Dr Stephen Ebbens

School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering

Senior Lecturer

Second year director

Dr Stephen Ebbens
Profile picture of Dr Stephen Ebbens
s.ebbens@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 7589
Room F62a, Sir Robert Hadfield Building

Full contact details

Dr Stephen Ebbens
School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering
Room F62a
Sir Robert Hadfield Building
Mappin Street
Sheffield
S1 3JD
Profile

My career at the University of Sheffield started as a PDRA in the Dept. Physics in 2008 working for Prof. Richard Jones on catalytically active colloids. I moved to Dept. CBE in 2009, continuing work on active colloids. I became an independent academic in 2011, establishing my own research group via the support of two EPSRC fellowships, and a University of Sheffield Early Career Researchers award. I was appointed Senior Lecturer in 2017. Prior to joining the University of Sheffield I worked as a PRDA at the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Loughborough University, developing ink jet printing for electronics manufacturing. This followed 5 years working as a senior scientist for a Nottingham based SME conducting contract research projects in the Pharmaceutical sector. My PhD was awarded from the University of Durham in 2000, in Prof. Jas Pal Badyal's; research group, sponsored by 3M, and involved characterisation of surface additive enriched polymeric films and fibres.

Research interests

My overarching research interest is in experimental materials science. I principally focus on active matter research, investigating devices and colloids capable of producing enhanced motion in microfluidic devices. My research in this area is multi-faceted, ranging from uncovering fundamental mechanisms, exploring self-assembly, and developing Healthcare and Environmental monitoring and remediation applications. A second thread to my research is manufacturing high value thin film coatings, focussed on using metrology to gain insights to optimise coating performance.This manufacturing research focuses on structured high value materials with applications in Energy storage and generation. 

Key research interests:

  • Materials Science
  • Active Matter
  • Polymers
  • Thin film coatings
  • Colloids
  • Materials characterisation methods
Publications

