Thomas H. Epps, III

Professor
Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering

University of Delaware

150 Academy Street
215 Colburn Laboratory
University of Delaware
Newark, DE 19716

Email: thepps@udel.edu
Phone: (302) 831-0215
Fax: (302) 831-1048
Website: http://sites.udel.edu/eppsgroup/

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 Overview:

The primary focus of the Epps laboratory lies in designing, building, and characterizing new polymeric materials exhibiting molecular level self-assembly. Several applications for block copolymers and polymer blends under investigation in our group include: battery and fuel cell membranes, organic photovoltaics, analytical separations membranes, nanoscale containers and scaffolds for targeted drug delivery, precursors to electronic arrays, and surface responsive materials. We manipulate polymer internal and external interfacial characteristics in bulk and thin film environments to influence the ordering and stability of polymer structures. Assembly processes in our materials are explored with a comprehensive array of reciprocal space (small and wide-angle x-ray and neutron scattering), real space (optical, scanning probe, and electron microscopy), mechanical (dynamic mechanical analysis), and spectroscopic (x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure, and infrared spectroscopy) techniques. Researchers in the group gain experience in chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science, and biology. Our work can be divided into the following areas: Renewable Polymers, Block Polymer Electrolytes for Lithium Battery Applications, Polymer Thin Films, & Solution Assembly of Stimuli-Responsive Polymeric Nanomaterials.