In 2008, researchers at the University of Sheffield published work regarding the synthesis of a triblock copolymer which formed a biocompatible gel suitable for use in wound dressings.1  Unexpectedly, these gels also exhibited antimicrobial activity towards a range of microorganisms.2 This work has recently been further studied in a collaboration between the Department of Chemistry, […]

Rheology is the study of flow and/or deformation of materials under applied forces. Using a plate-plate geometry, where the top and bottom features are flat plates, the measurement of rheological properties such as shear viscosity, normal stress, dynamic modulus and phase angle are enabled. Although this rotational rheology technique is well established, there is continuously […]

A team of researchers from the University of Sheffield’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, including Polymer Centre academic Dr Rachel Tomlinson, have recently developed a method for creating repeatable pre-cracked polymer specimens for fracture testing. Currently, specimens are prepared manually using a razor blade to create a small pre-crack from a notched sample. These samples are […]

Over the last 20 years bubbles and their properties have been of high interest in the field of engineering and have found their way into a variety of applications such as biofuel production, medical imaging, and drug delivery. Lately, there has been a surge of interest in the study of microbubbles which are found in […]

Quantum dots are semiconducting nanostructures which emit radiation over a narrow spectrum. This is caused by the restricted movement of excitons, formed when electrons are excited from the valence band into the conduction band leaving holes. When excitons relax light is emitted over a narrow spectrum due to the small crystal size, typically 2-50 nm, […]