Journal articles

  • Passmore C, Wu KE, Howse JR, Panoutsos G & Ebbens SJ (2025) . Scientific Reports, 15.
  • Baulin VA, Giacometti A, Fedosov DA, Ebbens S, Varela Rosales NR, Torres Feliu N, Chowdhury M, Hu M, Füchslin R, Dijkstra M , Mussel M et al (2025) . Soft Matter, 21(21), 4129-4145.
  • Archer RJ, Ebbens SJ, Kubodera Y, Matsuo M & Nomura S-IM (2025) . Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 678, 11-19.
  • Archer RJ & Ebbens SJ (2023) . Advanced Science, 10(33).
  • Marchi PM, Marrone L, Brasseur L, Coens A, Webster CP, Bousset L, Destro M, Smith EF, Walther CG, Alfred V , Marroccella R et al (2022) . Life Science Alliance, 5(9).
  • Kumar P, Zhang Y, Ebbens SJ & Zhao X (2022) . Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 623, 96-108.
  • Kumar P, Legge A, Gregory DA, Nichols A, Jensen H, Ebbens SJ & Zhao X (2022) . JCIS Open, 5.
  • Kirvin A, Gregory D, Parnell A, Campbell AI & Ebbens S (2021) . Materials Advances, 2(21), 7045-7053.
  • Kumar P, Ebbens S & Zhao X (2021) . Bioprinting, 23.
  • Pineda De La O E, Alhazmi N, Ebbens SJ & Dunbar ADF (2021) . ACS Applied Energy Materials, 4(2), 1398-1409.
  • Archer RA, Howse JR, Fujii S, Kawashima H, Buxton GA & Ebbens SJ (2020) . Advanced Functional Materials, 30(19), ---.
  • Campbell AI, Ebbens SJ, Illien P & Golestanian R (2019) . Nature Communications, 10(1).
  • Gregory DA, Kumar P, Jimenez-Franco A, Zhang Y, Zhang Y, Ebbens SJ & Zhao X (2019) . Journal of Visualized Experiments(146).
  • Zhang Y, Gregory DA, Zhang Y, Smith PJ, Ebbens SJ & Zhao X (2019) . Small, 15(1).
  • Ebbens SJ & Gregory DA (2018) . Accounts of Chemical Research, 51(9), 1931-1939.
  • Gregory DA & Ebbens SJ (2018) . Langmuir, 34(14), 4307-4313.
  • Archer RJ, Parnell AJ, Campbell AI, Howse JR & Ebbens SJ (2018) . Advanced Science, 5(2).
  • Campbell AI, Wittkowski R, ten Hagen B, Löwen H & Ebbens SJ (2017) . The Journal of Chemical Physics, 147(8).
  • Nourhani A, Ebbens SJ, Gibbs JG & Lammert PE (2016) . Physical Review E (PRE), 94.
  • Campbell A, Archer R & Ebbens S (2016) . Journal of Visualized Experiments(113).
  • Gregory DA, Zhang Y, Smith PJ, Zhao X & Ebbens SJ (2016) . Small, 12(30), 4048-4055.
  • Ebbens SJ (2016) . Current Opinion in Colloid & Interface Science, 21, 14-23.
  • Das S, Garg A, Campbell AI, Howse J, Sen A, Velegol D, Golestanian R & Ebbens SJ (2015) . Nature Communications, 6(-), ---.
  • Dunderdale G & Ebbens S (2015) . Current Physical Chemistry, 5(1), 91-106.
  • Archer RJ, Campbell AI & Ebbens SJ (2015) . Soft Matter, 11(34), 6872-6880.
  • Gregory DA, Campbell AI & Ebbens SJ (2015) . Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 119(27), 15339-15348.
  • Taylor W, Ebbens S, Skoda MWA, Webster JRP & Jones RAL (2015) . The European Physical Journal E, 38, 14-14.
  • Toolan DTW, Fujii S, Ebbens SJ, Nakamura Y & Howse JR (2014) . Soft Matter, 10(44), 8804-8812.
  • Haq EU, Toolan DTW, Emerson JA, Epps TH, Howse JR, Dunbar ADF & Ebbens SJ (2014) . Journal of Polymer Science Part B: Polymer Physics, n/a-n/a.
  • Ebbens S, Gregory DA, Dunderdale G, Howse JR, Ibrahim Y, Liverpool TB & Golestanian R (2013) Electrokinetic Effects in Catalytic Pt-Insulator Janus Swimmers.
  • Campbell AI & Ebbens SJ (2013) . Langmuir, 29(46), 14066-14073.
  • Toolan DTW, Haq EU, Dunbar A, Ebbens S, Clarke N, Topham PD & Howse JR (2013) . Journal of Polymer Science Part B Polymer Physics, 51(11), 875-881.
  • Qi S, Litchfield R, Hutt DA, Vaidhyanathan B, Liu C, Webb P & Ebbens S (2012) . Proceedings Electronic Components and Technology Conference, 1651-1655.
  • Dunderdale G, Ebbens S, Fairclough P & Howse J (2012) . Langmuir, 28(30), 10997-11006.
  • Ebbens S (2012) . Materials Today, 15(7-8), 294.
  • Ebbens SJ, Buxton GA, Alexeev A, Sadeghi A & Howse JR (2012) . SOFT MATTER, 8(11), 3077-3082.
  • Ebbens S, Tu M-H, Howse JR & Golestanian R (2012) . PHYSICAL REVIEW E, 85(2).
  • Ebbens S, Tu MH, Howse JR & Golestanian R (2012) Size dependence of the propulsion velocity for catalytic Janus-sphere swimmers.. Phys Rev E Stat Nonlin Soft Matter Phys, 85(2-1), 020401.
  • Ebbens S (2012) . MATERIALS TODAY, 15(7-8), 294-294.
  • Sadeghi A, Howse J, Ebbens S & De Geest B (2011) . Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings, 1357, 18-25.
  • Ebbens SJ & Howse JR (2011) . Langmuir, 27(20), 12293-12296.
