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. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Institute of Physics and the Institute of Materials, Minerals, and Mining.

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 20,000 citations to his published works, and an H-index of 60. [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 was a member of 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 fibre is 90%, that of wood is 40–50%, and that of dried hemp is approximately 57%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spider silk</span> Protein fiber made by spiders

Spider silk is a protein fibre or silk spun by spiders. Spiders use silk to make webs or other structures that function as adhesive traps to catch prey, to entangle and restrain prey before biting, to transmit tactile information, or as nests or cocoons to protect their offspring. They can use the silk to suspend themselves from height, to float through the air, or to glide away from predators. Most spiders vary the thickness and adhesiveness of their silk according to its use.

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

Rayon, also called viscose and commercialised in some countries as sabra silk or cactus silk, 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. 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. It can be woven or knit to make textiles for clothing and other purposes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Molecular engineering</span> Field of study in molecular properties

Molecular engineering is an emerging field of study concerned with the design and testing of molecular properties, behavior and interactions in order to assemble better materials, systems, and processes for specific functions. This approach, in which observable properties of a macroscopic system are influenced by direct alteration of a molecular structure, falls into the broader category of “bottom-up” design.

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

Young's modulus is a mechanical property of solid materials that measures the tensile or compressive stiffness when the force is applied lengthwise. It is the modulus of elasticity for tension or axial compression. Young's modulus is defined as the ratio of the stress applied to the object and the resulting axial strain in the linear elastic region of the material.

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

A hydrogel is a biphasic material, a mixture of porous and permeable solids and at least 10% of water or other interstitial fluid. The solid phase is a water insoluble three dimensional network of polymers, having absorbed a large amount of water or biological fluids. Hydrogels have several applications, especially in the biomedical area, such as in hydrogel dressing. Many hydrogels are synthetic, but some are derived from natural materials. The term "hydrogel" was coined in 1894.

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

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.

Specific modulus is a materials property consisting of the elastic modulus per mass density of a material. It is also known as the stiffness to weight ratio or specific stiffness. High specific modulus materials find wide application in aerospace applications where minimum structural weight is required. The dimensional analysis yields units of distance squared per time squared. The equation can be written as:

<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 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.

Fiber-reinforced concrete or fibre-reinforced concrete (FRC) is concrete containing fibrous material which increases its structural integrity. It contains short discrete fibers that are uniformly distributed and randomly oriented. Fibers include steel fibers, glass fibers, synthetic fibers and natural fibers – each of which lend varying properties to the concrete. In addition, the character of fiber-reinforced concrete changes with varying concretes, fiber materials, geometries, distribution, orientation, and densities.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Douglas Kell</span> British biochemist


Douglas Bruce Kell is a British biochemist and Professor of Systems Biology in the Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology at the University of Liverpool. He was previously at the School of Chemistry at the University of Manchester, based in the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB) where he founded and led the Manchester Centre for Integrative Systems Biology (MCISB). He served as chief executive officer (CEO) of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) from 2008 to 2013.

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

Nanocellulose is a term referring to a family of cellulosic materials that have at least one of their dimensions in the nanoscale. Examples of nanocellulosic materials are microfibrilated cellulose, cellulose nanofibers or cellulose nanocrystals. Nanocellulose may be obtained from natural cellulose fibers through a variety of production processes. This family of materials possesses interesting properties suitable for a wide range of potential applications.

<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 Komagataeibacter, 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 xylinus due to its cellulose's unique mechanical properties and applications to biotechnology, microbiology, and materials science.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Cates</span> British physicist (born 1961)

Michael Elmhirst Cates is a British physicist. He is the 19th Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge and has held this position since 1 July 2015. He was previously Professor of Natural Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh, and has held a Royal Society Research Professorship since 2007.

Stephen John Haake is a British sports engineer. He is professor of sports engineering at Sheffield Hallam University, England and is founding director of the university's advanced wellbeing research centre.

<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.

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.

Monica Felicia Crăciun is a British-Romanian physicist who is a Professor of Nanoscience at the University of Exeter. Her research investigates 2D Materials for civil engineering, wearable technologies and optoelectronic devices. Craciun has pioneered the incorporation of graphene into concrete, wearable technologies and optoelectronic devices.

Xiaowen Yuan is a New Zealand materials scientist, and is a full professor at the Auckland University of Technology, specialising in novel composite materials from natural materials for high performance uses, such as improving supercapacitor performance.

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. hdl: 1983/42254c72-9df6-4b0f-b7ce-2f1da2ea48ff . 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. 211 (23). The Company of Biologists: 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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