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:Thomas H. Epps III

{{short description|American chemist}}

{{Infobox scientist

| name = Thomas H. Epps, III

| image = Thomas H. Epps III at the 2016 APS March Meeting (cropped).jpg

| caption = at the 2016 APS March Meeting

| alma_mater = Massachusetts Institute of Technology (BS, MS)
University of Minnesota (PhD)

| workplaces = University of Delaware

| known_for = Polymer chemistry, polymer physics, polymer science

| doctoral_advisor = Frank S. Bates

| thesis_title = Locating network phases in linear ABC triblock copolymers

| thesis_url = https://www.proquest.com/openview/517ff28c88a6f9e57c57eb01c7afd42c/

| thesis_year = 2004

| awards = Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (2021)

}}

Thomas H. Epps, III is an American chemist and the Thomas & Kipp Gutshall Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Delaware. He has a joint appointment in Materials Science & Engineering, and an affiliated appointment in Biomedical Engineering. He serves as the director of the Center for Research in Soft Matter & Polymers, the director of the Center for Hybrid, Active, and Responsive Materials (a National Science Foundation, Materials Research Science and Engineering Center), and the co-director of the Center for Plastics Innovations (A Department of Energy, Energy Frontiers Research Center). His research considers the design, synthesis, characterization, and application of nanostructure-containing polymers related to biobased materials, drug delivery, alternative energy (batteries), nanotemplating, and composite-based personal-protective equipment. He is also the co-founder of Lignolix, which is focused on the valorization of biomass waste.

Early life and education

Epps was born to Ruth Epps, a professor of accounting at Virginia Union University and Virginia Commonwealth University, and Thomas H. Epps, Jr, professor of chemistry at Virginia State University.{{Cite web|title=Virginia Section News|url=https://virginia.sites.acs.org/Bulletin/12/sep/news9-12.htm|access-date=2020-07-22|website=virginia.sites.acs.org}} He grew up in Chesterfield County, Virginia. Epps completed his undergraduate degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.{{Cite web|title=Thomas H. Epps, III|url=https://cbe.udel.edu/people/faculty/thepps/|access-date=2020-07-22|website=Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at University of Delaware|language=en-US}} He was one of the first people to be selected as an American Chemical Society Minority Scholar. He remained there for his graduate studies, completing a master's degree in chemical engineering (Practice School) in 1999 before moving to the University of Minnesota for his doctorate. At the University of Minnesota he worked under the supervision of Frank S. Bates. After completing his PhD research, Epps joined the National Institute of Standards and Technology as a National Research Council Fellow in the Polymers Division.{{Cite web|title=MSE Seminar Series: Thomas H. Epps, III {{!}} Department of Materials Science and Engineering|url=https://mse.umd.edu/event/7479/mse-seminar-series-thomas-h-epps-iii|access-date=2020-07-22|website=mse.umd.edu}}

Research and career

In the summer of 2006 Epps joined the University of Delaware.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=10 July 2016|title=Prof. Thomas H. Epps III - Speakers Directory|url=https://www.chemdiversity.org/resources/speakers-directory/name/thomas-epps/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=Chem Diversity}}{{Cite web|date=2020-06-16|title=Thomas H. Epps, III|url=https://www.aiche.org/community/bio/thomas-h-epps-iii|access-date=2020-07-22|website=www.aiche.org|language=en}} Here his research considers nanostructured assemblies of polymers for a variety of applications.{{Cite web|title=Epps Research Group {{!}}|url=https://sites.udel.edu/eppsgroup/|access-date=2020-07-22|language=en-US}} In particular, he has focused on block copolymers; polymers which are composed of two or more chemically dissimilar units.{{Cite journal|last1=Epps, III|first1=Thomas H.|last2=O'Reilly|first2=Rachel K.|date=2016|title=Block copolymers: controlling nanostructure to generate functional materials – synthesis, characterization, and engineering|journal=Chemical Science|language=en|volume=7|issue=3|pages=1674–1689|doi=10.1039/C5SC03505H|issn=2041-6520|pmc=6090521|pmid=30155013}} Specifically, Epps develops block copolymers that can assemble into nano-scale structures with carefully controlled molecular shapes, sizes and orientations.{{Cite web|title=Visiting professor|url=http://www.udel.edu/udaily/2013/nov/epps-mit-111412.html|access-date=2020-07-22|website=UDaily}}

By manipulating the regions between blocks to control phase transitions and intermolecular packing, Epps has studied the interfacial interactions of tapered block copolymers. He also pioneered the development of gradient substrates and free surfaces the deposition of block copolymer thin films. Epps showed that self-assembled monolayers of chlorosilane used in combination with flow-coating and solvent vapour gradients can result in nanostructures with precise optical and electronic properties.{{Cite web|title=Thomas H. Epps, III - Delaware Health Sciences Alliance|url=https://www.delawarehsa.org/people/epps_thomas.php|access-date=2020-07-22|website=www.delawarehsa.org}} Epps spent 2013 as a Martin Luther King Jr. Fellow at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he worked with Timothy M. Swager on the self-assembly of polymers.{{Cite web|title=Thomas Epps, Chemistry – Martin Luther King Jr. Scholars|url=https://mlkscholars.mit.edu/tepps/|access-date=2020-07-22|language=en-US}}

