Development of new analysis tools for the study of surface contamination

This project will focus on the study of interactions of surface contaminants with underlying substrates and cleaning actives, with the aim of improving understanding of the factors that contribute to persistent contamination of fabrics and hard surfaces. A series of molecular probes will be synthesised and used to investigate the interactions of common contaminants with a series of real-word and model surfaces. Controlled polymerisation approaches will be used to prepare model substrates where required. A range of spectroscopic and biophysical techniques will be used to explore the intermolecular interactions between common contaminants and model substrates. The student will gain experience in synthetic organic chemistry, including synthesis and characterisation of small molecules and controlled polymerisation strategies, in addition to experience in optical spectroscopy including fluorescence imaging and biophysical techniques including surface plasmon resonance.