Date: Wednesday 11th of October 2023, 13:30 (GMT).
Location: Isaac Newton Building (INB3305) and Online MS Teams meeting

‘Self-Assembly of Block Copolymers: A Multi-Disciplinary Perspective’

by Dr Saul Hunter, School of Chemistry, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK.

Abstract:

Over the past six decades, block copolymers have emerged as a prominent focus within the field of polymer science. Their capacity to self-assemble into a myriad of fascinating equilibrium and metastable morphologies has captivated the collective interest of chemists and physicists alike. Block copolymers represent a unique class of materials, offering chemists a platform for precise synthesis and the tailoring of bespoke materials, while physicists are drawn to them as model systems.
The primary purpose of this seminar is to demonstrate the previous collaborative efforts to further the understanding of the self-assembly of block copolymers. First, the synthesis of block copolymers will be introduced. We will then examine the different routes to the self-assembly of block copolymers in the bulk and in solution. Traditional and emergent routes, such as polymerisation-induced self-assembly, will be explored with literature examples. Next, we will discuss the research opportunities for physicists in the field of block copolymer polymer self-assembly. Finally, the seminar will conclude with potential future research directions in the field of block copolymer self-assembly.

Speaker Biography
Dr. Saul Hunter received his MChem in 2017 from University of Sheffield. His PhD project was co-supervised by Prof Steve Armes and Dr. Sasha Mykhaylyk and focused on characterising block copolymer nanoparticles and particle-stabilised emulsions and was partially supported by DSM Research. In his postdoc, he continued his research into the applications of block copolymers in collaboration with industrial and academic partners. In September 2023, he joined the University of Lincoln as Lecturer in Chemistry. His primary research focus revolves around the utilisation of block copolymers and particle-stabilised emulsions for the design and fabrication of functional nanomaterials.