Dr Robert Dawson
School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences
School Sustainability Lead
Lecturer in Polymer Chemistry
r.dawson@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 9357
+44 114 222 9357
Dainton Building
Full contact details
Dr Robert Dawson
School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences
Dainton Building
13 Brook Hill
Sheffield
S3 7HF
School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences
Dainton Building
13 Brook Hill
Sheffield
S3 7HF
- Profile
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Dr. Dawson received his MChem in Chemistry with German from the University of Liverpool in 2006. After a year spent teaching English in Germany, he returned to Liverpool to complete his PhD with Prof. Andrew I. Cooper graduating in 2010 and spending a further two years in the group as a post-doctoral researcher.
In 2012 he moved to the Technical University of Berlin as a Marie Curie Intra-European Fellow before returning to the UK in 2014 at the University of Bath. In 2015 he was appointed as a Lecturer in Polymer Chemistry at the University of Sheffield.
- Qualifications
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- MRSC
- FHEA
- Research interests
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My research focuses on the synthesis and applications of microporous polymers. These materials are produced from rigid organic building blocks linked together using high yielding chemistries to produce networks. The subsequent removal of the reaction solvent from the rigid framework leaves behind channels into which small molecules can be adsorbed. Previously, I have looked at these materials for applications in hydrogen gas storage, carbon dioxide capture and heterogeneous catalysis.
My current research looks at these materials for energy applications; for example reducing energy demand by performing reactions photocatalytically, and utilising CO2 to produce valuable materials.
- Publications
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Journal articles
- Facile Synthesis of Organically Synthesized Porous Carbon Using a Commercially Available Route with Exceptional Electrochemical Performance. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.
- Towards phosphate loop closure by sustainable remediation of sewage sludge: Removal of divalent metals from citric acid leachate with a chelating iminodiacetic acid resin. Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry.
- Adsorption studies of a multi-metal system within acetate media, with a view to sustainable phosphate recovery from sewage sludge. Journal of Environmental Management, 324. View this article in WRRO
- Heterogenisation of a carbonylation catalyst on dispersible microporous polymer nanoparticles. Catalysis Science & Technology. View this article in WRRO
- A Pressure Swing Approach to Selective CO2 Sequestration Using Functionalized Hypercrosslinked Polymers. Materials, 14(7), 1605. View this article in WRRO
- Water-Gated Transistor Using Ion Exchange Resin for Potentiometric Fluoride Sensing. Micromachines, 11(10), 923. View this article in WRRO
- Acid functionalized conjugated microporous polymers as a reusable catalyst for biodiesel production. ACS Applied Polymer Materials. View this article in WRRO
- Efficient and tunable white‐light emission using a dispersible porous polymer. Macromolecular Rapid Communications. View this article in WRRO
- Porous Silica-Pillared MXenes with Controllable Interlayer Distances for Long-Life Na-Ion Batteries.. Langmuir, 36(16), 4370-4382. View this article in WRRO
- Single metal isotherm study of the ion exchange removal of Cu(II), Fe(II), Pb(II) and Zn(II) from synthetic acetic acid leachate. Chemical Engineering Journal. View this article in WRRO
- Calcium-loaded hydrophilic hypercrosslinked polymers for extremely high defluoridation capacity via multiple uptake mechanisms. Journal of Materials Chemistry A. View this article in WRRO
- Development of a Combined Leaching and Ion-Exchange System for Valorisation of Spent Potlining Waste. Waste and Biomass Valorization, 1-15. View this article in WRRO
- Selective Environmental Remediation of Strontium and Cesium Using Sulfonated Hyper-Cross-Linked Polymers (SHCPs). ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 11(25), 22464-22473. View this article in WRRO
- Dispersible microporous diblock copolymer nanoparticles: Via polymerisation-induced self-assembly. Polymer Chemistry, 10(28), 3879-3886. View this article in WRRO
- Ion exchange removal of Cu(II), Fe(II), Pb(II) and Zn(II) from acid extracted sewage sludge – Resin screening in weak acid media. Water Research, 158, 257-267. View this article in WRRO
- Towards the implementation of an ion-exchange system for recovery of fluoride commodity chemicals. Kinetic and dynamic studies. Chemical Engineering Journal, 367, 149-159. View this article in WRRO
- Synthesis of porous polymer-based metal–organic frameworks monolithic hybrid composite for hydrogen storage application. Journal of Materials Science, 54(9), 7078-7086. View this article in WRRO
- Luminescent Water Dispersible Microporous Polymeric Nanospheres. View this article in WRRO
- Trends and challenges for microporous polymers. Chemical Society Reviews, 46(11), 3302-3321. View this article in WRRO
- Mechanical characterisation of polymer of intrinsic microporosity PIM-1 for hydrogen storage applications. Journal of Materials Science, 52(7), 3862-3875. View this article in WRRO
- Highly selective CO2 vs. N-2 adsorption in the cavity of a molecular coordination cage. CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS, 53(31), 4398-4401. View this article in WRRO
- Network formation mechanisms in conjugated microporous polymers. Polymer Chemistry, 5(21), 6325-6333.
