Materials Research
Our research addresses critical scientific questions, industrial and global challenges. We study fundamental phenomena and employ cutting-edge materials science characterisation approaches to find solutions for challenges in sectors such as healthcare, sustainable energy, electronics and information technology.
Research is underpinned by state-of-the-art facilities such as The Kelvin Nanocharacterisation Centre, one of the UK's leading centres for electron and ion microscopies, and ISAAC Imaging Spectroscopy and Analysis Centre which provides analytical and imaging solutions to industry, the public sector, and academia.
Our researchers by theme
Below are profiles from a sub-set of researchers within the College of Science and Engineering. Their research interests span the areas indicated below.
Electronics, Information Technology and Processing
| Area | Researcher |
|---|---|
| Materials & nano device modelling, unusual & topological materials | Dr Kaveh Delfanazari |
| Material and Condensed Matter Physics | Professor Stephen McVitie Dr Trevor Almeida |
| Spintronic & photonic properties of molecular materials and devices with applications spanning quantum information processing | Dr Sam Bayliss |
| Liquid crystal-based optoelectronic displays and sensors | Professor Nigel Mottram |
| Computational materials, modelling organic & inorganic materials for molecular electronics | Dr Maria J Aliaga Gosalvez |
Industrial processes and other materials
| Area | Researcher |
|---|---|
| Mathematical modelling of industrial flow processes & of anisotropic materials | Dr Nigel Mottram |
| Concrete & concrete structures | Dr Peter Grassl |
| Micro-chemical & microstructural characterization of materials | Dr Liene Spruženiece |
| Applied problems in mechanics, materials & tribology | Dr Daniel Mulvihill |
Energy and Sustainable Energy
| Area | Researcher |
|---|---|
| Batteries, thermoelectrics and clean fuel storage | Professor Duncan H. Gregory |
| Sustainable synthesis, processing & manufacturing | Professor Duncan H. Gregory |
| Process-microstructure-mechanical property relationship of lightweight structural materials | Dr Peifeng Li |
| Material and Condensed Matter Physics | Professor Stephen McVitie Dr Trevor Almeida |
| Challenges & opportunities posed by solid industrial by-products | Dr John MacDonald |
| Energy harvesting and sensing | Dr Sam Bayliss |
Transport
| Area | Researcher |
|---|---|
| Design & manufacture of advanced composites | Dr Philip Harrison |
| Superconducting materials for aviation applications | Dr Mohammad Yazdani-Asrami |
Healthcare
| Area | Researcher |
|---|---|
| Use of plasmonics and metamaterials in biosensing | Dr Affar S Karimullah |
| Developing sensors for applications such as pathogen detection, enantiomeric discrimination or multi-gas detection | Dr Affar S Karimullah |
| Material and Condensed Matter Physics | Professor Stephen McVitie Dr Trevor Almeida |
| Ultrasound Materials & Devices | Dr Mahshid Hafezi |
| Dynamics of semi-flexible polymer solutions; viscoelastic properties of hydrogels | Dr Manlio Tassieiri |
Meet our researchers
Find out about our researchers, their experience, areas of interest and current projects. If you cannot find the relevant contact please email scieng-submit@glasgow.ac.uk indicating your interest in materials research and the specific area or challenge you wish to collaborate on.
Meet our researchers
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Dr Trevor Almeida
Main research interests in material and condensed matter physics (MCMP):
- Synthesis and characterisation of nanostructured materials
- Magnetic minerals, MRAM devices, nanoparticles and thin films
- Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of nanomagnetism
- Nano-printing and sample preparation for in-situ TEM experiments
- TEM imaging of functional performance under operando conditions
Ask me about:
- Using electron beams to fabricate 3D nanostructures and circuits
- High resolution TEM imaging and spectroscopy of nanomaterials
- Capabilities and limitations of magnetic imaging in the TEM
- Performing in-situ TEM experiments to replicate the functional performance of materials and devices
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Dr Sam Bayliss
We explore the spintronic and photonic properties of molecular materials and devices with applications spanning quantum information processing, energy harvesting, and sensing.
