew T Slark
- Dr Lance J Twyman
- Professor Nicholas W Turner
Research facilities
SAXS and rheology
Our small-angle X-ray scattering equipment includes the UK's first SAXS instrument to be equipped with a liquid gallium X-ray source.
X-ray Diffraction Facilities
Equipped with both single-crystal and powder X-ray diffractometers, providing a comprehensive service for data collection, structure solution, and sample analysis. The facility also supports the generation of publication-ready graphical outputs and reports for small molecules.
Gas Sorption Facility
The gas sorption lab is equipped to measure the surface areas, pore sizes and pore volumes of porous materials. We are able to also measure the uptake of gases such as nitrogen, hydrogen, carbon dioxide and methane at ambient and low temperatures.
World-leading research
Enhanced solar efficiency through innovative nanocoating technology
A significant advancement in solar energy efficiency was enabled by Professor Steve Armes' patented discovery of a new method to produce hollow silica nanoparticles (Yuan et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, 129, 1717; DOI: 10.1021/ja0674946).
DSM recognised the potential of this technology and successfully commercialised it into low-cost, high-performance antireflective coatings for silicon solar cells. These coatings enhance sunlight capture by approximately 3-4% per photovoltaic (PV) device. The global adoption of this innovation, with over 250 million devices installed and generating over 70 gigawatts of renewable energy, has resulted in an additional power gain of at least 6,440 gigawatt-hours and a reduction of 2.3 million tonnes of CO2 emissions.
The commercial success is further highlighted by cumulative sales exceeding €150 million. Professor Armes' crucial contribution was acknowledged with the DSM Materials Science Award in 2016.
How scientists and refugees brought green to the Desert Garden
The Desert Garden project was thus founded in 2017 to develop and implement low-tech hydroponic systems for growing herbs, vegetables, fruits and leafy greens using pieces of recycled mattresses in drain pipes and used yoghurt containers at the Zaatari camp.