Dr. John Hardy
Postdoctoral Associate
Ph.D., Chemistry
NEB 342, University of Florida
Phone: 352-294-3182
Email: john.hardy@ufl.edu
Year Joined Lab: 2010
Education, Training
- 2007-2010: Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany. Postdoctoral fellow in the group of Prof. T. R. Scheibel. Research: Supramolecular assembly of silk proteins & silk-based materials.
- 2006-2007: Université Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France. Postdoctoral fellow in the group of Prof. J-M. Lehn. Research: Supramolecular chemistry.
- 2002-2005: University of York, York, UK. PhD, Chemistry. Thesis advisor Prof. David K. Smith. Research: Supramolecular chemistry.
- 1998-2002: University of Bristol, Bristol, UK. MSci, Chemistry. Research: Polymers and colloids.
Research
I am interested in the preparation and processing of polymers (such as biopolymers and conducting polymers) into various materials morphologies (e.g. fibers, films, foams and hydrogels). Examples of two research fields I am currently investigating are briefly highlighted below:
1) The preparation of biodegradable conducting polymers (i.e. bulk synthesis) with a variety of different chemical structures and their processing into various materials morphologies. We will study the effect that the structure of the materials (on various length scales) has upon their conductivity and stability (chemical and mechanical). Conducting polymer-based materials have a variety of applications (e.g. drug delivery devices or as scaffolds in tissue engineering).
2) The preparation of durable non-biodegradable conducting polymer coated electrodes via electrochemical synthesis. We will study the effect their structure has upon their conductivity and stability. Such electrodes have the potential to be used in a variety of biomedical and technical applications.