Prof. Paul Topham of Aston University was invited to lecture Research in Nanotechnology to graduate students of AISMST online from November 16th to 18th, 2022. He carried on lectures from polymer synthesis, structure and properties, to applications, such as “Introduction of Polymer”, “Block Copolymer Annealing”, “Controlling Properties”.
Prof. Topham give vivid lectures on the synthesis of block copolymer and mechanism of micro phase separation, the principle and application of small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) technique, and a variety of homemade experimental devices for time resolved in-situ SAXS. In addition, he also expounded on the controllable synthesis of block copolymer and the relationship between the structure and glass transition temperature, Thermally triggerable anchoring block copolymers for use in aqueous inkjet printing, as well as the relevant work on preparation of uniform block copolymer microspheres by using the microphase separation of block copolymer in electrospinning solution which achieved by the cooperation with Prof. Linge Wang.
Prof. Topham is the Head of School of Infrastructure and Sustainable Engineering. His research focuses on the synthesis, development and application of ordered polymer materials, including “smart polymers”, highly biocompatible and degradable materials, and polymer brushes. Prof. Topham had given short-term lectures for the five times, and had been rated as the most favorite visiting professor by graduate students of AISMST.