Profiles of UK Polymer Colloids Academics

Professor of Condensed Matter Physics

School of Physics
The University of Edinburgh
JCMB, Kings Buildings
Mayfield Road
Edinburgh
EH9 3JZ
Scotland

Tel: +44 (0)131 650 5297
Fax: +44 (0)131 650 5902
e-mail: w.poon@ed.ac.uk
www: http://www.ph.ed.ac.uk/~wckp

Polymer Colloids Research Interests and Expertise

Single-component polymer colloids:

Diffusion and glass transition.
Crystallization – kinetics, effect of shear, formation of single colloidal crystals.
Effect of polydispersity, especially on dynamics.

Mixtures of polymer colloids with other components:

Colloid + non-adsorbing (free) polymer.
Equilibrium phase behaviour.
Non-equilibrium aggregation and transient gelation (including delayed sedimentation).
Particle diffusion and relation to rheological properties.
Colloid + concentrated surfactant solutions.
Particle encapsulation in multilamellar vesicles ('onions') formed under steady shear.
Particles in viscoelastic worm-like micellar solutions – rheological properties.
Colloid + thermotropic liquid crystals.
Nucleation of defects by the presence of particles.
Modification of particle surface properties to tailor alignment of LC molecules.
Anisotropic interparticle forces and their effects on phase behaviour and diffusion.

Facilities Available

Conventional (static) light scattering

Small angle light scattering (time-resolved)

Single-colour dynamic light scattering (= photon correlation spectroscopy)

Two-colour dynamic light scattering (for studying turbid systems)

High resolution (triple-grating) Raman spectroscopy

High pressure cells (for optical work, 0-3 kbar, and 5 kbar to 1 Mbar, 1 kbar = 0.1 GPa)

CSL-100 Controlled stress rheometer

Phase contrast and differential interference contrast (Nomarsky) microscopy

Time-lapse video integrated with optical bench for high-quality imaging

Image processing