Dr Alan Dalton
Senior Lecturer
Email: a.dalton@surrey.ac.uk
Phone: Work: 01483 68 6787
Room no: 11 BB 03
Further information
Biography
Alan received his B.A. in Materials Science from Trinity College Dublin (T.C.D.) in 1996. His PhD work entitled: Morphological Influences on the Excited State Dynamics of Conjugated Polymers was completed in 2000 under the supervision of Prof. Werner Blau at T.C.D. Proceeding this; Alan spent worked at the Dublin Institute of Technology as an Arnold Graves Fellow. In the beginning of 2002, he spent a short period as a visiting scientist at Honeywell Technologies in the nanostructures group before joining the Nanotech Institute at University of Texas at Dallas. Alan joined the department in the summer of 2004.
Link to personal webpage.
Research Interests
Research interests primarily focus on the electrical and optical properties of pseudo one-dimensional conjugated systems including carbon nanotubes and electro active conjugated polymers, the structure property relationships in nano-structured organic composites (mechanical, electrical and thermal), the directed and self-assembly of Nanostructures into functional macrostructures and more recently interfacing biological materials with synthetic inorganic and organic materials. Alan has expertise in a range of steady state and transient spectroscopes, Raman spectroscopy and electron microscopy.
Further details can be found on my personal webpage.
Publications
Highlights
- . (2010) 'Enhanced Thermal Actuation in Thin Polymer Films Through Particle Nano-Squeezing by Carbon Nanotube Belts'. WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH ADVANCED MATERIALS, 22 (46), pp. 5310-5314.
- . (2008) 'Stabilized Nanoporous Metals by Dealloying Ternary Alloy Precursors'. WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH ADVANCED MATERIALS, 20 (24), pp. 4883-+.
- . (2007) 'Processing - Nanotechnology meets bubbleology'. NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY, 2 (6), pp. 339-340.
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(2007) 'Effect of electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups on peptide/single-walled carbon nanotube interactions'. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 129 (47), pp. 14724-14732.doi: 10.1021/ja0750827
- . (2006) 'Waterborne, nanocomposite pressure-sensitive adhesives with high tack energy, optical transparency, and electrical conductivity'. Advanced Materials, 18 (20), pp. 2730-2734.
Journal articles
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(2012) 'Importance of capillary forces in the assembly of carbon nanotubes in a polymer colloid lattice.'. American Chemical Society Langmuir, United States: 28 (21), pp. 8266-8274.doi: 10.1021/la301296uFull text is available at: http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/605790/
Abstract
We highlight the significance of capillary pressure in the directed assembly of nanorods in ordered arrays of colloidal particles. Specifically, we discuss mechanisms for the assembly of carbon nanotubes at the interstitial sites between latex polymer particles during composite film formation. Our study points to general design rules to be considered to optimize the ordering of nanostructures within such polymer matrices. In particular, gaining an understanding of the role of capillary forces is critical. Using a combination of electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy, we show that the capillary forces acting on the latex particles during the drying process are sufficient to bend carbon nanotubes. The extent of bending depends on the flexural rigidity of the carbon nanotubes and whether or not they are present as bundled ensembles. We also show that in order to achieve long-range ordering of the nanotubes templated by the polymer matrix, it is necessary for the polymer to be sufficiently mobile to ensure that the nanotubes are frozen into the ordered network when the film is formed and the capillary forces are no longer dominant. In our system, the polymer is plasticized by the addition of surfactant, so that it is sufficiently mobile at room temperature. Interestingly, the carbon nanotubes effectively act as localized pressure sensors, and as such, the study agrees well with previous theoretical predictions calculating the magnitude of capillary forces during latex film formation.
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(2011) 'Locking carbon nanotubes in confined lattice geometries--a route to low percolation in conducting composites.'. J Phys Chem B, United States: 115 (20), pp. 6395-6400.doi: 10.1021/jp111998p
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(2011) 'Aligned, isotropic and patterned carbon nanotube substrates that control the growth and alignment of Chinese hamster ovary cells.'. Institute of Physics Nanotechnology, England: 22 (20)Full text is available at: http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/7606/
Abstract
Here we culture Chinese hamster ovary cells on isotropic, aligned and patterned substrates based on multiwall carbon nanotubes. The nanotubes provide the substrate with nanoscale topography. The cells adhere to and grow on all substrates, and on the aligned substrate, the cells align strongly with the axis of the bundles of the multiwall nanotubes. This control over cell alignment is required for tissue engineering; almost all tissues consist of oriented cells. The aligned substrates are made using straightforward physical chemistry techniques from forests of multiwall nanotubes; no lithography is required to make inexpensive large-scale substrates with highly aligned nanoscale grooves. Interestingly, although the cells strongly align with the nanoscale grooves, only a few also elongate along this axis: alignment of the cells does not require a pronounced change in morphology of the cell. We also pattern the nanotube bundles over length scales comparable to the cell size and show that the cells follow this pattern.
