Professor Steven P. Armes, FRS
FRS
School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences
Firth Professor of Chemistry and Professor of Polymer and Colloid Chemistry


Full contact details
School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences
Dainton Building
13 Brook Hill
ºù«Ӱҵ
S3 7HF
- Profile
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Prof. Steve Armes obtained his BSc degree in Chemistry from the University of Bristol in 1983 and received his PhD degree from the same institution in 1987. After a postdoctoral fellowship at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, he accepted a lectureship at Sussex University in 1989 and was promoted to a personal chair in 2000. He moved to ºù«Ӱҵ in 2004 to become Professor of Polymer & Colloid Chemistry.
He is currently Director of the ºù«Ӱҵ Polymer Centre and also serves on the board of Farapack Polymers, a University spin-out company. He was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2014 and became the first UK scientist to receive the DSM Materials Science Award in 2016. Since then, he has been awarded the 2017 ECIS-Solvay Prize, the 2018 RSC Macro Group Prize for outstanding achievement, the 2018 Royal Society Armourers and Brasiers' Company Prize, the 2020 RSC Soft Matter and Biophysical Chemistry Award, the 2020 SCI ‘Innovation in Formulation Award’ and the 2021 Sir Eric Rideal Lectureship (a lifetime achievement award).
Awards
- Royal Society/Wolfson Research Merit Award (2005-2009)
- RSC Macro Group Medal for Polymer Science (2007)
- RSC Peter Day Award for Soft Matter Research (2010)
- RSC Tilden Medal (2013)
- Fellow of the Royal Society (2014)
- RSC Interdisciplinary Prize (2014)
- RSC/SCI Thomas Graham Lecture (2014)
- German Colloid Society/Springer Colloid and Polymer Science Lectureship (2015)
- DSM Materials Science Award (2016)
- European Colloid and Interface Science (ECIS) Solvay Prize (2017)
- RSC Macro Group Medal for Outstanding Achievement (2018)
- Royal Society Armourers and Brasiers' Company Prize (2018)
- RSC Soft Matter and Biophysical Chemistry Award (2020)
- Society for Chemical Industry ‘Innovation in Formulation Award’ (2020)
- Sir Eric Rideal Lectureship (2021)
- Qualifications
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- FRS
- FRSC
- Research interests
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Research Keywords
Water-soluble polymers, block copolymers, living radical polymerisation (e.g. RAFT and ATRP), polymerisation-induced self-assembly, dispersion polymerisation, micellar self-assembly, block copolymer vesicles, biocompatible polymers, colloidal nanocomposite particles, conducting polymers, stimulus-responsive microgels, polymer-based `Pickering´ emulsifiers.
Polymer Chemistry
We use living radical polymerisation techniques such as Reversible Addition-Fragmentation chain Transfer (RAFT) and Atom Transfer Radical Polymerisation (ATRP) to synthesise a wide range of controlled-structure, methacrylate-based water-soluble polymers. Block copolymers and their micellar self-assembly in aqueous solution are of particular interest: we are currently exploring the principles of polymerisation-induced self-assembly (PISA) to prepare a range of diblock copolymer-based ‘nano-objects’ in concentrated aqueous solution.
Depending on the precise diblock copolymer curvature, such ‘nano-objects’ can possess either spherical, worm-like (see TEM image opposite) or vesicular morphologies. We now are establishing fundamental design rules for the rational design of such ‘nano-objects’ and we seek to exploit our enhanced understanding in order to generalise this powerful PISA approach to produce robust, reproducible formulations for both polar and non-polar solvents, as well as water.
Colloid Chemistry
We prepare a broad range of microscopic conducting polymer-based particles, including conducting polymer-coated latexes, conducting polymer-silica nanocomposite particles and sterically-stabilised conducting polymer particles. Such particles are proving to be useful synthetic mimics for carbonaceous and silicate-based micro-meteorites: we collaborate informally with space scientists based in the UK, Germany and the USA to aid their interpretation of data collected during various space missions (e.g. Cassini and Stardust).
Polypyrrole particles also have potential biomedical applications as contrast agents in optical coherence tomography. We have pioneered the use of ultrafine aqueous silica sols in order to prepare a range of vinyl polymer-silica nanocomposite particles. Film-forming nanocomposite compositions can be prepared using acrylic monomers, which enable the production of tough, transparent, scratch-resistant coatings.
Other recent examples include the synthesis of novel sterically-stabilised pH-responsive microgels, surface polymerisation of stimulus-responsive polymer brushes from planar surfaces and the evaluation of various latexes, microgels and nanocomposite particles as `Pickering´ emulsifiers for the production of both oil-in-water emulsions and also covalently cross-linked colloidosomes.
- Publications
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Journal articles
- Well-defined sulfobetaine-based statistical copolymers as potential antibioadherent coatings. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research, 52(1), 88-94.
Chapters
Conference proceedings papers
Preprints
- Teaching activities
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Undergraduate and postgraduate taught modules
- Chemistry and the World Around Us (Level 1): Paint Technology and Laundry Science; Hair Products, Sunscreens and Cosmetics; Chocolate, Ice Cream, Paper and Water.
- Introducing some simple chemical principles of familiar aspects of the world around us which we often take for granted and to highlight the significance of chemistry to everyday life, society, and the future of our planet.
- Fundamentals of Polymer Science (Levels 3 & 4)
This course forms an introduction to polymer science, including topics such as: nomenclature; molecular weight; solid-state properties; different types of polymerisation. - Colloid Science (Level 3)
This course is an introduction to colloid science, covering topics such as: classification of colloids; particle size analysis; adsorption of amphiphilic molecules at the air/water interface; emulsions and microemulsions. - Fundamental Polymer Chemistry (Postgraduate Level)
This course forms an introduction to polymer science for post-graduate students, including topics such as: nomenclature; molecular weight; solid-state properties; different types of polymerisation.
Laboratory Teaching:
- Level 4 Research Project