Stephen Eichhorn

Last updated

Professor

Stephen James Eichhorn

FRSC FInstP FIMMM CEng
Stephen Eichhorn selfie.jpg
Professor Stephen Eichhorn in his home office, 2022
Born
Manchester
EducationLeeds University, UMIST
Alma materLeeds University
Children2
AwardsRosenhain Medal, Hayashi Jisuke Prize, Swinburne Medal
Scientific career
Fieldscellulosic materials
InstitutionsManchester University, Exeter University, Bristol University
Doctoral advisor Wadood Hamad
Other academic advisorsProfessor Robert Young FRS FREng

Stephen James Eichhorn (born 24 July 1972) FRSC FInstP FIMMM CEng is Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Bristol.

Contents

Early life and education

Born in Manchester and brought up near Nantwich, Eichhorn attended Malbank High School. On leaving school he went to University of Leeds to study Physics, graduating in 1993. He then went on to study for an MSc in Forestry and Paper Industries Technology at UMIST and Bangor University until 1996. He then undertook doctoral research into cellulose fibres as a PhD student, graduating in 1999. Following this he undertook postdoctoral research at UMIST under the supervision of Robert Young where he worked on cellulose fibres and micromechanics using Raman Spectroscopy. [1]

Academic career

Eichhorn was hired as a Lecturer in 2002 in Polymer Physics and Biomaterials and was promoted to Senior lecturer in 2006 and Reader in 2008, all at UMIST and the newly formed University of Manchester. [2] In 2011 he moved to the University of Exeter as Chair in Materials Science and was Head of Engineering from 2014-2017. [2] In 2017 he moved to the University of Bristol as Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, and was interim Head of School (in 2017/18). [2] He was awarded an EPSRC ED&I fellowship in the Physical Sciences in 2021. [3]

Research

Eichhorn's research focusses on the structure property relationships of cellulose and renewable materials as well as an interest in decolonisation of STEM subjects and has published in this area. [4] [5] In 2021 he was one of the authors of a paper in the journal Science on moldable wood. [6] He published the first paper that showed that the modulus of tunicate cellulose nanocrystals was exceptionally high (around 143 GPa), [7] and also carried out similar work on bacterial cellulose [8] and microcrystalline cellulose. [9] He has since demonstrated the use of cellulose in a variety of potential applications, including supercapacitors [10] and lithium-ion batteries, [11] sodium-ion batteries, [11] and sodium metal batteries. [12] [13] He is the first author of two highly-cited review papers in Journal of Materials Science on the subject of cellulose fibres and natural fibre composites. [14] [15]

Other research has included the production of synthetic seashell structures in collaboration with the chemist Fiona Meldrum [16] [17] and also work on the mechanical properties of fingernails, [18] [19] stories about which appeared in the UK press. [20] [21] [22]

Eichhorn has over 15,000 citations to his published works, and an H-index of 55. [23]

Awards and honours

Eichhorn was awarded the Rosenhain Medal & Prize from the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining in 2012, the Hayashi Jisuke Award from the Japanese Cellulose Society in 2017, [24] and the Swinburne Medal in 2020 again from the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining. [25] Eichhorn was a runner up for a prize for the best paper to be published in Journal of the Royal Society Interface [26] for a paper co-authored with Professor William Sampson, Manchester University. [27] He was the first UK based scientist to be a Chair of the Cellulose and Renewable Materials Division of the American Chemical Society in 2015. [28] He is currently also a member of the Strategic Advisory Board for the Henry Royce Institute [29] and the Strategic Advisory Team (SAT) for Engineering at the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. [30]

Other work

Eichhorn appeared in an episode of the One Show with talking about the strength of nanocellulose, [31] and has contributed comments on other people's research in various articles. [32] [33] [34] In 2011 Eichhorn also got the local council to remove double yellow lines from outside a house he was renting out in Glossop, the story of which appeared in the Manchester Evening News . [35] He was a co-opted member of the Windrush Commemoration Committee chaired by Floella Benjamin. [36]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cellulose</span> Polymer of glucose and structural component of cell wall of plants and green algae

Cellulose is an organic compound with the formula (C
6H
10O
5)
n, a polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of several hundred to many thousands of β(1→4) linked D-glucose units. Cellulose is an important structural component of the primary cell wall of green plants, many forms of algae and the oomycetes. Some species of bacteria secrete it to form biofilms. Cellulose is the most abundant organic polymer on Earth. The cellulose content of cotton fiber is 90%, that of wood is 40–50%, and that of dried hemp is approximately 57%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Composite material</span> Material made from a combination of two or more unlike substances

