UD - Chemical Engineering
Thomas H. Epps, III
Assistant Professor
Department of Chemical Engineering
215 Colburn Laboratory
University of Delaware
Newark, DE 19716
Phone: (302) 831-0215
Fax: (302) 831-3009
Email: thepps@udel.edu
Website: http://www.che.udel.edu/epps
Education
NRC Postdoctoral Fellow, Polymers Division, NIST, 2006
Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, University of Minnesota, 2004
M.S., Chemical Engineering (Practice School), MIT 1999
B.S., Chemical Engineering, MIT 1998
Research Interests:
Our research efforts are focused on designing novel nanostructured materials for ion-conduction applications (fuel cells, lithium batteries); analytical separation membranes; biological sensors and nanoporous templates. Specifically, we manipulate polymer internal and external interfacial characteristics in bulk and thin film environments to influence the ordering and stability of polymer structures, particularly in block copolymers and polymer blends.
Our research group has three main areas of focus:
- Generating network nanostructures in high molecular weight and ion-conducting polymer systems. We are using the chemical manipulation of block copolymer and polymer blend chain structures to control the self-assembly of the bulk polymer chains in melts and solution. These materials are suited for fuel cell and lithium battery membranes, as well as peptide and small molecule sensing and collection applications.
- Stabilizing triply-periodic (network) structures in ultrathin polymer films. We examine the enthalpic and entropic contributions to the free energy landscape that influences the self-assembly of block copolymers in ultrathin (20-100 nm) film geometries. We employ a novel flow-coating approach to generate films on gradient surfaces to enable the combinatorial mapping of polymer nanostructures.
- Synthesizing novel block copolymer structures in microfluidic devices. We manufacture microfluidic devices in our lab capable of synthesizing novel polymer structures. We use microfluidics to provide precise control over polymer chain compositions and architectures to design materials directly tailored for specific applications.