Trinity College Dublin

Skip to main content.

Search TCD

Top Level TCD Links

School of Chemistry

Faculty of Engineering, Mathematics and Science

Language

Gaeilge (Baile)

Search

Breadcrumb

You are here:

Sitemap

Staff

Personal Information
College Photo Name Evans, Rachel
College Address School of Chemistry,
Main Department Chemistry
College Title Ussher Asst. Prof. in Device Fabrication
E-mail raevans@tcd.ie
College Tel +353 1 896 4215
Web http://sites.google.com/site/drrachelcevans/
 
Description of Research Interests
Current research broadly covers the design and characterisation of luminescent inorganic-organic hybrid materials for application in sensors, photovoltaics and optoelectronic devices. Inorganic-organic nanocomposites exhibit physicochemical characteristics that lie at the interface of the organic and inorganic realms, offering significant potential for the preparation of multifunctional “smart” materials. Self-assembly of organic lumophores such as conjugated polyelectrolytes can lead to a complex supramolecular assemblies, which may be use to tune optical and charge-transport properties. The challenge undertaken here is to direct the self-organisation of the emissive organic component within an inorganic matrix/surface to obtain simultaneous control of morphology and electronic properties, which is often a prerequisite for many of the above applications. By understanding self-assembly-property relationships on the molecular level, we aim to design high performance tailor-made nanostructured devices. Current focus: 1. External control of self-organisation in conjugated polymer-inorganic-organic hybrids: from solution to microstructure thin films, coated nanotubes and nanoparticles. 2. Colorimetrc luminescent sensors: polymer arrays and nanostructured thin films for the detection of explosives and volatile organic compounds. 3. Structural hierarchy-electronic property relationships: exciton migration, energy transfer, modelling and colour tuning in systems of reduced dimensionality.
 
Research Interests
Composite materials Condensed matter, optical and dielectric properties Condensed matter, soft matter and polymer physics Lanthanides
Macromolecular chemistry Materials, Physical Properties Multisensory technology, multi sensing Nanochemistry
Nanotechnology Neutron Scattering Optical materials Organic Coatings
Photochemistry and photophysics Photovoltaic Materials Photovoltaic systems, cells and modules manufacturing Physical Chemistry
Polymer technology, biopolymers Polymers Sensory science, sensors and instrumentation Solar, Photochemical Conversion
Spectroscopy
 
Publications
Peer Reviewed
Rachel C. Evans*, Matti Knaapila, Niamh Willis-Fox, Mario Kraft, Ann Terry, Hugh D. Burrows, Ullrich Scherf, Cationic Polythiophene-Surfactant Self-Assembly Complexes: Phase Transitions, Optical Response, and Sensing, Langmuir, 28, 2012, p12348 - 12356
Matti Knaapila, Rachel C. Evans, Andrea Gutacker, Vasil M. Garamus, Noémi K. Székely, Ullrich Scherf and Hugh D. Burrows , Conjugated polyelectrolyte (CPE) poly[3-[6-(N-methylimidazolium)hexyl]-2,5-thiophene] complexed with aqueous sodium dodecylsulfate amphiphile: synthesis, solution structure and “surfactochromic” properties, Soft Matter, 7, 2011, p6863 - 6872
Notes: [Selected as a "Hot Article" in August 2011.]
Evans, RC, Macedo, AG, Pradhan, S, Scherf, U, Carlos, LD, Burrows, HD, Fluorene Based Conjugated Polyelectrolyte/Silica Nanocomposites: Charge-Mediated Phase Aggregation at the Organic-Inorganic Interface, ADVANCED MATERIALS, 22, 2010, p3032 - 3037
Gutacker, A, Koenen, N, Scherf, U, Adamczyk, S, Pina, J, Fonseca, SM, Valente, AJM, Evans, RC, de Melo, JS, Burrows, HD, Knaapila, M, Cationic fluorene-thiophene diblock copolymers: Aggregation behaviour in methanol/water and its relation to thin film structures, POLYMER, 51, 2010, p1898 - 1903
Knaapila, M, Evans, RC, Gutacker, A, Garamus, VM, Torkkeli, M, Adamczyk, S, Forster, M, Scherf, U, Burrows, HD, Solvent Dependent Assembly of a Polyfluorene-Polythiophene "Rod-Rod" Block Copolyelectrolyte: Influence on Photophysical Properties, LANGMUIR, 26, 2010, p5056 - 5066
More Publications>>>
;

Last updated 9 March 2011 by School of Chemistry (Email).

Trinity College Dublin, College Green, Dublin 2.
Central Switchboard: +353 1 896 1000.