Advanced Materials
The University of Glasgow has a wide-ranging portfolio of research into advanced materials, ranging from biologicals (e.g. peptides, proteins, oligonucleotides) through soft organics (e.g. polymers, gels), hybrid materials (e.g. metal-organic frameworks, polyoxometalates) all the way to hard inorganics (e.g. metals, metal oxides, and other solid-state inorganics). Research can be broadly categorised into the design and synthesis of novel materials, manufacturing them in specific forms (e.g. nanomaterials, surfaces, films, devices, etc, including automation) and their application in a range of technologies (e.g. porous materials, semiconductors, sensors, medicinal treatments and devices, etc).
As well as intersecting with other enabling technologies such as Photonics and Quantum Technologies, advanced materials underpin strategic research themes across the College of Science and Engineering, for example, the Materials and Condensed Matter Physics grouping (Physics), the Functional Molecules and Assemblies and Energy Conversion and Storage groupings (Chemistry), and the Materials and Manufacturing Research Group (Engineering).
Our advanced materials research is enabled by world-leading facilities for synthesis and characterisation in the College:
- 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗖𝗛 – 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝘂𝗯 provides expertise and access to techniques supporting the analysis of structure, composition and properties across a wide range of materials.
- 𝗚𝗘𝗠𝗦 – 𝗚𝗲𝗼𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗼𝗽𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗽𝘆 provides centimeter-to-nanometer scale imaging, chemical characterisation and detailed microstructural analysis.
- 𝗞𝗡𝗖 – 𝗞𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗻 𝗡𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲 provides imaging and analysis of materials at length-scales from the sub-millimetre to the atomic scale.
Glasgow’s research has also led to a vibrant spin-out ecosystem, with commercialisation of materials automation (Chemify), energy storage materials (Clyde Hydrogen), nanofabrication (Kelvin Nanotechnology), and semiconductors (Semiwise).
Related Areas: Advanced Biosensing Technology, Energy Storage, Healthcare Technologies, Nanotechnology, Automated Synthesis.
Supervisors working in this field
Dr Alexey (Alex) Ganin
Senior Lecturer
Dr Andrew Feeney
Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering
Dr Arash Azizi
Lecturer in Geotechnics for Sustainability and Resilience of Infrastructure
Dr Bernhard Schmidt
Lecturer
Prof Dave Adams
Professor of Materials Chemistry
Dr David France
Reader in Chemical Biology
Prof Duncan Gregory
Professor of Inorganic Materials
Dr Emma Gibson
Senior Lecturer