In 2016 he demonstrated it was possible to synthesize novel polymers with tuneable thermal properties through the use of waste from the pulp and paper business.{{Cite web|date=2016-03-08|title=Wood-Based Polymers Made from Pulp & Paper Waste|url=https://www.ien.com/home/news/20491231/woodbased-polymers-made-from-pulp-paper-waste|access-date=2020-07-22|website=Design and Development Today|language=en-us}}{{Cite web|title=BIO-BASED POLYMERS FROM RAW LIGNOCELLULOSIC BIOMASS - Patent US2019144590 - PubChem|url=https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/patent/US2019144590#section=Patent-Applicant|access-date=2020-07-22|website=pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov}} He was awarded a $4 million grant from the National Science Foundation to develop new synthesis pathways that allow the development of novel materials from lignin.{{Cite web|title=Cracking the code {{!}} UDaily|url=https://www.udel.edu/udaily/2020/february/biomass-lignin-from-trees-to-tires-sunscreens-lubricants/|access-date=2020-07-22|website=www.udel.edu|language=en}} When talking about the new programme, Epps said "one of the big problems that we want to address is sustainability ... not just thinking about whether we can make new polymers or catalysts from biomass, but understanding the impact of these polymers on the environment, in terms of toxicity and in terms of the resources,". He went on to found Lignolix, a spin-out company that focuses on making sustainable materials from renewable biomass. Lignolix won the 2019 University of Delaware FastPass competition.{{Cite web|title=Accelerating technology commercialization {{!}} UDaily|url=https://www.udel.edu/udaily/2019/december/startup-lignolix-extrave-bioscience-win-fastpass-award/|access-date=2020-07-22|website=www.udel.edu|language=en}}

Epps has realised polymer-based for lithium-ion batteries, where the polymer serves the role of the liquid electrolyte.{{Cite web|last=Ciolino|first=Nick|title=UD professor makes batteries charge faster, safer|url=https://www.delawarepublic.org/post/ud-professor-makes-batteries-charge-faster-safer|access-date=2020-07-22|website=www.delawarepublic.org|date=29 November 2018 |language=en}} The polymer prevents calcification of the positive and negative electrodes in the battery, which can otherwise cause sparks and fires. Polymers also permit quick charging/discharging due to the formation of small channels that allow fast ion transport.

In 2020 Epps and LaShanda Korley were announced as the directors of the United States Department of Energy Center for Plastics Innovation.{{Cite web|title=Taking aim at plastic waste {{!}} UDaily|url=https://www.udel.edu/udaily/2020/july/center-for-plastics-innovation-11-million-doe-efrc-lashanda-korley/|access-date=2020-07-22|website=www.udel.edu|language=en}} The $11.65 million center brings together researchers from the University of Delaware, University of Chicago, University of Massachusetts Amherst and Oak Ridge National Laboratory to upcycle plastic waste. Also in 2020, Epps was announced as the director of the University of Delaware's Center for Hybrid, Active, and Responsive Materials (UD CHARM), a National Science Foundation Materials Research Science and Engineering Center.{{Cite web|title=University of Delaware Center for Hybrid, Active, and Responsive Materials {{!}} MRSEC|url=https://www.mrsec.org/centers/university-delaware-center-hybrid-active-and-responsive-materials|access-date=2020-08-16|website=www.mrsec.org}} The $6.5 million center brings together researchers from University of Delaware, University of Pennsylvania and the National Institute of Standards & Technology.{{Cite web|title=NSF Award Search: Award#2011824 - University of Delaware MRSEC - Center for Hybrid, Active, and Responsive Materials (CHARM)|url=https://nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2011824&HistoricalAwards=false|access-date=2020-08-16|website=nsf.gov}}

Awards and honours

Select publications

  • {{Cite journal|last1=Albert|first1=Julie N. L.|last2=Epps|first2=Thomas H.|date=2010-06-01|title=Self-assembly of block copolymer thin films|journal=Materials Today|language=en|volume=13|issue=6|pages=24–33|doi=10.1016/S1369-7021(10)70106-1|issn=1369-7021|doi-access=free}}
  • {{Cite journal|last1=Young|first1=Wen-Shiue|last2=Kuan|first2=Wei-Fan|last3=Epps|first3=Thomas H.|date=2014-01-01|title=Block copolymer electrolytes for rechargeable lithium batteries|url=http://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/polb.23404|journal=Journal of Polymer Science Part B: Polymer Physics|language=en|volume=52|issue=1|pages=1–16|doi=10.1002/polb.23404|bibcode=2014JPoSB..52....1Y|url-access=subscription}}
  • {{Cite journal|last1=Theato|first1=Patrick|last2=Sumerlin|first2=Brent S.|last3=O'Reilly|first3=Rachel K.|last4=Epps, III|first4=Thomas H.|date=2013|title=Stimuli responsive materials|url=http://xlink.rsc.org/?DOI=c3cs90057f|journal=Chemical Society Reviews|language=en|volume=42|issue=17|pages=7055–7056|doi=10.1039/c3cs90057f|pmid=23881304|issn=0306-0012|url-access=subscription}}

External links

  • [https://www.aip.org/history-programs/niels-bohr-library/oral-histories/45132 Oral history interview transcript with Thomas H. Epps III on 28 July 2020, American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library & Archives]

References

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Category:African-American chemists

Category:MIT School of Engineering alumni

Category:People from Chesterfield County, Virginia

Category:University of Minnesota alumni

Category:American organic chemists

Category:University of Delaware faculty

Category:Minnesota CEMS

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:Living people

Category:Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors

Category:21st-century African-American scientists

Category:21st-century African-American academics

Category:21st-century American academics

Category:Fellows of the American Physical Society

Category:African-American physicists

Category:Recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers