Advanced Materials

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The University of Glasgow has a wide-ranging portfolio of research into advanced materials, spanning:

• Biologicals – peptides, proteins, oligonucleotides.
• Soft organics – polymers, gels.
• Hybrid materials – metal-organic frameworks, polyoxometalates.
• Hard inorganics – metals, metal oxides, and other solid-state inorganics.

Research is broadly categorised into the design and synthesis of novel materials, manufacturing them in specific forms – such as nanomaterials, surfaces, films, and devices (including through automation) – and their application across a range of technologies, including porous materials, semiconductors, sensors, medicinal treatments and devices, and more.

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 and Astronomy), 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 Microscopy 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.
• JWNC – James Watt Nanofabrication Centre provides micro- and nano-fabrication of advanced materials, enabling their integration into functional devices and systems.

In addition to a broad portfolio of UKRI-funded research projects across the College of Science and Engineering, 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) all outcomes of our internationally-leading strategic focus on advanced materials.

Related Areas: Advanced Biosensing Technology, Energy Storage, CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage),  Healthcare Technologies, Nanotechnology, Automated Synthesis, Sensors, Sustainable Materials, Water and Waste Systems, Ground Engineering, Microfluidics, Soft Matter, Complex Fluids, Actuators, Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS), Synchroton.