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Associate Professor Brian S Hawkett


Contact Details

Principal Research Fellow
Room 350
School of Chemistry, Building F11
The University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
E: brian.hawkett@sydney.edu.au
T: +61-2-9351-6973
F: +61-2-9351-8651

Career Profile

  • BSc(Hons), University of Sydney, 1974
  • Dip. Ed. University of Sydney, 1979
  • PhD, University of of Sydney, 1980
  • Research manager, Berger and British Paints 1980-1988
  • Research Manager, ICI Specialty Chemicals, 1988-1991
  • Independent Consultant, Polymerization and Pigment Dispersion, 1991-1992
  • Technical Manager, Daratech P/L, 1992-1999
  • Principal Research Fellow, KCPC, University of Sydney 1999- 2008
  • Associate Professor, KCPC, University of Sydney, 2008 to present.

Areas of Interest

  • Disperse phase polymerization

    a) RAFT controlled radical polymerization

    b) Emulsion polymerization kinetics and mechanisms

    c) Preparation of composite nanoparticles

  • Biomedical applications of magnetic nanoparticles

    a) Hyperthermia treatment of cancer

    b) Targeted drug delivery

    c) Medical Imaging

  • Stabilization and rheological control of concentrated emulsions
  • Improving the efficacy and performance of agrochemical actives
  • Conducting collaborative projects with industry

Research

Controlled radical polymerization allows a control of polymer and nanoparticle architecture that was previously only dreamt of. Reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) is the most versatile of the currently available controlled radical processes. We exploit this new capability in our research to design and synthesize polymer particles and composite nanoparticles for a wide range of applications.  

Current industry projects:

  • Preparation of composite nanoparticles for the enhancement of paint properties; with Dulux Australia.
  • Improving the performance of explosive emulsions; with Dyno Nobel Asia Pacific Limited.
  • The use of magnetic nanoparticles for the hyperthermia treatment of cancer and other biomedical applications; with Sirtex Medical Limited.
  • Current PhD projects:

    1) The impact of steric and electrosteric stabilizers on the kinetics of emulsion polymerization.

    2) The preparation of polymeric Janus nanoparticles.

Publications (2009 to 2013)

  1. Nguyen, D; Such, CH and Hawkett, BS. Polymer coating of carboxylic acid functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes via reversibel addition-fragmentation chain transfer mediated emulsion polymerization. Journal of Polymer Science, 51 (2), 250-257, 2013. DOI: 10.1002/pola.26389

  2. Siauw, M; Hawkett, BS and Perrier, S. Short chain amphiphilic diblock co-oligomers via RAFT polymerization. Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry, 50 (1), 187-198, 2011. DOI: 10.1002/pola.25061

  3. Konkolewicz. D; de Bruyn, H and Hawkett, BS. Effect of stabilizer functionality on the kinetics of emulsion polymerization in hairy particles. Macromolecules, 44 (22), 8744-8754, 2011. DOI: 10.1021/ma2018606


  4. Jain, N; Zhang, X; Hawkett, BS and Warr, GG. Stable and water-tolerant ionic liquid ferrofluids. Applied Materials & Interfaces, 3 (3), 662-667, 2011.DOI: 10.1021/am1012112

  5. Pham, BTT; Zondanos, H; Such, CH; Warr, GG and Hawkett, BS. Miniemulsion polymerization with arrested Ostwald ripening stabilized by amphiphilic RAFT copolymers. Macromolecules, 43 (19), 7950-7957, 2010. DOI: 10.1021/ma101087t

  6. Priyananda, P; Hawkett, BS and Warr, GG. Controlling the locus of bubble nucleation by dissolved gases in heterogeneous liquid - liquid systems. Langmuir, 26 (2), 684-691, 2010. DOI: 10.1021/la902309f

  7. Jain, N; Wang, Y; Jones, SK; Hawkett, BS and Warr, GG. Optimized steric stabilization of aqueous ferrofluids and magnetic nanoparticles. Langmuir, 26 (6), 4465-4472, 2010. DOI: 10.1021/la903513v

  8. Ahmad, NM; Charleux, B; Farcet, C; Ferguson, CJ; Gaynor, SG; Hawkett, BS; Heatley, F; Klumperman, B; Konkolewicz, D; Lovell, PA; Matyjaszewski, K and Venkatesh, R. Chain transfer to polymer and branching in controlled radical polymerizations of n-butyl acrylate. Macromol. Rapid Commun., 30 (23), 2002-2021, 2009. DOI: 10.1002/marc.200900450

  9. Ali, SI; Heuts, JPA; Hawkett, BS and van Herk, AM. Polymer encapsulated gibbsite nanoparticles: Efficient preparation of anisotropic composite latex particles by RAFT-based starved feed emulsion polymerization. Langmuir, 25 (18), 10523-10533, 2009. DOI: 10.1021/la9012697

  10. Konkolewicz, D; Hawkett, BS; Gray-Weale, A and Perrier, S. RAFT polymerization kinetics: How long are the cross-terminating oligomers? Journal of Polymer Science Part A-Polymer Chemistry, 47 (14), 3455-3466, 2009. DOI: 10.1002/pola.23385

  11. Konkolewicz, D; Siauw, M; Gray-Weale, A; Hawkett, BS and Perrier, S. Obtaining kinetic information from the chain-length distribution of polymers produced by RAFT. Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 113 (20), 7086-7094, 2009. DOI: 10.1021/jp900684t