Dr Andrew Parnell

Department of Physics and Astronomy

Research Fellow

a.j.parnell@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 3505

Full contact details

Dr Andrew Parnell
Department of Physics and Astronomy
G11b
Hicks Building
Hounsfield Road
Sheffield
S3 7RH
Profile

Dr Andrew Parnell studied for an MPhys degree in Physics at the University of Sheffield, graduating in 2001. This was followed by an MSc in Nanoscale Science and Technology, jointly taught by the Universities of Leeds and Sheffield.

Subsequently he undertook a Sheffield PhD with the title “A Study of Weak Polyelectrolyte Brushes” supervised by Professor Richard Jones FRS, viva date January 2007. He was a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Chemistry working with Professor Patrick Fairclough, also at the University of Sheffield from 2006-2007.

He returned to the Physics department at Sheffield in 2007 to work on the Soft nanotechnology platform grant held by Professor Jones. In 2015 he was promoted to lecturer grade and is currently a senior research fellow.

Research interests

Polymer physics, biophysics, soft matter, organic photovoltaics, phase separation, photonics, neutron and x-ray scattering, block copolymers, polymer brushes, structured surfaces, anti-microbial surfaces.

Professional activities and memberships

Dr Parnell has been chosen as the Institute of Physics Polymer Physics Group /DPOLY Polymer exchange lecturer for 2017 and will give an invited talk at the March American Physical Society (APS) meeting in New Orleans. The talk is titled "Self-assembled structural colour in nature"

Innovative product of the year award 2011, awarded by the Institute of Chemical Engineers (IChemE). The award was for the development of materials that exhibit photonic properties, which can be tuned to a specific wavelength on demand based on a patent where I am a named inventor (UK Patent Application No GB1013274.4; Multicoloured Opalescent Block Copolymer Blends).