A composite material is a material which is produced from two or more constituent materials. These constituent materials have notably dissimilar chemical or physical properties and are merged to create a material with properties unlike the individual elements. Within the finished structure, the individual elements remain separate and distinct, distinguishing composites from mixtures and solid solutions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rayon</span> Cellulose-based semi-synthetic fiber

Rayon is a semi-synthetic fiber, made from natural sources of regenerated cellulose, such as wood and related agricultural products. It has the same molecular structure as cellulose. It is also called viscose. Many types and grades of viscose fibers and films exist. Some imitate the feel and texture of natural fibers such as silk, wool, cotton, and linen. The types that resemble silk are often called artificial silk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Young's modulus</span> Mechanical property that measures stiffness of a solid material

Young's modulus, the Young modulus, or the modulus of elasticity in tension or axial compression, is a mechanical property that measures the tensile or compressive stiffness of a solid material when the force is applied lengthwise. It quantifies the relationship between tensile/compressive stress and axial strain in the linear elastic region of a material and is determined using the formula:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bagasse</span> Residue of sugar cane after juice extraction

Bagasse is the dry pulpy fibrous material that remains after crushing sugarcane or sorghum stalks to extract their juice. It is used as a biofuel for the production of heat, energy, and electricity, and in the manufacture of pulp and building materials. Agave bagasse is similar, but is the material remnants after extracting blue agave sap.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hydrogel</span> Soft water-rich polymer gel

A hydrogel is a biphasic material, a mixture of porous, permeable solids and at least 10% by weight or volume of interstitial fluid composed completely or mainly by water. In hydrogels the porous permeable solid is a water insoluble three dimensional network of natural or synthetic polymers and a fluid, having absorbed a large amount of water or biological fluids. These properties underpin several applications, especially in the biomedical area. Many hydrogels are synthetic, but some are derived from nature. The term 'hydrogel' was coined in 1894.

Bioplastics are plastic materials produced from renewable biomass sources, such as vegetable fats and oils, corn starch, straw, woodchips, sawdust, recycled food waste, etc. Some bioplastics are obtained by processing directly from natural biopolymers including polysaccharides and proteins, while others are chemically synthesised from sugar derivatives and lipids from either plants or animals, or biologically generated by fermentation of sugars or lipids. In contrast, common plastics, such as fossil-fuel plastics are derived from petroleum or natural gas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natural fiber</span> Fibers obtained from natural sources such as plants, animals or minerals without any synthesizing

Natural fibers or natural fibres are fibers that are produced by geological processes, or from the bodies of plants or animals. They can be used as a component of composite materials, where the orientation of fibers impacts the properties. Natural fibers can also be matted into sheets to make paper or felt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biomaterial</span> Any substance that has been engineered to interact with biological systems for a medical purpose

A biomaterial is a substance that has been engineered to interact with biological systems for a medical purpose, either a therapeutic or a diagnostic one. The corresponding field of study, called biomaterials science or biomaterials engineering, is about fifty years old. It has experienced steady and strong growth over its history, with many companies investing large amounts of money into the development of new products. Biomaterials science encompasses elements of medicine, biology, chemistry, tissue engineering and materials science.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Potential applications of carbon nanotubes</span>

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are cylinders of one or more layers of graphene (lattice). Diameters of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) are typically 0.8 to 2 nm and 5 to 20 nm, respectively, although MWNT diameters can exceed 100 nm. CNT lengths range from less than 100 nm to 0.5 m.

Angela M. Belcher is a materials scientist, biological engineer, and the James Mason Crafts Professor of Biological Engineering and Materials Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. She is director of the Biomolecular Materials Group at MIT, a member of the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, and a 2004 MacArthur Fellow. In 2019, she was named head of the Department of Biological Engineering at MIT. She was elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 2022.

An Ion gel is a composite material consisting of an ionic liquid immobilized by an inorganic or a polymer matrix. The material has the quality of maintaining high ionic conductivity while in the solid state. To create an ion gel, the solid matrix is mixed or synthesized in-situ with an ionic liquid. A common practice is to utilize a block copolymer which is polymerized in solution with an ionic liquid so that a self-assembled nanostructure is generated where the ions are selectively soluble. Ion gels can also be made using non-copolymer polymers such as cellulose, oxides such as silicon dioxide or refractory materials such as boron nitride.

