Digital manufacturing and emerging technologies
Our research aims to accelerate the discovery, development and manufacturing of advanced chemical products through the application of new, digitally enabled technologies. The materials we focus on include pharmaceutical intermediates/active ingredients; controlled structure polymers and nanoparticles. These materials are all critical components in functional products required to maintain our currents standards of living. Hence it is crucial efficient, sustainable and affordable technologies are developed to enable their production.This research group is lead by Dr Richard Bourne and Dr Nicholas Warren aims to accelerate the discovery, development and manufacturing of advanced chemical products through the application of new, digitally enabled technologies. The materials we focus on include pharmaceutical intermediates/active ingredients; controlled structure polymers and nanoparticles. These materials are all critical components in functional products required to maintain our currents standards of living. Hence it is crucial efficient, sustainable and affordable technologies are developed to enable their production.
Our specific focus lies on developing new reactor technologies, including for multiphasic synthesis using continuous flow reactors; advanced online monitoring technologies (e.g. benchtop NMR, mass spectroscopy) and the application of machine learning algorithms to enable automated operation.
Internally, our academics cross interdisciplinary boundaries between Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Chemistry. Our development of new chemical synthesis technologies – for example, the fReactorTM – means we also work closely with the Institute of Process Research and Development (iPRD).
Collaboration and partnerships
We have an active portfolio of over £5M ongoing collaborative projects with companies who are global leaders in several research areas including pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, lubricants, and fine chemicals (e.g. AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithkline, Pfizer, Syngenta, IBM, Infineum and Synthomer). This ensures our research is always industrially relevant. We also maintain significant links with research institutions in the UK (e.g. The University of Cambridge, University of Sheffield, University of Nottingham) and worldwide (e.g. University of Graz, Eindhoven University of Technology, Los Alamos National Laboratory).
Further information
View all members of our research group and publications.
PhD projects
We have opportunities for prospective postgraduate researchers. Find out more.
Contact us
If you would like to discuss an area of research in more detail please contact the Research Group Leaders Dr Richard Bourne and Dr Nicholas Warren.