  • Ebbens S, Sadeghi A, Howse J, Golestanian R & Jones R (2011) . Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings, 1346, 49-52.
  • Ebbens S, Hodgkinson R, Parnell AJ, Dunbar A, Martin SJ, Topham PD, Clarke N & Howse JR (2011) . ACS Nano, 5(6), 5124-5131.
  • Ebbens SJ & Howse JR (2010) Self-assembled phoretic swimmers. 7th Annual Conference on Foundations of Nanoscience Self Assembled Architectures and Devices Fnano 2010, 108-109.
  • Thompson KL, Armes SP, Howse JR, Ebbens S, Ahmad I, Zaidi JH, York DW & Burdis JA (2010) . Macromolecules, 43(24), 10466-10474.
  • Ebbens S, Jones RAL, Ryan AJ, Golestanian R & Howse JR (2010) . PHYS REV E, 82(1).
  • Ebbens S, Hutt D & Liu C (2010) . IEEE Transactions on Components and Packaging Technologies, 33(2), 251-259.
  • Ebbens SJ & Howse JR (2010) . SOFT MATTER, 6(4), 726-738.
  • Ebbens S, Hutt DA, Liu C & Williams O (2007) . Proceedings Electronic Components and Technology Conference, 1362-1367.
  • Perkins M, Ebbens SJ, Hayes S, Roberts CJ, Madden CE, Luk SY & Patel N (2007) . Int J Pharm, 332(1-2), 168-175.
  • Ebbens S, Hutt DA & Liu C (2006) . Proceedings Electronic Components and Technology Conference, 2006, 1847-1852.
  • Ebbens S, Hutt DA & Liu C (2006) . Proceedings of the Electronic Packaging Technology Conference EPTC, 46-52.
  • Zhang J, Ebbens S, Chen X, Jin Z, Luk S, Madden C, Patel N & Roberts CJ (2006) . Pharmaceutical Research, 23(2), 401-407.
  • Ward S, Perkins M, Zhang J, Roberts CJ, Madden CE, Luk SY, Patel N & Ebbens SJ (2005) Novel methods to probe surface amorphous states. J PHARM PHARMACOL, 57, S98-S98.
  • Le Roux D, Roberts CJ, Madden CE, Luk SY, Patel N & Ebbens SJ (2005) Raman microscopy investigation of the phase structure and interactions in hydoxypropyl methyl cellulose and ethyl cellulose blends. J PHARM PHARMACOL, 57, S9-S10.
  • Perkins M, Zhang J, Roberts CJ, Madden CE, Luk SY, Patel N & Ebbens SJ (2005) Single particle surface energy and hardness screening using Atomic Force Microscopy. J PHARM PHARMACOL, 57, S59-S59.
  • Ward SD, Perkins M, Ebbens SJ, Roberts CJ, Luk SY, Patel N & Madden CE (2005) Drug product analysis through multidisciplinary solid state characterisation. J PHARM PHARMACOL, 57, S90-S90.
  • Perkins M, Zhang J, Roberts CJ, Madden CE, Luk SY, Patel N & Ebbens SJ (2005) Single particle surface energy and hardness screening using Atomic Force Microscopy. J PHARM PHARMACOL, 57, S3-S3.
  • Ward S, Perkins M, Zhang J, Roberts CJ, Madden CE, Luk SY, Patel N & Ebbens SJ (2005) . Pharm Res, 22(7), 1195-1202.
  • Abdelhady HG, Allen S, Ebbens SJ, Madden C, Patel N, Roberts CJ & Zhang JX (2005) . NANOTECHNOLOGY, 16(6), 966-973.
  • Zhang J, Madden C, Hossainy S, Tang FW, Borgaonkar H, Ebbens S, Luk SY, Patel N & Roberts CJ (2004) Challenges in the development of drug eluting stents: swelling behaviour characterisation. J PHARM PHARMACOL, 56, S6-S7.
  • Collins JA, Madden CE, Ebbens SJ, Luk SY, Roberts CJ & Patel N (2004) Screening of inhalation formulations: quantification of individual particulate interactions. J PHARM PHARMACOL, 56, S6-S6.
  • Woodward I, Ebbens S, Zhang J, Luk S, Patel N & Roberts CJ (2004) . Packaging Technology and Science, 17(3), 129-138.
  • Spanos CG, Ebbens SJ, Badyal JPS, Goodwin AJ & Merlin PJ (2003) . MACROMOLECULES, 36(2), 368-372.
  • Eve JK, Patel N, Luk SY, Ebbens SJ & Roberts CJ (2002) . Int J Pharm, 238(1-2), 17-27.
  • Spanos CG, Ebbens SJ, Badyal JPS, Goodwin AJ & Merlin PJ (2001) Surface segregation and plasma oxidation of poly(dimethylsiloxane)-doped polyolefins. MACROMOLECULES, 34(23), 8149-8155.
  • Ebbens SJ & Badyal JPS (2001) . LANGMUIR, 17(13), 4050-4055.
  • Prihatin IA () . Empati : Jurnal Bimbingan dan Konseling, 9(1), 109-119.
  • Gregory DA, Kumar P, Jimenez-Franco A, Zhang Y, Zhang Y, Ebbens SJ & Zhao X () . Journal of Visualized Experiments(146).
  • Kawashima H, Shioi A, Archer RJ, Ebbens SJ, Nakamura Y & Fujii S () . RSC Advances, 9(15), 8333-8339.
  • Gregory DA, Zhang Y, Smith PJ, Ebbens SJ & Zhao X () . NIP & Digital Fabrication Conference, 32(1), 452-456.
  • Jamaludin NA, Basatvat S, Aboussahoud W, Elliott S, Hunt S, Peacock B, Ebbens S & Fazeli A () . Reproduction Abstracts.
  • Campbell A, Archer R & Ebbens S () . Journal of Visualized Experiments(113).
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Book chapters

