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Professor Gregory G Warr


Contact Details

Professor of Chemistry
Room 310
School of Chemistry, Building F11
The University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
E: gregory.warr@sydney.edu.au
T: 9351 2106
F: +61 (2) 9351-3329
W: 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 - 2013)

  1. Chapman, R; Koh, ML; Warr, GG; Jolliffe, KA and Perrier, S. Structure elucidation and control of cyclic peptide-derived nanotube assemblies in solution. Chemical Science, 4 (6), 2581-2589, 2013. DOI: 10.1039/c3sc00064h

  2. Hayes, R; Imberti, S; Warr, GG and Atkin, R. The nature of hydrogen bounding in protic ionic liquids. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 52 (17), 4623-4627, 2013. DOI: 10.1002/anie.201209273

  3. Heinen, JM; Blom, ACM; Hawkett, BS and Warr, GG. Phase behavior of amphiphilic diblock co-oligomers with nonionic and ionic hydrophilic groups. The Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 117 (10), 3005-3018, 2013. DOI: 10.1021/jp307875z

  4. Zhao, W; Fonsny, P; FitzGerald, P; Warr, GG and Perrier, S. Unexpected behavior of polydimethylsiloxane/poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl acrylate) (charged) amphiphilic block copolymers in aqueous solution. Polymer Chemistry, 4 (6), 2140-2150, 2013. DOI: 10.1039/c3py21038c

  5. Segura, JJ; Elbourne, A; Wanless, EJ; Warr, GG; Voïtchovsky, K and Atkin, R. Adsorbed and near surface structure of ionic liquids at a solid interface. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 15 (9), 3320-3328, 2013. DOI: 10.1039/c3cp44163f

  6. FitzGerald, PA; McDonald, DM and Warr, GG. The effect of degree of polymerization on intra- and interchain micellization of a tail-type cationic polysoap. Soft Matter, 9 (9), 2711-2716, 2013. DOI: 10.1039/c3sm27573f

  7. Chapman, R; Warr, GG; Perrier, S and Jolliffe, KA. Water-soluble and pH-responsive polymeric nanotubes from cyclic peptide templates. Chemistry: A European Journal, 19 (6), 1955-1961, 2013. DOI: 10.1002/chem.201203602

  8. Wakeham, D; Eschebach, D; Webber, GB; Atkin, R and Warr, GG. Surface composition of mixtures of ethylammonium nitrate, ethanolammonium nitrate, and water. Australian Journal Chemistry, 65 (11), 1554-1556, 2012. DOI: 10.1071/CH12374

  9. Ridings, C; Warr, GG and Andersson, GG. Composition of the outermost layer and concentration depth profiles of ammonium nitrate ionic liquid surfaces. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 14 (46), 16088-16095, 2012. DOI: 10.1039/c2cp43035e

  10. Wakeham, D; Warr, GG and Atkin, R. Surfactant adsorption at the surface of mixed ionic liquids and ionic liquid water mixtures. Langmuir, 28 (37), 13224-13231, 2012. DOI: 10.1021/la302184h

  11. Sharma, SC and Warr, GG. Phase behavior, self-assembly, and emulsification of tween 80/water mixtures with limonene and perfluoromethyldecalin. Langmuir, 28 (32), 11707-11713, 2012. DOI: 10.1021/la300942f

  12. Liu, CK and Warr, GG. Resiliently spherical micelles of alkyltrimethylammonium surfactants with multivalent, hydrolyzable counterions. Langmuir, 28 (30), 11007-11016, 2012. DOI: 10.1021/la301378j

  13. FitzGerald, PA and Warr, GG. Structure of polymerizable surfactant micelles: Insights from neutron scattering. Advances in Colloid and Interface Science, 179-182, 14-21, 2012. DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2012.06.003

  14. Hayes, R; Imberti, S; Warr, GG and Atkin, R. How water dissolves in protic ionic liquids. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 51 (30), 7468-7471, 2012. DOI: 10.1002/anie.201201973

  15. 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

  16. 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

  17. 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

  18. 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

  19. 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

  20. 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

  21. 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

  22. 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

  23. 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

  24. 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

  25. 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

  26. 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

  27. 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

  28. 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

  29. 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

  30. 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

  31. 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

  32. 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

  33. 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

  34. 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

  35. 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.

  36. 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

  37. 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

  38. 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

  39. 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

  40. 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.

  41. 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

  42. 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