Dr Robert Dawson

School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences

School Sustainability Lead

Lecturer in Polymer Chemistry

Rob Dawson
Profile picture of Rob Dawson
r.dawson@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 9357
Dainton Building

Full contact details

Dr Robert Dawson
School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences
Dainton Building
13 Brook Hill
Sheffield
S3 7HF
Profile

Dr. Dawson received his MChem in Chemistry with German from the University of Liverpool in 2006. After a year spent teaching English in Germany, he returned to Liverpool to complete his PhD with Prof. Andrew I. Cooper graduating in 2010 and spending a further two years in the group as a post-doctoral researcher.

In 2012 he moved to the Technical University of Berlin as a Marie Curie Intra-European Fellow before returning to the UK in 2014 at the University of Bath. In 2015 he was appointed as a Lecturer in Polymer Chemistry at the University of Sheffield.

Qualifications
  • MRSC
  • FHEA
Research interests

My research focuses on the synthesis and applications of microporous polymers. These materials are produced from rigid organic building blocks linked together using high yielding chemistries to produce networks. The subsequent removal of the reaction solvent from the rigid framework leaves behind channels into which small molecules can be adsorbed. Previously, I have looked at these materials for applications in hydrogen gas storage, carbon dioxide capture and heterogeneous catalysis.

My current research looks at these materials for energy applications; for example reducing energy demand by performing reactions photocatalytically, and utilising CO2 to produce valuable materials.