Cellulose fibers are fibers made with ethers or esters of cellulose, which can be obtained from the bark, wood or leaves of plants, or from other plant-based material. In addition to cellulose, the fibers may also contain hemicellulose and lignin, with different percentages of these components altering the mechanical properties of the fibers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nanocellulose</span> Material composed of nanosized cellulose fibrils

Nanocellulose is a term referring to nano-structured cellulose. This may be either cellulose nanocrystal, cellulose nanofibers (CNF) also called nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC), or bacterial nanocellulose, which refers to nano-structured cellulose produced by bacteria.

A potassium-ion battery or K-ion battery is a type of battery and analogue to lithium-ion batteries, using potassium ions for charge transfer instead of lithium ions. It was invented by the Iranian/American chemist Ali Eftekhari in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bacterial cellulose</span> Organic compound

Bacterial cellulose is an organic compound with the formula (C
6H
10O
5)
n produced by certain types of bacteria. While cellulose is a basic structural material of most plants, it is also produced by bacteria, principally of the genera Acetobacter, Sarcina ventriculi and Agrobacterium. Bacterial, or microbial, cellulose has different properties from plant cellulose and is characterized by high purity, strength, moldability and increased water holding ability. In natural habitats, the majority of bacteria synthesize extracellular polysaccharides, such as cellulose, which form protective envelopes around the cells. While bacterial cellulose is produced in nature, many methods are currently being investigated to enhance cellulose growth from cultures in laboratories as a large-scale process. By controlling synthesis methods, the resulting microbial cellulose can be tailored to have specific desirable properties. For example, attention has been given to the bacteria Komagataeibacter xylinum due to its cellulose's unique mechanical properties and applications to biotechnology, microbiology, and materials science. Historically, bacterial cellulose has been limited to the manufacture of Nata de coco, a South-East Asian food product. With advances in the ability to synthesize and characterize bacterial cellulose, the material is being used for a wide variety of commercial applications including textiles, cosmetics, and food products, as well as medical applications. Many patents have been issued in microbial cellulose applications and several active areas of research are attempting to better characterize microbial cellulose and utilize it in new areas.

The piezoelectrochemical transducer effect (PECT) is a coupling between the electrochemical potential and the mechanical strain in ion-insertion-based electrode materials. It is similar to the piezoelectric effect – with both exhibiting a voltage-strain coupling - although the PECT effect relies on movement of ions within a material microstructure, rather than charge accumulation from the polarization of electric dipole moments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christoph Weder</span> Swiss scientist

Christoph Weder is the former director of the Adolphe Merkle Institute (AMI) at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, and a professor of polymer chemistry and materials. He is best known for his work on stimuli-responsive polymers, polymeric materials that change one or more of their properties when exposed to external cues. His research is focused on the development, investigation, and application of functional materials, in particular stimuli-responsive and bio-inspired polymers.

Moldable wood is a strong and flexible cellulose-based material. Moldable wood can be folded into different shapes without breaking or snapping. The patented synthesis is based on the deconstruction and softening of the wood's lignin, then re-swelling the material in a rapid "water-shock" process that produces a wrinkled cell wall structure. The result of this unique structure is a flexible wood material that can be molded or folded, with the final shape locked in plate by simple air-drying. This discovery broadens the potential applications of wood as a sustainable structural material. This research, which was a collaborative effort between the University of Maryland, Yale University, Ohio State University, USDA Forest Service, University of Bristol, University of North Texas, ETH Zurich, and the Center for Materials Innovation, was published on the cover of Science in October 2021.

Biofoams are biological or biologically derived foams, making up lightweight and porous cellular solids. A relatively new term, its use in academia began in the 1980s in relation to the scum that formed on activated sludge plants.

