James Watkins

Research Interests

Macromolecular templates for functional device structures, materials synthesis and processing in supercritical fluids, phase behavior and transport in multi-component polymer systems, scalable fabrication of nanostructure materials.

Current Research

Our team is comprised of graduate students, post-docs and senior scientists with diverse technical backgrounds including polymer science and engineering, materials science, chemical engineering, electrical engineering and chemistry. We develop, characterize and utilize nanoscale and hybrid materials for the fabrication of devices that exploit the unique properties of the materials that we create. Our approaches include direct imprint patterning of device structures using nanoparticle-based inks, additive driven self-assembly with brush block copolymers and other templates in which interactions among each of the components are designed to overcome barriers to creating well-ordered systems, materials chemistry through photothermal processing and the creation of large area nanostructured materials and devices through scalable manufacturing approaches, including roll-to-roll process platforms. We support this work with fundamental studies of phase behavior and transport in soft condensed matter systems and the dynamics of processes used in materials synthesis. Our science is then adapted to practical fabrication/manufacturing schemes for device applications including energy generation and storage, flexible electronics, metamaterials and sensors. The UMass Amherst Advanced Print and Roll-to-Roll Manufacturing facility provides a unique resource for scaling our process technology for manufacturing, resulting in technology transfer to commercial partners for several of our applications.