Showcase

Explore our high-profile work through media engagement, as well as opportunities to study and work with us in Materials Physics

Media engagement

 Graphene-based liquid strain sensor being flexed

Lucky find! How science behind epidemics helped Sussex physicists to develop state-of-the-art conductive paint

By: Alice Ingall

Last updated: Tuesday, 20 December 2022

 

Nanosheet-stabilised Emulsions: A Route Towards Single-droplet Devices

Our work on nanosheet-stabilised emulsions demonstrates that 2D materials (including graphene and molybdenum disulfide) confer emulsion stability and network conductivity at volume fractions as low as 10⁻⁵. Emulsions can be deposited as inks for functional thin films which preserve droplet structure and eliminate the notorious coffee ring effect, highlighting the potential for printed single-droplet devices.

This work has been made open access, which you can read here: Nanosheet-Stabilized Emulsions: Near-Minimum Loading and Surface Energy Design of Conductive Networks 

The drying of a single droplet device made from graphene emulsion

NOAir Quality Sensor

Did you know that nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels in Brighton are among the highest in the UK? NO2 is an air pollutant that originates from combustion engines and industrial processes. Long-term exposure to NO2 can cause respiratory issues, which can be particularly severe and even life-threatening for babies and asthma sufferers. We have developed a laser deposited carbon aerogel gas sensor with exceptional selectivity towards NO2.

Watch the BBC South East news report below or read more about our research here: Sussex scientists develop air quality sensor that could save the lives of babies and asthma sufferers.

Flexible Touchscreen Technology

Using a combination of graphene and silver nanowires we have developed an optically transparent, flexible touchscreen technology, eliminating the need for glass smartphone screens. Current touchscreen technology requires rare-earth alloys which are extracted by mining, making them unsustainable and expensive. This graphene technology would significantly reduce the cost of smartphone screens while improving their durability and flexibility. 

Watch the BBC South East news report below or read more about this technology here: Sussex physicists have breakthrough on brittle smartphone screens

Fighting Cot Death: graphene-enabled breathing monitors 

We have developed highly sensitive breathing monitors out of a simple mixture of oil, water and graphene. These are a cheap, non-intrusive alternative to the current technology, with potential to alert parents of any change to their child’s breathing via their smartphone, potentially preventing seizures and cot death, which sadly affect hundreds of families each year.

Watch the BBC South East news report below or read more about this life-saving technology here: Potentially life-saving ‘health monitor’ technology designed by University of Sussex physicists

Study with us: Nanomaterials and Energy MSc

To usher in the next industrial revolution based on nanotechnologies, there’s a high demand for nanoscientists. As a graduate, you’ll be ready for industry roles in fields such as:

  • telecommunications
  • aviation
  • textile development
  • energy services
  • material batch processing
  • business management

You’ll also be well equipped to take a research degree in physics, chemistry, biology or engineering.

Find out more...