References

  1. ↑ "Professor Steve Eichhorn - Our People". www.bristol.ac.uk. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 "Professor Steve Eichhorn - Our People". University of Bristol . Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  3. ↑ "Grants on the Web, EPSRC: "Realising Functional Cellulosic Bio-based Composites"".
  4. ↑ Eichhorn, Stephen J. (January 2020). "How the West was Won: A Deconstruction of Politicised Colonial Engineering". The Political Quarterly. 91 (1): 204–209. doi:10.1111/1467-923X.12773. hdl: 1983/fea2ee67-7571-48e0-9882-d2d40206d62b . ISSN   0032-3179. S2CID   211434531.
  5. ↑ Eichhorn, Stephen J. (23 February 2022). "Resource extraction as a tool of racism in West Papua". The International Journal of Human Rights: 1–23. doi: 10.1080/13642987.2022.2036722 . hdl: 1983/1ee30efe-5b84-4078-947a-07fb063ce883 . ISSN   1364-2987. S2CID   247094198.
  6. ↑ Xiao, Shaoliang; Chen, Chaoji; Xia, Qinqin; Liu, Yu; Yao, Yuan; Chen, Qiongyu; Hartsfield, Matt; Brozena, Alexandra; Tu, Kunkun; Eichhorn, Stephen J.; Yao, Yonggang; Li, Jianguo; Gan, Wentao; Shi, Sheldon Q.; Yang, Vina W. (22 October 2021). "Lightweight, strong, moldable wood via cell wall engineering as a sustainable structural material". Science. 374 (6566): 465–471. Bibcode:2021Sci...374..465X. doi:10.1126/science.abg9556. ISSN   0036-8075. PMID   34672741. S2CID   239455815.
  7. ↑ Šturcová, Adriana; Davies, Geoffrey R.; Eichhorn, Stephen J. (1 March 2005). "Elastic Modulus and Stress-Transfer Properties of Tunicate Cellulose Whiskers". Biomacromolecules. 6 (2): 1055–1061. doi:10.1021/bm049291k. ISSN   1525-7797. PMID   15762678.
  8. ↑ Hsieh, Y.-C.; Yano, H.; Nogi, M.; Eichhorn, S. J. (1 August 2008). "An estimation of the Young's modulus of bacterial cellulose filaments". Cellulose. 15 (4): 507–513. doi:10.1007/s10570-008-9206-8. ISSN   1572-882X. S2CID   136539076.
  9. ↑ Eichhorn, S.J.; Young, R.J. (1 September 2001). "The Young's modulus of a microcrystalline cellulose". Cellulose. 8 (3): 197–207. doi:10.1023/A:1013181804540. ISSN   1572-882X. S2CID   137518391.
  10. ↑ Deng, Libo; Young, Robert J.; Kinloch, Ian A.; Abdelkader, Amr M.; Holmes, Stuart M.; De Haro-Del Rio, David A.; Eichhorn, Stephen J. (23 October 2013). "Supercapacitance from Cellulose and Carbon Nanotube Nanocomposite Fibers". ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. 5 (20): 9983–9990. doi:10.1021/am403622v. ISSN   1944-8244. PMC   3807724 . PMID   24070254.
  11. 1 2 Wang, Jing; Xu, Zhen; Eloi, Jean‐Charles; Titirici, Maria‐Magdalena; Eichhorn, Stephen J. (April 2022). "Ice‐Templated, Sustainable Carbon Aerogels with Hierarchically Tailored Channels for Sodium‐ and Potassium‐Ion Batteries". Advanced Functional Materials. 32 (16): 2110862. doi:10.1002/adfm.202110862. hdl: 1983/e494a5f8-1dd3-41f2-a06b-71602d030cf7 . ISSN   1616-301X. S2CID   245792572.
  12. ↑ Wang, Jing; Xu, Zhen; Zhang, Qicheng; Song, Xin; Lu, Xuekun; Zhang, Zhenyu; Onyianta, Amaka J.; Wang, Mengnan; Titirici, Maria‐Magdalena; Eichhorn, Stephen J. (20 September 2022). "Stable Sodium Metal Batteries in Carbonate Electrolytes Achieved by Bifunctional, Sustainable Separators with Tailored Alignment". Advanced Materials. 34 (49): 2206367. doi:10.1002/adma.202206367. hdl: 1983/0091262b-bc80-42dc-9055-38ecbc87e062 . ISSN   0935-9648. PMID   36127883. S2CID   252405328.
  13. ↑ McGrath, Ciaran (6 January 2022). "Brexit Britain win as experts 'astounded' by battery results". Daily Express . Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  14. ↑ Eichhorn, S. J.; Dufresne, A.; Aranguren, M.; Marcovich, N. E.; Capadona, J. R.; Rowan, S. J.; Weder, C.; Thielemans, W.; Roman, M.; Renneckar, S.; Gindl, W.; Veigel, S.; Keckes, J.; Yano, H.; Abe, K. (1 January 2010). "Review: current international research into cellulose nanofibres and nanocomposites". Journal of Materials Science. 45 (1): 1–33. Bibcode:2010JMatS..45....1E. doi:10.1007/s10853-009-3874-0. ISSN   1573-4803. S2CID   137519458.
  15. ↑ Eichhorn, S. J.; Baillie, C. A.; Zafeiropoulos, N.; Mwaikambo, L. Y.; Ansell, M. P.; Dufresne, A.; Entwistle, K. M.; Herrera-Franco, P. J.; Escamilla, G. C.; Groom, L.; Hughes, M.; Hill, C.; Rials, T. G.; Wild, P. M. (1 May 2001). "Review: Current international research into cellulosic fibres and composites". Journal of Materials Science. 36 (9): 2107–2131. doi:10.1023/A:1017512029696. ISSN   1573-4803. S2CID   2849145.