Publications

Journal articles

  • Robshaw TJ, Lambert FM, Watson SD, Tantisryanurak S, Mukhtar N, Shields V, Turner J, Dawson R, Walkley B, Sharrad CA & Ogden MD (2025) . Chemical Engineering Science, 122799-122799.
  • Durgut E, Tan J, Smith B, Dawson R, Foster J & Claeyssens F (2025) . Polymer, 322.
  • Robshaw TJ, Bezzina JP, Dawson R & Ogden MD (2025) . Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, 142, 664-675.
  • Rowling A, Doulcet J, Dawson R, Tapia-Ruiz N & Trewin A (2024) . ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 16(36), 47631-47638.
  • Bezzina JP, Robshaw TJ, Canner AJ, Dawson R & Ogden MD (2022) . Journal of Environmental Management, 324.
  • Ivko S, James AM, Derry MJ, Dawson R & Haynes A (2022) . Catalysis Science & Technology, 12(2), 664-673.
  • Robshaw TJ, Bonser K, Coxhill G, Dawson R & Ogden MD (2020) . Waste and Biomass Valorization, 11(10), 5467-5481.
  • Tantisriyanurak S, Duguid HN, Peattie L & Dawson R (2020) . ACS Applied Polymer Materials, 2(9), 3908-3915.
  • Bezzina JP, Robshaw T, Dawson R & Ogden MD (2020) . Chemical Engineering Journal, 394.
  • James AM & Dawson R (2020) . Macromolecular Rapid Communications, 41(12).
  • Maughan PA, Seymour VR, Bernardo-Gavito R, Kelly DJ, Shao S, Tantisriyanurak S, Dawson R, Haigh SJ, Young RJ, Tapia-Ruiz N & Bimbo N (2020) . Langmuir, 36(16), 4370-4382.
  • Robshaw TJ, James AM, Hammond DB, Reynolds J, Dawson R & Ogden M (2020) . Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 8(15), 7130-7144.
  • James A, Reynolds J, Reed D, Styring P & Dawson R (2019) .
  • James AM, Derry MJ, Train JS & Dawson R (2019) . Polymer Chemistry, 10(28), 3879-3886.
  • Robshaw TJ, Dawson R, Bonser K & Ogden MD (2019) . Chemical Engineering Journal, 367, 149-159.
  • Bezzina JP, Ruder LR, Dawson R & Ogden MD (2019) . Water Research, 158, 257-267.
  • James AM, Harding S, Robshaw T, Bramall N, Ogden MD & Dawson R (2019) . ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 11(25), 22464-22473.
  • Molefe LY, Musyoka NM, Ren J, Langmi HW, Ndungu PG, Dawson R & Mathe M (2019) . Journal of Materials Science, 54(9), 7078-7086.
  • James A, Derry M, Train J & Dawson R (2018) .
  • Chaoui N, Trunk M, Dawson R, Schmidt J & Thomas A (2017) . Chemical Society Reviews, 46(11), 3302-3321.
  • Polak-KraÅ›na K, Dawson R, Holyfield LT, Bowen CR, Burrows AD & Mays TJ (2017) . Journal of Materials Science, 52(7), 3862-3875.
  • Wright JS, Metherell AJ, Cullen WM, Piper JR, Dawson R & Ward MD (2017) . CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS, 53(31), 4398-4401.
  • Laybourn A, Dawson R, Clowes R, Hasell T, Cooper AI, Khimyak YZ & Adams DJ (2014) . Polymer Chemistry, 5(21), 6325-6333.
  • Dadashi-Silab S, Bildirir H, Dawson R, Thomas A & Yagci Y (2014) . Macromolecules, 47(14), 4607-4614.
  • Woodward RT, Stevens LA, Dawson R, Vijayaraghavan M, Hasell T, Silverwood IP, Ewing AV, Ratvijitvech T, Exley JD, Chong SY , Blanc F et al (2014) . Journal of the American Chemical Society, 136(25), 9028-9035.
  • Fischer S, Schimanowitz A, Dawson R, Senkovska I, Kaskel S & Thomas A (2014) . Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 2(30), 11825-11829.
  • Dawson R, Stevens LA, Williams OSA, Wang W, Carter BO, Sutton S, Drage TC, Blanc F, Adams DJ & Cooper AI (2014) . Energy and Environmental Science, 7(5), 1786-1791.
  • Ratvijitvech T, Dawson R, Laybourn A, Khimyak YZ, Adams DJ & Cooper AI (2014) . Polymer, 55(1), 321-325.
  • Ren S, Dawson R, Adams DJ & Cooper AI (2013) . Polymer Chemistry, 4(22), 5585-5585.
  • Dawson R, Cooper AI & Adams DJ (2013) . Polymer International, 62(3), 345-352.
  • Dawson R, Ratvijitvech T, Corker M, Laybourn A, Khimyak YZ, Cooper AI & Adams DJ (2012) . Polymer Chemistry, 3(8), 2034-2034.
  • Dawson R, Stevens LA, Drage TC, Snape CE, Smith MW, Adams DJ & Cooper AI (2012) . Journal of the American Chemical Society, 134(26), 10741-10744.
  • Ren S, Bojdys MJ, Dawson R, Laybourn A, Khimyak YZ, Adams DJ & Cooper AI (2012) . Advanced Materials, 24(17), 2357-2361.
  • Ren S, Dawson R, Laybourn A, Jiang JX, Khimyak Y, Adams DJ & Cooper AI (2012) . Polymer Chemistry, 3(4), 928-934.
  • Drage TC, Snape CE, Stevens LA, Wood J, Wang J, Cooper AI, Dawson R, Guo X, Satterley C & Irons R (2012) . JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY, 22(7), 2815-2823.
  • Laybourn A, Dawson R, Clowes R, Iggo JA, Cooper AI, Khimyak YZ & Adams DJ (2012) . POLYMER CHEMISTRY, 3(2), 533-537.
  • Dawson R, Cooper AI & Adams DJ (2012) . Progress in Polymer Science, 37(4), 530-563.
  • Dawson R, Stöckel E, Holst JR, Adams DJ & Cooper AI (2011) . Energy & Environmental Science, 4(10), 4239-4239.
  • Jiang S, Bacsa J, Wu X, Jones JTA, Dawson R, Trewin A, Adams DJ & Cooper AI (2011) . Chemical Communications, 47(31), 8919-8919.
  • Dawson R, Adams DJ & Cooper AI (2011) . Chemical Science, 2(6), 1173-1173.
  • Dawson R, Laybourn A, Khimyak YZ, Adams DJ & Cooper AI (2010) . Macromolecules, 43(20), 8524-8530.
  • Dawson R, Laybourn A, Clowes R, Khimyak YZ, Adams DJ & Cooper AI (2009) . Macromolecules, 42(22), 8809-8816.
  • Dawson R, Su F, Niu H, Wood CD, Jones JTA, Khimyak YZ & Cooper AI (2008) . Macromolecules, 41(5), 1591-1593.
  • James AM, Reynolds J, Reed DG, Styring P & Dawson R () . Materials, 14(7), 1605.
  • Alqahtani Z, Alghamdi N, Robshaw TJ, Dawson R, Ogden MD, Buckely A & Grell M () . Micromachines, 11(10), 923.