  • Gregory DA, Zhang Y, Ebbens SJ & Zhao X (2017) , Smart Materials Series (pp. 169-201). Royal Society of Chemistry
  • Ebbens S, Howse J, Archer R, Gregory D, Campbell A & Dunderdale G (2017) , Soft, Hard, and Hybrid Janus Structures (pp. 315-403). WORLD SCIENTIFIC (EUROPE)
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Conference proceedings

  • Tang Z, Passmore C, Rossiter J, Ebbens S, Dunderdale G & Panoutsos G (2024) . 2024 UKACC 14th International Conference on Control (CONTROL). Winchester, UK, 10 April 2024 - 10 April 2024.
  • Gregory DA, Zhang Y, Smith PJ, Ebbens SJ & Zhao X (2016) Altering the bubble release of reactive inkjet printed silk micro-rockets. NIP & Digital Fabrication Conference, Vol. 2016 (pp 452-456). Manchester, 12 September 2016 - 12 September 2016.
  • Das S, Garg A, Campbell A, Velegol D, Sen A, Golestanian R & Ebbens S (2015) Sustained quenching of rotational diffusional motion of catalytic Janus colloids. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, Vol. 250
  • Ebbens SJ, Hutt DA & Liu CQ (2007) Patterning copper using ink jet printing of Self Assembled Monolayers. 2007 9TH ELECTRONICS PACKAGING TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE, VOLS 1 AND 2 (pp 114-119)
  • Ebbens SJ, Hutt DA & Liu CQ (2006) Thermal stability of self-assembled monolayer copper preservatives for fluxless soldering. ESTC 2006: 1st Electronics Systemintegration Technology Conference, Vols 1 and 2, Proceedings (pp 1360-1366)
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Preprints

  • Baulin VA, Giacometti A, Fedosov D, Ebbens S, Varela-Rosales NR, Feliu N, Chowdhury M, Hu M, Füchslin R, Dijkstra M , Mussel M et al (2025) , arXiv.
  • Archer R, Kubodera Y, Ebbens S, Matsuo M & Nomura S-IM (2024) , American Chemical Society (ACS).
  • Marchi PM, Marrone L, Brasseur L, Bousset L, Webster CP, Destro M, Smith EF, Walther CG, Alfred V, Marroccella R , Robinson D et al (2021) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Campbell AI, Ebbens SJ, Illien P & Golestanian R (2018) , arXiv.
  • Campbell AI, Wittkowski R, Hagen BT, Löwen H & Ebbens SJ (2017) , arXiv.
  • Nourhani A, Ebbens SJ, Gibbs JG & Lammert PE (2016) , arXiv.
  • Ebbens S, Gregory DA, Dunderdale G, Howse JR, Ibrahim Y, Liverpool TB & Golestanian R (2013) , arXiv.
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Teaching interests

I am module leader on CPE170 Fluids and Particle Mechanics, Level 2 director, and supervise on our MEng and MSc research projects. 

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