2003 IRISH SCIENTIST YEAR BOOK

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Trinity College Dublin
Werner J. Blau & Jonathan N. Coleman
Materials Ireland Polymer Research Centre




The Materials Ireland Polymer Research Centre, under the direction of Professor Werner Blau, is based in the Physics department in Trinity College and is associated with the Molecular Electronics and Nanotechnology group. It encompasses researchers from the fields of physics, chemistry, engineering, biology and computer simulation. A unique, multidisciplinary environment has been created for research and education.


Professor Werner J. Blau

Werner J. Blau was born and educated in Regensburg, Germany. He is Professor of Advanced Materials/Physics at Trinity College Dublin (TCD), where he was, until recently, Head of the Physics Department. His interdisciplinary group of 34 researchers conducts research in the fields of molecular and nanoscale engineering, particularly with organic and polymeric materials and nanotube structures. His current publication record stands at 157 publications and eight patents in the area of polymer science and technology and advanced functional materials. As Research Director of the new Sami Nasr Institute for Advanced Materials, he is responsible for coordination and funding of interdisciplinary materials research across TCD; he has also established the Polymer Research Centre of Materials Ireland as a part of the National Materials Ireland programme.

The group's facilities include a fully functional organic synthesis chemistry laboratory, device fabrication and testing laboratory, various LASER systems, including a state-of-the-art femtosecond multiwavelength system, and optical, electrical and magnetic resonance material characterisation facilities.

The following topics are currently being researched:

  • �Organic light emitting diodes offering clear technical advantages over conventional inorganic semiconductors - i.e. chemical tailoring of optical and electrical properties, ease of processing, low cost device production.

  • �Non-linear optics research where two-photon pumped photoluminescence may be incorporated into a cavity to generate stimulated emission and up-converted lasing.

  • �Polymer-nanotube composites are among the most exciting areas of research and technological development because of their unique mechanical, electrical and thermal properties.

  • �The development of new compounds using nanoclay and other functionalised nanoadditives.

  • �Smart polymers which react to an external stimulus for membrane separation, sensing and diagnosis applications.

Contact: Professor Werner J. Blau; Tel: +353-1-608 1708; Fax: +353-1-671 1759; E-mail: [email protected] ; Web: http://www.tcd.ie/Physics/Molecular_Electronics/


Dr. Coleman (left) addressing a group of physics students

After receiving a First Class honours degree and gold medal from Trinity in 1995, Jonathan Coleman joined Prof Blau's research group. His PhD project, entitled 'Physical Properties of Polymer-Nanotube Composites', involved three years research in TCD and a final year of research in the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Physics in Stuttgart. On completion of his thesis, he started work as a Research Fellow in this group with responsibility for organic transport and nanotube research. General research interests relate to the physical properties of hybrid, polymer-nanotube systems. This work includes the study of composite formation, the interaction between nanotubes and organic materials, and general properties such as mechanical reinforcement and conductivity enhancement. Dr Coleman is currently a lecturer in the Department of Physics.


Contact: Dr Jonathan N. Coleman;
Tel: +353-1-608 3859; Fax: +353-1-671 1759;
E-mail: [email protected] ;
Web: http://www.tcd.ie/Physics/Molecular_Electronics/