Materials Chemistry Research Group
The Materials Chemistry group are primarily interested in molecular material based upon liquid crystals. There are active industrial research contact with more than 10 companies.
Areas of interest
Major themes include chirality, device materials, super- and supra-molecular liquid crystals, polymers and dendrimers, data storage materials, liquid crystal nanoparticles, lyotropics, bent-core mesogens and metallomesogens, biaxial nematics, device demanufacture, electroluminescent materials, gel materialsas phantoms for X-ray treatment of tumours, biomaterials
Specific interests of the group include
- computer simulations of dynamic in liquid crystals (Dr Martin Bates)
- biaxial nematic systems (Professor Duncan Bruce)
- sugar-based liquid crystals as ion channels, cell-membrane structures and drug-release materials (Professor John Goodby)
- liquid crystals formed through halogen bonding (Professor Duncan Bruce)
- extraction and reuse of liquid crystals from used devices (Dr Avtar Matharu)
- electro-optic switching in smectic C phase of achiral mesogens (Professor John Goodby)
- polyester- based systems as storage devices (Dr Avtar Matharu)
- spontaneous chiral separation in achiral mesogens (Professor John Goodby)
- 'Janus' Liquid crystals ( Dr Isabel Saez)
- liquid crystal polymer particles (Dr Verena Görtz)
- bent core nematic liquid crystals (Dr Verena Görtz)
Further information
For further details see Liquid Crystal Group website
Current members
- Dr Martin Bates
- Professor Duncan Bruce
- Professor John Goodby
- Dr Verena Görtz
- Dr Avtar Matharu
- Dr Isabel Saez
Liquid crystal viewed with a polarising microscope Quick links
Postgraduate courses
Staff Research Interests