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Professor Gregory G Warr

Professor of Chemistry

Contact Details

School of Chemistry, Building F11
The University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
Email address:gregory.warr@sydney.edu.au
Telephone: 9351 2106
Fax: +61 (2) 9351-3329
Home Page:http://sydney.edu.au/science/chemistry/~warr_g

Career Profile

B.Sc.(Hons) 1981,
Ph.D. 1986, University of Melbourne

Areas of interest

  • Surfactant self-assembly into micelles, microemulsions, and liquid crystals

  • Ionic liquids

  • Rheology of self-assembly materials

  • Polymerisable and polymeric surfactants

  • Small-angle x-ray and neutron scattering (SAXS and SANS)

  • Emulsions

  • Surfactant self-assembly at interfaces

Research

Our research is aimed at understanding the behaviour of amphiphilic compounds in bulk phases (solutions, liquid crystals, complex fluids), in colloidal systems (emulsions, foams, dispersions), and at interfaces. We have been pursuing a wide range of projects examining the structure and dynamics of bulk phases and dispersions using techniques including neutron and x-ray scattering (SANS and SAXS), optical microscopy, rheology and calorimetry, and interfacial structure by neutron reflectometry, atomic force microscopy, and surface force measurements. By combining these techniques we are discovering new structures formed when surface-active molecules adsorb at the solid/liquid interface or when complex fluids abut an interface, and use this to design new nanostructured materials.

Publications (2009 - 2012)

  1. Wakeham, D; Niga, P; Ridings, C; Andersson, G; Nelson, A; Warr, GG; Baldelli, S; Rutland, MW and Atkin, R. Surface structure of a "non-amphiphilic" porotic ionic liquid. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 14 (15), 5106-5114, 2012. DOI: 10.1039/c2cp23694j

  2. Werzer, O; Cranston, ED; Warr, GG; Atkin, R and Rutland, MW. Ionic liquid nanotribology: mica-silica interactions in ethylammonium nitrate. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 14 (15), 5147-5152, 2012. DOI: 10.1039/c1cp23134k

  3. Abel, KA; FitzGerald, PA; Wang, T-Y, Regier, TZ; Raudsepp, M; Ringer, SP; Warr, GG and van Veggel, CJM. Probing the structure of colloidal core/shell quantum dots formed by cation exchange. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 116 (6), 3968-3978, 2012. DOI: 10.1021/jp2112928

  4. Wakeham, D; Nelson, A; Warr, GG and Atkin, R. Probing the protic ionic liquid surface using X-ray reflectivity. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 13 (46), 20828-20835, 2011. DOI: 10.1039/c1cp22351h

  5. FitzGerald, PA; Chatjaroenporn, K; Zhang, X and Warr, GG. Micellization of monomeric and poly-omega-methacryloyloxyundecyltrimethylammonium surfactants. Langmuir, 27 (19), 11852-11859, 2011. DOI: 10.1021/la2028059

  6. Hayes, R; Imberti, S; Warr, GG and Atkin, R. Pronounced sponge-like nanostructure in propylammonium nitrate. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 13 (30), 13544-13551, 2011. DOI: 10.1039/c1cp21080g

  7. Sharma, SC and Warr, GG. A nonaqueous liquid crystal emulsion: Fluorocarbon oil in a hexagonal phase in an ionic liquid. The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, 2 (15), 1937-1939, 2011. DOI: 10.1021/jz200806p

  8. Werzer, O; Warr, GG and Atkin, R. Compact poly(ethylene oxide) structures adsorbed at the ethylammonium nitrate–silica interface. Langmuir, 27 (7), 3541-3549, 2011. DOI: 10.1021/la104577a

  9. 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

  10. Werzer, O; Warr, GG and Atkin, R. Conformation of poly(ethylene oxide) dissolved in ethylammonium nitrate. Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 115 (4), 648-652, 2011. DOI: 10.1021/jp110216k

