Dr Evans research is in the use of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance to solve chemical and engineering problems. Recent projects include: 

• improving the quantitative interpretation of small molecule diffusion coefficients.
• measurement and analysis of the pore structures and architecture of catalytic silica supports, based on the diffusion of molecules through them.
• development of NMR cryoporometry methods for the analysis of pore sizes.
• analysis of fuel samples, such as biofuel and asphaltenes.
• study of the molecular behaviour responsible for self-healing polymer samples. 

Alongside PhD students, I also enjoy hosting undergraduate & ERASMUS research projects each summer on projects which contribute to the above areas.

Dr Evans joined CEAC in August 2013.

He joined the University after a one year position working with Stefano Caldarelli at the Institute de Chemie des Sciences Naturelles in Gif-sur-Yvette/Ecole Polytechnique, developing analytical tools for the analysis of the natural mixtures. 

Dr Evans obtained his MChem (1st class honours) at the University of Oxford in 2003. The 4th year thesis was supervised by Dr C. R. Timmel with the majority of the research done in collaboration with Dr M. M. Britton. He continued this work into his DPhil (2003 – 2008), an extended study of magnetic field effects on autocatalytic systems. This continued the established collaboration with Dr M. M. Britton and involved further collaboration with Dr M. A. Hayward. 

On completion of his doctorate in 2008, he moved to the University of Manchester to take a two year post-doctoral research associate position working on pure shift NMR and diffusion NMR, supervised by Professor G. A. Morris. This project was in close association with the flavours company Givaudan. This was followed by a further, one year, post-doctoral position under Dr M. Nilsson looking at “New methods for mixture analysis by liquids NMR”.

A further one year position followed with Professor N. Tirelli, working in the KCMC, investigating the dynamic behaviour of colloids and nonomaterials in aqueous dispersions. Over this period of four years, he used NMR to investigate a range of problems, from simplification of spectra for mixture analysis to the characterisation of the products of nanoparticle oxidation.

Rob teaches across both chemistry and chemical engineering modules, with a particular focus on physical chemistry and mathematical methods. 

• CH1MAT - Mathematics for Chemists
• CH1PHC - Physical Chemistry I
• CE1PCE - Physical Chemistry for Engineers
• CH2PHC - Physical Chemistry II (Quantum mechanics) (module owner)
• CH2ORC - Organic Chemistry II (Chemical Analysis)
• CH3PHC - Physical Chemistry III (module owner)
• CH3NMR - Advanced NMR Techniques (module owner)

plus

• CH3LRP - Literature Research Projects
• CH3RPJ - Research Projects
• CH30CC - Chemistry with Computers (module owner)
• CH30DC - Demonstrating Chemistry

Phone Number: 0121 204 5382

Email: r.evans2@aston.ac.uk

Room number: MB110H