Dr Alison Beck

BSc (Hons) PhD CChem FRSC
Senior Postdoctoral Researcher (Part-time)

Address:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Sir Robert Hadfield Building
Mappin Street, Sheffield, S1 3JD

Fax: +44 (0) 114 222 5943

Email: a.j.beck@sheffield.ac.uk

After working in industry, Alison read chemistry at the University of Sheffield. She began investigating plasma polymerisation and surface characterisation for which she was awarded a PhD. Her postdoctoral research continues to be centred around low temperature plasma systems operating under vacuum and at atmospheric pressure. These plasmas are used for coating and modifying the surface chemistry and properties of many materials. The results of my research have been applied in many areas in both industry and academia; including surface engineering, biomaterials and tissue engineering, surface functionalisation of materials, adhesion, and composites.

Research interests

My research is inspired by the surfaces of materials and how to develop ways to engineer and control the properties of the surfaces and how they interact with other materials.
Plasma polymerisation is used to deposit coatings onto a wide range of materials. These coatings range from polymer-like materials, which are known as plasma polymers to those more inorganic in nature. Plasma treatments, which use non-depositing plasmas, are especially useful for cleaning and sterilizing materials and improving the adhesion and wettability of polymers. I am also interested in the characterisation of plasma derived materials using a range of spectroscopic and other techniques.

Selected publications

• Positive Ion Mass Spectrometry during an Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Treatment of Polymers, A J Beck, Y A Gonzalvo, A Pilkington, A Yerokhin, A Matthews, Plasma Processes and Polymers, 2009, 6(8), 521-529.
• Deposition of functional coatings from acrylic acid and octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane onto steel using an atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge, A J Beck, R D Short, A Matthews, Surf. Coat. Tech., 2008, 5-7(25), 822-825.
• Plasma Co-Polymerisation of Two Strongly Interacting Monomers: Acrylic Acid and Allylamine, A J Beck, J D Whittle, N A Bullett, P Eves, S Mac Neil, S L McArthur, A G Shard, Plasma Processes and Polymers, 2005, 2(8), 641- 649.
• Development of a plasma-polymerized surface suitable for the transplantation of keratinocyte-melanocyte co-cultures for patients with vitiligo, A J Beck, J Phillips, L Smith-Thomas, R D Short, S, MacNeil, Tissue Eng., 2003, 9, 1123-1131.
• The role of ions in the continuous-wave plasma polymerisation of allylamine, A J Beck, S Candan, R D Short, A Goodyear & N St J Braithwaite, J. Phys Chem B, 2001, 105(24), 5730-5736.
• Plasma polymerisation for molecular engineering of carbon fibre surfaces for optimised composites, A P Kettle, A J Beck, L O'Toole, F R Jones & R D Short, Composites Sci. Tech., 1997, 57(8), 1023-1032.
• Plasma co-polymerisation as a route to the fabrication of new surfaces with controlled amounts of specific chemical functionality, A J Beck, F R Jones & R D Short, Polymer, 37(24), 5537-5539 (1996).

Research centres

Leonardo Centre (Surface Engineering)

Other Interests

Alison is Joint Secretary of the Engineering Researcher Society (ERS).
Web: http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/faculty/engineering/staff/ers
uSpace Group (via MUSE): http://uspace.shef.ac.uk/groups/engineering-researcher-society

Outside work, Alison is a voluntary helper with Sheffield University International Women’s Club.
Web: Sheffield University International Women's Club