Book chapters

  • Dawson R & Trewin A (2015) , Monographs in Supramolecular Chemistry (pp. 155-185). Royal Society of Chemistry

Conference proceedings

  • Dawson R & Thomas A (2013) Microporous organic polymers as catalysts. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, Vol. 245
  • Ren S, Dawson R, Jiang J-X, Adams DJ & Cooper AI (2012) 1,3,5-Triazine based microporous organic polymers: Synthesis and applications. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, Vol. 244
  • Drage TC, Snape CE, Stevens LA, Wood J, Wang J, Cooper AI, Dawson R & Guo X (2012) (pp 30-37)
  • Dawson R, Adams DJ & Cooper AI (2010) Controlling porosity in conjugated microporous polymer networks. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, Vol. 240
  • Jiang JX, Su F, Trewin A, Wood CD, Campbell NL, Niu H, Dickinson C, Ganin AY, Dawson R, Jones JTA , Rosseinsky MJ et al (2008) Advanced amorphous porous polymer networks: Understanding molecular level structure and dynamics using solid-state NMR. American Chemical Society Polymer Preprints Division of Polymer Chemistry, Vol. 49(1) (pp 639)
  • Jiang J-X, Su F, Trewin A, Wood CD, Campbell NL, Niu H, Dickinson C, Ganin A, Dawson R, Jones JTA , Rosseinsky MJ et al (2008) POLY 381-Advanced amorphous porous polymer networks: Understanding molecular level structure and dynamics using solid-state NMR. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, Vol. 235
  • Cooper AI, Campbell NL, Jiang J-X, Stockel E, Dawson R, Higgins S, Niu H & Clowes R (2008) POLY 159-Combinatorial microwave synthesis of nanoporous poly(aryleneethynylene)s. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, Vol. 236
  • Cooper AI, Jiang J-X, Dawson R, Su F, Niu H, Wood CD, Jones JTA, Khimyak Y & Trewin A (2008) POLY 517-Synthesis of nanoporous conjugated polymer networks. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, Vol. 236

Preprints

  • Ivko S, James A, Derry M, Dawson R & Haynes A (2021) , American Chemical Society (ACS).
  • Ivko S, James A, Derry M, Dawson R & Haynes A (2021) , American Chemical Society (ACS).
  • Robshaw TJ, Bezzina JP, Canner AJ, Dawson R & Ogden MD () .
Teaching interests

Polymer Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry.

Teaching activities

Undergraduate and postgraduate taught modules

  • d- and f-Block Elements 2 (Level 2)
    This course is an introduction to the chemistry of transition metal complexes containing hydride ligands and in particular π-acid ligands including CO, CS, CN–, CNR, N2, NO, phosphines and phosphites. It is a prelude to the use of such compounds as catalysts in the chemical industry.
  • The Lanthanide Elements: Properties and Applications (Level 3)
    This segment provides an introduction to the lanthanide and actinide elements, their coordination and organometallic chemistry, and the applications of their compounds.

Support Teaching:

  • Skills for Success: Kitchen Project.

Laboratory Teaching:

  • Level 3 Research Project
  • Level 4 Research Project