  11. Hayes, R; Imberti, S; Warr, GG and Atkin, R. Amphiphilicity determines nanostructure in protic ionic liquids. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 13 (8), 3237-3247, 2011. DOI: 10.1039/c0cp01137a

  12. 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

  13. Chatjaroenporn, K; Baker, RW; FitzGerald, PA and Warr, GG. Polymerizable cationic micelles form cylinders at intermediate conversions. Langmuir, 26 (14), 11715-11719, 2010. DOI: 10.1021/la101159g

  14. Niga, P; Wakeham, D; Nelson, A; Warr, GG; Rutland, M and Atkin, R. Structure of the ethylammonium nitrate surface: An X-ray reflectivity and vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy study. Langmuir, 26 (11), 8282-8288, 2010. DOI: 10.1021/la904697g

  15. Wakeham, D; Niga, P; Warr, GG; Rutland, MW and Atkin, R. Nonionic surfactant adsorption at the ethylammonium nitrate surface: A neutron reflectivity and vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy study. Langmuir, 26 (11), 8313-8318, 2010. DOI: 10.1021/la9047243

  16. 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

  17. 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

  18. Smith, JA; Werzer, O; Webber, GB; Warr, GG and Atkin, R. Surprising particle stability and rapid sedimentation rates in an ionic liquid. J. Phys. Chem. Lett., 1 (1), 64-68, 2010. DOI: 10.1021/jz9000642

  19. Hayes, R; Warr, GG and Atkin, R. At the interface: Solvation and designing ionic liquids. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 12 (8), 1709-1723, 2010. DOI: 10.1039/b920393a

  20. Atkin, R; Bobillier, SMC and Warr, GG. Propylammonium nitrate as a solvent for amphiphile self-assembly into micelles, lyotropic liquid crystals, and microemulsions. J. Phys. Chem. B, 114 (3), 1350-1360, 2010. DOI: 10.1021/jp910649a

  21. Atkin, R and Warr, GG. Bulk and interfacial nanostructure in protic room temperature ionic liquids. Book chapter in Ionic Liquids: From Knowledge to Application. ACS Symposium Series, Volume 1030, Chapter 22, ISBN: 978-08412-69972, Editors: Plechkova, NV; Rogers, RD and Seddon, KR, American Chemical Society, Washington, pp. 317-333, 2009. DOI: 10.1021/bk-2009-1030-ch022.

  22. Atkin, R; De Fina, L-M; Kiederling, U and Warr, GG. Structure and self assembly of Pluronic amphiphiles in ethylammonium nitrate and at the silica surface. J. Phys., Chem. B, 113 (36), 12201-12213, 2009. DOI: 10.1021/jp9063627

  23. Page, MG and Warr, GG. Influence of the structure and composition of mono- and dialkyl phosphate mixtures on aluminum complex organogels. Langmuir, 25 (15), 8810-8816, 2009. DOI: 10.1021/la900477v

  24. White, KA and Warr, GG. Linkage by elimination/addition: A simple synthesis for a family of oligomeric alkylpyridinium surfactants. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 337 (1), 304-306, 2009. DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2009.05.003

  25. Chatjaroenporn, K; Baker, R; Fitzgerald, P and Warr, GG. Structure changes in micelles and adsorbed layers during surfactant polymerization. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 336 (2), 449-454, 2009. DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2009.04.059

  26. Atkin, R; Blom, A and Warr, GG. Giant micelles at and near surfaces. Book chapter in: Giant Micelles:  Properties and Applications. Editors: Raoul Zana and Eric W. Kaler, Publisher: CRC Press/Taylor & Francis Group, ISBN: 0-8493-7308-5, Volume 140, 351-373, 2009.

  27. Beattie, JK and Djerdjev, AM and Warr, GG. The surface of neat water is basic. Faraday Discussions, 141 (1), 31-39, 2009. DOI: 10.1039/b805266b

  28. Wakeham, D; Hayes, R; Warr, GG and Atkin, R. Influence of temperature and molecular structure on ionic liquid solvation layers. Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 113 (17), 5961-5966, 2009. DOI: 10.1021/jp900815q