To find out more, please visit our Group Website: Quantum Optospintronics
Ask me about:
- quantum information processing
- spin systems
- organic optoelectronics
- molecular materials
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Dr Kaveh Delfanazari
My main areas of research include: investigation of optical, electrical, thermal and magnetic properties of low dimensional nanoscale materials, nanostructures, nanojunctions, nanocircuits, and nano-antennas based on topological and quantum materials, artificial materials (metamaterials), semiconductor and carbon based nanomaterials (2D and 1D materials) proximitized with superconductors (artificial hybrid materials), graphene and cuprate high-temperature superconductors, and van der Waals superconductors.
Ask me about:
Materials and nano device modelling, micro and nano fabrication of quantum devices, quantum transport in low dimensional nanostructures, hybrid, unusual and topological materials, devices, circuits.
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Dr Maria J Aliaga Gosalvez
My main research interests in Materials Research include:
- Computational Materials
- Modeling Organic and Inorganic materials for molecular electronics
- Semiconductors
- Radiation-resistant materials forfusion and fission energy
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Dr Mahshid Hafezi
Main research interests in Materials Research:
- Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs)
- Mechanical and Tribological Investigations
- Biomechanics
- Ultrasound Materials and Devices
Ask me about:
- Developing of materials for ultrasonic purposes
- Nitinol
- Friction and Wear
- Stiffness
- Ultrasonic transducers
- Material for artificial implants
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Dr Philip Harrison
My main interests are in the design and manufacture of advanced composites, including:
- Process modelling of the forming of advanced composites
- Optimising properties of steered-fibre laminates
- Predicting variability in advanced composites
- Material’s characterisation
- New manufacturing processes
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Dr Peter Grassl
We aim to understand, predict and improve the response of concrete and concrete structures. Our work is focused on deterioration processes, development of new materials, optimisation of material use, repair and strengthening techniques, and response of structures subjected to accidental loading.
Ask me about:
- Constitutive modelling of the failure process of concrete and engineered cementitious composites for finite element analysis
- Techniques to predict deterioration due to corrosion induced cracking
- Numerical methods for predicting the collapse of structures
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Professor Duncan H. Gregory
Main research interests in Materials Research:
- Materials discovery and synthesis
- Materials for energy conversion and storage
- Inorganic nanomaterials and nanocomposites
- Functional materials and their properties
- Materials structure
Ask me about:
- New materials
- Batteries, thermoelectrics and clean fuel storage
- Sustainable synthesis, processing and manufacturing
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Dr Affar S Karimullah
Ask me about:
- How plasmonics and metamaterials can be used in biosensing or Raman spectroscopy
- How we develop sensors for applications such as pathogen detection, enantiomeric discrimination or multi-gas detection
- How we are commercialising a new point of care diagnostics tool using plasmonics with a focus on multi-virus diagnostics to monitor airborne pathogens
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Dr Peifeng Li
My research focuses on process-microstructure-mechanical property relationship of lightweight structural materials:
- Additive manufacturing of metals, and heat treatment;
- Deformation and failure under various loads (e.g., fatigue, impact);
- Titanium alloys and aluminium alloys;
- Mechanical metamaterials using lattice structures;
- Porous materials (e.g., syntactic foams) and composites.
Ask me about:
- How to control material processing to improve mechanical properties
- How the material deforms and fails under different loads
- How to optimise the design of materials for performance requirements
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Dr John MacDonald
My interests in Materials Research involve the challenges and opportunities posed by solid industrial by-products, both as they are produced and legacy deposits in the landscape. Challenges posed by these materials include environmental pollution, but they can give rise to opportunities such as carbon sequestration.
Ask me about: atmospheric CO2mineralisation with iron- and steel-making slags. Our research in this domain focuses on microstructural characteristics of slags and how this impacts carbon sequestration.