- . (2010) 'Enhanced Thermal Actuation in Thin Polymer Films Through Particle Nano-Squeezing by Carbon Nanotube Belts'. WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH ADVANCED MATERIALS, 22 (46), pp. 5310-5314.
- . (2010) 'Cell patterning and alignment on nanostructured isotropic and anisotropic carbon nanotubes substrates'. European Cells and Materials, 20 (SUPPL.3), pp. 39-39.
- . (2010) 'Colloid-Assisted Self-Assembly of Robust, Three-Dimensional Networks of Carbon Nanotubes over Large Areas'. WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH MACROMOLECULAR RAPID COMMUNICATIONS, 31 (7), pp. 609-615.
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(2009) 'Carbon-Nanotube-Based Materials for Protein Crystallization'. AMER CHEMICAL SOC ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES, 1 (6), pp. 1203-1210.doi: 10.1021/am9000858
- . (2009) 'Electrochemically Tuned Properties for Electrolyte-Free Carbon Nanotube Sheets'. WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, 19 (14), pp. 2266-2272.
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(2008) 'Importance of Molecular Friction in a Soft Polymer-Nanotube Nanocomposite'. AMER CHEMICAL SOC MACROMOLECULES, 41 (20), pp. 7656-7661.doi: 10.1021/ma800868zFull text is available at: http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/7102/
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(2008) 'Ranking the affinity of aromatic residues for carbon nanotubes by using designed surfactant peptides'. JOHN WILEY & SONS LTD JOURNAL OF PEPTIDE SCIENCE, 14 (2), pp. 139-151.doi: 10.1002/psc.978
- . (2008) 'Stabilized Nanoporous Metals by Dealloying Ternary Alloy Precursors'. WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH ADVANCED MATERIALS, 20 (24), pp. 4883-+.
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(2008) 'Spontaneous exfoliation of single-walled carbon nanotubes dispersed using a designed amphiphilic peptide'. AMER CHEMICAL SOC BIOMACROMOLECULES, 9 (2), pp. 598-602.doi: 10.1021/bm701181j
- . (2008) 'A molecular mechanism for toughening and strengthening waterborne nanocomposites'. WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH ADVANCED MATERIALS, 20 (1), pp. 90-+.
- . (2007) 'Multifunctional nanocomposites of soft polymer colloids and carbon nanotubes'. AMER CHEMICAL SOC ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, 234
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(2007) 'Direct x-ray detection with conjugated polymer devices'. AMER INST PHYSICS APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS, 91 (3) Article number ARTN 033509 doi: 10.1063/1.2748337Full text is available at: http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/297/
- . (2007) 'Processing - Nanotechnology meets bubbleology'. NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY, 2 (6), pp. 339-340.
- . (2007) 'Waterborne nanocomposite pressure-sensitive adhesives: Achieving enhanced adhesion combined with electrical conductivity'. AMER CHEMICAL SOC ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, 233
- . (2007) 'COLL 306-Waterborne nanocomposite pressure-sensitive adhesives: Achieving enhanced adhesion combined with electrical conductivity'. AMER CHEMICAL SOC ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, 233
- . (2007) 'Arbitrarily shaped fiber assemblies from spun carbon nanotube gel fibers'. Advanced Functional Materials, 17 (15), pp. 2918-2924.
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(2007) 'Amphiphilic helical peptide enhances the uptake of single-walled carbon nanotubes by living cells'. Experimental Biology and Medicine, 232 (9), pp. 1236-1244.doi: 10.3181/0612-RM-284
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(2007) 'Effect of electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups on peptide/single-walled carbon nanotube interactions'. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 129 (47), pp. 14724-14732.doi: 10.1021/ja0750827
- . (2006) 'Waterborne, nanocomposite pressure-sensitive adhesives with high tack energy, optical transparency, and electrical conductivity'. Advanced Materials, 18 (20), pp. 2730-2734.
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(2006) 'The fine dispersion of functionalized carbon nanotubes in acrylic latex coatings'. Progress in Organic Coatings, 57 (2), pp. 91-97.Full text is available at: http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/7518/
Abstract
Nanocomposites of a polymer and carbon nanotubes exhibit high electrical and thermal conductivity and enhanced mechanical properties in comparison to the polymer alone. Film formation from latex dispersions is an ideal way to create nanocomposite coatings with the advantages of solvent-free processing and a high uniformity of dispersion. It is shown here that carbon nanotubes functionalised with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) can be blended with two types of acrylic latex to create stable colloidal dispersions without the need for added surfactant or emulsifier. Waterborne nanocomposite films with optical transparency can be formed. Microscopic analysis shows that the PVA-functionalized nanotubes are finely and uniformly dispersed in the polymer matrix. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
- . (2006) 'Polyazomethine/carbon nanotube composites'. Materials Science and Engineering C, 26 (5-7), pp. 1198-1201.
Conference papers
- . (2005) 'Ultrafast exciton dynamics in isolated single-walled nanotubes'. ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA SYNTHETIC METALS, Bangalore, INDIA: 6th International Topical Conference on Optical Probes of Conjugated Polymers and Biosystems 155 (2), pp. 254-257.
