Centre for Materials Science

Formed in 1998, the Centre for Materials Science (CMS) brings together research staff and students studying interdisciplinary subjects including:

• Novel materials - including nanostructured, liquid crystalline, polymers and magnetic.
• Materials processes - including microwave, catalysis, photocatalysis plus related sensors and devices. 
• Theoretial Modelling examining the properties of materials through computer modelling and applied theory..

An initial £100,000 investment establishing a large laboratory and atomic force microscopy suite has since been augmented by a scanning electron microscope facility. We also operate a nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer. With the acquisition of a parallel-processing supercomputer our computational work will take advantage of cutting-edge technologies.

The Centre has attracted over £1.5M of external research funding from a wide range of sources including:

• Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
• British Nuclear Fuels
• Hewlett Packard
• Seagate
• Jaguar
• Baxenden Chemicals
• Rockwood (formerly Laporte)
• CEM
• Oxley Instruments
• Unicorn Chemicals

As a significant portion of the work is sponsored by industry, much of the output is in the form of commercially sensitive, patentable methods and devices; 4 patents are currently in preparation. Centre staff serve on the EPSRC Peer Review College and are members of a European Union research network and 4 EPSRC networks. We also hold 3 EPSRC CASE (Cooperative Awards in Science and Engineering) studentships, one of which is in the area of green synthesis of polymers.