  16. ↑ Kim, Yi-Yeoun; Ribeiro, Luis; Maillot, Fabien; Ward, Oliver; Eichhorn, Stephen J.; Meldrum, Fiona C. (4 March 2010). "Bio-Inspired Synthesis and Mechanical Properties of Calcite-Polymer Particle Composites". Advanced Materials. 22 (18): 2082–2086. doi:10.1002/adma.200903743. PMID   20544895. S2CID   22228300.
  17. ↑ Kim, Yi-Yeoun; Ganesan, Kathirvel; Yang, Pengcheng; Kulak, Alexander N.; Borukhin, Shirly; Pechook, Sasha; Ribeiro, Luis; Kröger, Roland; Eichhorn, Stephen J.; Armes, Steven P.; Pokroy, Boaz; Meldrum, Fiona C. (November 2011). "An artificial biomineral formed by incorporation of copolymer micelles in calcite crystals". Nature Materials. 10 (11): 890–896. Bibcode:2011NatMa..10..890K. doi:10.1038/nmat3103. ISSN   1476-4660. PMID   21892179.
  18. ↑ Farran, L.; Ennos, A. R.; Starkie, M.; Eichhorn, S. J. (19 June 2009). "Tensile and shear properties of fingernails as a function of a changing humidity environment". Journal of Biomechanics. 42 (9): 1230–1235. doi:10.1016/j.jbiomech.2009.03.020. ISSN   0021-9290. PMID   19380141.
  19. ↑ Farran, Laura; Ennos, A. Roland; Eichhorn, Stephen J. (December 2008). "The effect of humidity on the fracture properties of human fingernails". Journal of Experimental Biology. The Company of Biologists. 211 (23): 3677–3681. doi:10.1242/jeb.023218. PMID   19011206. S2CID   966406 . Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  20. ↑ "Why Britain's weather is good for your fingernails". Evening Standard. 12 April 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  21. ↑ Bunyan, Nigel (24 August 2009). "Britain's rainy climate perfect for 'growing fingernails'". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  22. ↑ Metrowebukmetro (26 August 2009). "Britain's weather 'good for fingernails'". Metro. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  23. ↑ "Stephen James Eichhorn". Google Scholar . Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  24. ↑ ""Exeter engineering expert secures prestigious international award"". www.exeter.ac.uk. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  25. ↑ "Award winners 2020". Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining. n.d. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  26. ↑ "Journal of the Royal Society Interface celebrates 5th anniversary with £5000 ($8,400) EPSRC award". EurekAlert!. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  27. ↑ Eichhorn, Stephen J; Sampson, William W (22 September 2005). "Statistical geometry of pores and statistics of porous nanofibrous assemblies". Journal of the Royal Society Interface. 2 (4): 309–318. doi:10.1098/rsif.2005.0039. PMC   1578270 . PMID   16849188.
  28. ↑ "Professor Stephen Eichhorn elected divisional Chair of American Chemical Society". University of Exeter. 12 March 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  29. ↑ "Profile of Professor Steve Eichhorn - Henry Royce Institute". Henry Royce Institute. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  30. ↑ "Memberships". UK Research and Innovation . Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  31. ↑ "Research into cutting-edge nanopaper to feature on BBC's One Show". University of Exeter. 27 January 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  32. ↑ Sanderson, Katharine (16 March 2018). "Beetles inspire bright white coating – cellulose nanofibril material could someday replace titanium dioxide". Chemical & Engineering News . Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  33. ↑ Wilkins, Alex (19 May 2022). "Waste wood chemically recycled to produce material stronger than steel". New Scientist. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  34. ↑ Eichhorn, Steve (21 February 2021). "Transparent wood is coming, and it could make an energy-efficient alternative to glass". The Conversation. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  35. ↑ Rowley, Tom (17 February 2011). "U-turn over yellow lines 'in wrong place'". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  36. ↑ "Journey of the National Windrush Monument". Windrush Monument. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
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