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Professor Stephen McVitie
Main research interests in materials and condensed matter physics:
- Magnetic materials and nanostructures
- Thin film and multi-layered materials
- Spintronic materials
- Quantitative transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterisation down to atomic resolution
- In–situ imaging with applied fields, temperature variation + more
Ask me about:
- Nanoscale in-situ imaging of magnetic and functional materials
- High resolution imaging of physical, chemical and electromagnetic structure in the TEM
- Preparation of materials (including bulk) for observation in the TEM
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Professor Nigel Mottram
Main research interests in Materials Research include:
- theory of anisotropic materials, specifically liquid crystals
- mathematical modelling of elasticity, orientational defects, liquid-surface interaction, liquid-air interfaces
- optoelectronic device modelling
- novel uses for liquid crystal materials (i.e., sensors, 3d-photonics)
- modelling industrial processing of liquid crystals devices
Ask me about:
- mathematical modelling of anisotropic materials
- liquid crystal devices
- liquid crystal-based optoelectronic displays and sensors
- mathematical modelling of industrial flow processes
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Dr Daniel Mulvihill
My research is focused on a diverse range of applied problems in mechanics, materials and tribology. My specific competencies lie in:
- Experimental Mechanics & Materials Characterisation
- Tribology (contact, friction & wear)
- Materials & Tribology of Energy Harvesters and Electronic Devices
- Electro-Mechanical Engineering
- Composite Materials
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Dr Liene Spruženiece
I am managing an electron microscopy facility at the University of Glasgow. It serves a diverse user base, including geoscientists, engineers, chemists, archeologists, biologists and others. My aim is to develop the best electron microscopy practices and correlative workflows for cutting-edge research in these fields.
Ask me about: Micro-chemical and microstructural characterization of materials by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques.
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Dr Manlio Tassieri
My main research interests in Materials Research are:
- The study of the dynamics of semi-flexible polymer solutions such as actin filaments and self-assembling peptides, for which a basic analytical model aimed at predicting their viscoelastic properties has not yet been agreed upon;
- The study of the viscoelastic properties of hydrogels commonly used for 3D cell-cultures, as a bijective correspondence between the gels' stiffness and cells' behaviour is still missing;
- The development of novel experimental and analytical methods for measuring the materials’ viscoelastic properties over the widest range of accessible experimental frequencies.
Ask me about:
Rheology; Microrheology; Metrology; Fluid Dynamics; Physics; Polymers; Biophysics; Mathematical Modelling; Biomedical Engineering; Optical Tweezers; AFM; Magnetic Tweezers; Dynamic Light Scattering, Chemical Engineering; Microfluidics.
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Dr Mohammad Yazdani-Asrami
My main research interests include:
- Superconducting materials for aviation applications
- Characterization of HTS and MgB2 superconductors
- Modelling of superconductors in material, component, and systems levels using analytical, FEM, and Artificial Intelligence methods
- Application of high purity aluminium, soft magnetic composite, and carbon nano tubes for aerospace applications
Ask me about:
- Applications of superconductors, and hyperconductors in aviation electrification
- Developing non-destructive fault detection techniques for devices with superconductors in electric aircraft
- Synergy of superconductors and hydrogen for modern transportation applications
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Our facilities
Geoanalytical Electron Microscopy & Spectroscopy Centre (GEMS)
GEMS provides word-leading measurement, characterisation and analytical services across multiple industry sectors, enabling companies to innovate in design, optimise product quality and performance, reduce costs, and maximise competitive advantage.
The Kelvin Nanocharacterisation Centre
The Kelvin Nanocharacterisation Centre is one of the UK's leading centres for electron and ion microscopies. We provide imaging and analysis of materials at length-scales from the sub-millimetre to the atomic scale.
PhD student posters
Advanced electron microscopy of emerging data storage devices and energy materials
We show that using advanced electron microscopy techniques, the nano-scale properties of modern magnetic, thermoelectric and topologically insulated materials can be fully understood, leading to emerging energy materials technology and realising novel data storage devices. This includes imaging of synthetic antiferromagnetic skyrmions, nanopatterning of complex 3D magnetic structures using electrons, probing plasmonic properties of fullerenes and diffuse electron scattering in Half-Heuslers for heat waste recovery.
Novel technologies for high-performance printed electronics
High-quality printed electronic layers, carved out of inorganic nanoscale materials, offer potential to advance the field of high-performance flexible electronics. We present new, custom-made printing techniques (contact and roll printing) to realise high-quality (mobility) electronic layers of inorganic 1D materials on diverse flexible substrates. the basic printing mechanism and device examples are presented. We envisage that these printing techniques hold great prospective to develop high-speed flexible electonics on large areas.