Dr. Daniel Toolan

Biography

Dan joined the Department of Materials at the University of Manchester as a Lecturer in Polymer Science in November 2023. His work focuses on solution processed energy materials including photovoltaics, solar energy conversion materials, thermoelectric materials based on small-molecule organic semiconductors, semiconducting polymers, and nanoparticles/quantum dots. He aims to develop sustainable technologies critical for limiting global warming to 1.5°C, necessitating net zero CO2 emissions by 2050. Dan's research seeks to optimise materials via time-consuming empirical experimentation. He is developing robotic platforms for automated high-throughput material preparation and characterisation, which may drastically reduce the time and resources needed to deduce complex processing-structure relationships. Dan studied Chemistry at the University of Sheffield and spent a year in industry with Tata Steel Europe. His PhD studies were under the supervision of Prof. Jon Howse. He completed a JSPS fellowship at the Osaka Institute of Technology before returning to Prof. Howse's lab for postdoctoral research. Dan's work encompasses a diversity of soft-matter topics including printable electronics and responsive coatings, and his research contributes to new optoelectronically active nanocomposite films and materials.

Research Interests

Experience