- Microporous Thioxanthone Polymers as Heterogeneous Photoinitiators for Visible Light Induced Free Radical and Cationic Polymerizations. Macromolecules, 47(14), 4607-4614.
- Swellable, Water- and Acid-Tolerant Polymer Sponges for Chemoselective Carbon Dioxide Capture. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 136(25), 9028-9035.
- Post-synthetic modification of conjugated microporous polymers. Polymer, 55(1), 321-325.
- Cationic microporous polymer networks by polymerisation of weakly coordinating cations with CO
2 -storage ability. Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 2(30), 11825-11829.
- 'Dry bases': Carbon dioxide capture using alkaline dry water. Energy and Environmental Science, 7(5), 1786-1791.
- Low band-gap benzothiadiazole conjugated microporous polymers. Polymer Chemistry, 4(22), 5585-5585.
- Chemical functionalization strategies for carbon dioxide capture in microporous organic polymers. Polymer International, 62(3), 345-352.
- Impact of Water Coadsorption for Carbon Dioxide Capture in Microporous Polymer Sorbents. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 134(26), 10741-10744.
- Porous, Fluorescent, Covalent Triazine-Based Frameworks Via Room-Temperature and Microwave-Assisted Synthesis. Advanced Materials, 24(17), 2357-2361.
- Nanoporous organic polymer networks. Progress in Polymer Science, 37(4), 530-563.
- Materials challenges for the development of solid sorbents for post-combustion carbon capture. JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY, 22(7), 2815-2823.
- Branching out with aminals: microporous organic polymers from difunctional monomers. POLYMER CHEMISTRY, 3(2), 533-537.
- Microporous copolymers for increased gas selectivity. Polymer Chemistry, 3(8), 2034-2034.
- Functional conjugated microporous polymers: From 1,3,5-benzene to 1,3,5-triazine. Polymer Chemistry, 3(4), 928-934.
- Microporous organic polymers for carbon dioxide capture. Energy & Environmental Science, 4(10), 4239-4239.
- Selective gas sorption in a [2+3] ‘propeller’ cage crystal. Chemical Communications, 47(31), 8919-8919.
- Chemical tuning of CO2 sorption in robust nanoporous organic polymers. Chemical Science, 2(6), 1173-1173.
- High Surface Area Conjugated Microporous Polymers: The Importance of Reaction Solvent Choice. Macromolecules, 43(20), 8524-8530.
- Functionalized Conjugated Microporous Polymers. Macromolecules, 42(22), 8809-8816.
- Mesoporous Poly(phenylenevinylene) Networks. Macromolecules, 41(5), 1591-1593.
- A Pressure Swing Approach to Selective CO2 Sequestration Using Functionalised Hypercrosslinked Polymers. View this article in WRRO
Chapters
- Chapter 7. Conjugated Microporous Polymers, Monographs in Supramolecular Chemistry (pp. 155-185). Royal Society of Chemistry
Conference proceedings papers
- Microporous organic polymers as catalysts. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, Vol. 245
- 1,3,5-Triazine based microporous organic polymers: Synthesis and applications. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, Vol. 244
- Step Change Adsorbents and Processes for CO2 Capture “STEPCAP (pp 30-37)
- Controlling porosity in conjugated microporous polymer networks. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, Vol. 240
- Advanced amorphous porous polymer networks: Understanding molecular level structure and dynamics using solid-state NMR. American Chemical Society, Polymer Preprints, Division of Polymer Chemistry, Vol. 49(1) (pp 639)
- POLY 159-Combinatorial microwave synthesis of nanoporous poly(aryleneethynylene)s. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, Vol. 236
- POLY 517-Synthesis of nanoporous conjugated polymer networks. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, Vol. 236
- POLY 381-Advanced amorphous porous polymer networks: Understanding molecular level structure and dynamics using solid-state NMR. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, Vol. 235
Preprints
- Heterogenisation of a Carbonylation Catalyst on Dispersible Microporous Polymer Nanoparticles, American Chemical Society (ACS).
- Thermodynamic and Kinetic Adsorption Studies of a Multi-Metal System within Acetate Media, with a View to Sustainable Phosphate Recovery.
- Heterogenisation of a Carbonylation Catalyst on Dispersible Microporous Polymer Nanoparticles, American Chemical Society (ACS).
- Facile Synthesis of Organically Synthesized Porous Carbon Using a Commercially Available Route with Exceptional Electrochemical Performance. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.
- Teaching interests
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Polymer Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry.
- Teaching activities
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Undergraduate and postgraduate taught modules
- d- and f-Block Elements 2 (Level 2)
This course is an introduction to the chemistry of transition metal complexes containing hydride ligands and in particular π-acid ligands including CO, CS, CN–, CNR, N2, NO, phosphines and phosphites. It is a prelude to the use of such compounds as catalysts in the chemical industry. - The Lanthanide Elements: Properties and Applications (Level 3)
This segment provides an introduction to the lanthanide and actinide elements, their coordination and organometallic chemistry, and the applications of their compounds.
Support Teaching:
- Skills for Success: Kitchen Project.
Laboratory Teaching:
- Level 3 Research Project
- Level 4 Research Project
- d- and f-Block Elements 2 (Level 2)