Research Staff: Dr Idriss Blakey

SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW

Address:
Centre for Magnetic Resonance
Level 2, Gehrmann Laboratories
Research Road
The University of Queensland
Brisbane. QLD. 4072
E-mail address: Idriss Blakey
Telephone: +61-7-3365 3392
Fax: +61-7-3365 3833
Home Page: Idriss Blakey

Career Profile:
Senior Research Fellow, CMR (2004-present)
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, CMR (2003)
Research Scientist, Polymerat Pty. Ltd. (2000-2003)
Ph.D. in Polymer Science and Physical Chemistry, QUT (1997-2000)
B.App.Sci.App.Chem.(Hons, Queensland University of Technology (1992-1996)

Profile

Some of Dr Blakey’s major research themes include:
- Polymers for semiconductor manufacture
- Hybrid Inorganic-Polymer Materials and their Self Assembly
- Generation of Biodegradable Polymers
- Modification of Polymer Surfaces
- Applications of 129Xe NMR for materials analysis
- MRI contrast agents.

In general the aims of these projects involve the synthesis or modification of polymers to generate functional materials, with a focus on the use of NMR for the characterisation of the morphology of polymers and polymer hybrids. In particular, these have involved the use of ¹²⁹Xe NMR to characterise the free volume of polymers and other complex systems. Also, ¹H Pulsed field gradient spin echo NMR has been utilised to study the morphology of hybrid polymer gold nanoparticles.
Major collaborations have been:
• Investigations into the vacuum UV degradation of polymers for use in computer chip manufacture (supported by SEMATECH, a semiconductor consortium)
• Synthesis of high refractive index polymers for semiconductor manufacture (also supported by SEMATECH)
• Novel detection strategies for bioassays, using encoded hybrid nanoparticles (in collaboration with QUT and University of California Santa Barbara)

Polymer/surface modification (surface and bulk)
   — Thermal and photo-degradation
   — Polymer functionalisation
   — Graft Polymerisation
» Polymer/surface characterisation and relation to properties
   — Vibrational spectroscopy (Raman microscopy, FTIR techniques)
   — X-ray photelectron spectroscopy
   — Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy
» Applications of polymers
   — Protein microarrays
   — Bone scaffolds
   — Photolithography

Selected Publications:

• Blakey, I., Goss, B.G.S. and George, G.A. (2006). Chemiluminescence as a probe of polymer oxidation. Australian Journal of Chemistry 59(8): 485-498.
• Varcoe, K.M., Blakey, I., Chirila, T.V., Hill, A.J., and Whittaker, A.K. (2007). The effect of synthetic conditions on the free volume of PHEMA as studied by ¹H NMR, ¹²⁹Xe NMR and PALS, in New Approaches in Biomedical Spectroscopy, K. Kniepp, E. Wentrup-Byrne, and R. Aroca, Editors. ACS. in press.
• Schiller, T., Fredericks, P., M., Merican, Z., and Blakey, I. (2006). Characterisation of hybrid gold-polymer nanoparticles for use in bioassays. IEEE proceedings,2006: in press.
• Merican, Z., Schiller, T., Fredericks, P., M., and Blakey, I. (2006). Synthesis and characterisation of hybrid polymer-gold nanoparticles: towards novel biosensors. IEEE Proceedings, in press.
• Blakey, I., Conley, W., George, G.A., Hill, D.J.T., Liu, H., Rasoul, F. and Whittaker, A.K. (2006). Synthesis of high refractive index sulfur containing polymers for 193 nm immersion lithography: a progress report. Proceedings of SPIE-The International Society for Optical Engineering 6153 (Pt. 1, Advances in Resist Technology and Processing XXIII): 61530H/1-61530H/10.
• Blakey, I., George, G.A., Hill, D.J.T., Liu, H., Rasoul, F., Whittaker, A.K. and Zimmerman, P. (2005). XPS and ¹⁹F NMR study of the photodegradation at 157 nm of photolithographic-grade teflon AF thin films. Macromolecules 38(10): 4050-4053.
• Whittaker, A.K., Blakey, I., Liu, H., Hill, D.J.T., George, G.A., Conley, W. and Zimmerman, P. (2005). High-RI resist polymers for 193 nm immersion lithography. Proceedings of SPIE – The International Society for Optical Engineering 5753 (Pt. 1. Advances in Rest Technology and Processing XXII): 827-835.
• Blakey, I., Day, G., Girjes, E., Hunter, D.S. and Rasoul, F. (2003). Characterisation of grafted supports used for solid-phase synthesis. Polymer International 52(11): 1734-1739.
• Blakey, I., Liu, H. and George, G.A. (2002). Mapping of catalyst residues and oxidation sites in polypropylene. In M. Terano and T. Shiono (Eds), Future Technology for Polyolefin and Olefin Polymerization Catalysis. Tokyo: Technology and Education Publishers, pp. 235-240.
• Goss, B.G.S., Blakey, I., Barry, M.D. and George, G.A. (2001). Modelling of infectious spreading in heterogeneous polymer oxidation II. Refinement of stochastic model and calibration using chemiluminescence of polypropylene. Polymer Degradation and Stability 74(3): 523-532.
• George, G., Blakey, I., Goss, B. and Grigg, M. (2001). Modelling, experimental evidence, and practical consequences of the infectious spreading of oxidative degradation in polymers. Polymer Preprints (American Chemical Society, Division of Polymer Chemistry) 42(1): 402-403.
• Blakey, I. and George, G.A. (2001). Simultaneous FTIR emission spectroscopy and chemiluminescence of oxidizing polypropylene: evidence for alternate chemiluminescence mechanisms. Macromolecules 34(6): 1873-1880.
• Blakey, I., George, G.A. and Billingham, N.C. (2001). Energy transfer and activated chemiluminescence during thermal oxidation of polypropylene: evidence for chemically induced electron exchange luminescence. Macromolecules 34(26): 9130-9138.
• Blakey, I. and George, G.A. (2000). Raman spectral mapping of photo-oxidized polypropylene. Polymer Degradation and Stability 70(2): 269-275.

Supervision and Teaching
PhD: Kylie Varcoe, Oliver Squires, Tara Schiller (QUT)
Honours: Vinh Truong
Since 2000, 3 PhD and 2 Honours

Other Activities
Awards: 2006: Runner up Trailblazer Competition 2005-2007 Smart State Research Fellow, 1997-2000: QUT Postgraduate Research Award; 1996: Colin Graham Memorial Prize (QUT); Deans Award for Excellence (QUT).
Memberships: MRACI, SCI, SPIE