Research
WASC brings together a wide range of experimental analytical science capability at Warwick.
There are Research Technology Platforms (RTPs):
- bioimaging (imaging of 3D structures by cryoTEM-tomography),
- electron microscopy (notably a UK-unique probe and image aberration-corrected microscope for both TEM and STEM),
- polymer characterisation (world leading SEC capabilities, thermal analysis and particle sizing),
- proteomics (specific expertise in protein modification analysis),
- spectroscopy (with Raman spectroscopy covering ultraviolet (UV) to near infra-red excitation),
- X-ray diffraction (a suite of powder and single-crystal diffractometers, with specialised SAXS capability for morphology characterisation).
Electrochemistry and Interfaces group is world renowned for pioneering research, having invented unique nanoscale electrochemical imaging probe microscopes, and having a diverse range of commercial set-ups, notably for in-flow analysis.
Warwick offers outstanding capability in magnetic resonance: the UK’s best equipped solid-state NMR laboratory, including unique national capability for very fast magic-angle spinning (100+ kHz) as well as excellent solution-state NMR (with expertise in unusual transition metal nuclei), 9.4 T microimaging and state-of-the-art ESR. Warwick hosts the UK High-Field Solid-State NMR Facility (an EPSRC NRF, EP/F017901/1, £3.9M, NS/A000061/1, £2.7M), with £8M funding awarded for the UK’s first dedicated 1 GHz NMR solid-state NMR spectrometer (EP/R029946/1, £7.9M).
Warwick’s FTICR Mass Spectrometry facility is world-leading with homebuilt and commercial instrumentation (highest fields in UK) and advanced data processing expertise. Warwick is a key partner in a H2020-funded EU-FTICR MS infrastructure network of 10 FTICR laboratories.
The Warwick Centre for Ultrafast Spectroscopy (WCUS, EP/N010825/1, £1.5M) has UV, visible, infrared and terahertz pump-probe spectroscopy beamlines to study photo-physics and chemistry on a femto- to nano-second timescale.
The Warwick Photoemission (PE) Facility boasts state-of-the-art instruments for X-ray and UV, and specialised angle-resolved PE spectroscopy.
The Cleanroom in Engineering provides state-of-the-art facilities for metal deposition, atomic layer deposition, lithography, nanoimprint lithography, oxidation, etching, annealing, necessary for AST characterisation of, for example, silicon based photovoltaic materials, e.g., the SuperSilicon project (EP/M024911/1, £1.3M). The suite of analytical tools for the forensics and diagnostics of batteries, investigating the degradation and failure mechanisms to enable longer life batteries is set in the context of a world-class prototype line for battery manufacture which was part of a £40M investment through ERA and other government initiatives.
Materials characterisation facilities shared between Chemistry, Physics, Engineering, WMG and the new National Automotive Innovation Centre (£150M from Tata, JLR, Warwick and £15M from government) span a wide range of instrumentation and applications from the nano-scale to the macroscopic.
There are also strong links to external facilities, notably the synchrotron and neutron sources at Diamond, ILL and ISIS.