Dr Karen Johnston

Senior Lecturer

Chemical and Process Engineering

Personal statement

My research focuses on (but is not limited to) soft-hard matter interfaces, including polymer composites and heterogeneous nucleation. I use multiscale simulations to provide insight into material properties and I enjoy collaborating closely with experimentalists. I am driven by curiosity and I am interested in a variety of systems, such as phase behaviour of soy milk coffee mixtures. For more information please visit my personal webpage:

http://personal.strath.ac.uk/karen.johnston/

Expertise

Has expertise in:

Density functional theory (DFT): electronic structure, adsorption and surface energies, vibrational frequencies etc.
Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations: structure and dynamics of thin films, liquids, solutions, solids etc.

Prizes and awards

Strathclyde Team Award: Recipient; 2019

More prizes and awards

Qualifications

Member of the Institute of Physics

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Publications

Tuning interfacial concentration enhancement through dispersion interactions to facilitate heterogeneous nucleation: McKechnie David, Mulheran Paul A, Sefcik Jan, Johnston Karen; Journal of Physical Chemistry C (2022); https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.2c04410
Comparing and quantifying the efficiency of cocrystal screening methods for Praziquantel: Charpentier Maxime D, Devogelaer Jan-Joris, Tijink Arnoud, Meekes Hugo, Tinnemans Paul, Vlieg Elias, de Gelder René, Johnston Karen, ter Horst Joop H; Crystal Growth and Design Vol 22, pp. 5511-5525 (2022); https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.cgd.2c00615
Controlling urea crystallisation via heterogeneous nucleation: Anker Samira, McKechnie David, Mulheran Paul A, Sefcik Jan, Johnston Karen; CMAC Annual Open Day 2022, pp. 51-51 (2022)
Polyhydroxybutyrate : a review of experimental and simulation studies on the effect of fillers on crystallinity and mechanical properties: Majerczak Katarzyna, Wadkin-Snaith Dominic, Magueijo Vitor, Mulheran Paul, Liggat John, Johnston Karen; Polymer International (2022); https://doi.org/10.1002/pi.6402
Effect of glycine on aggregation of citrate-functionalised gold nanoparticles and SERS measurements: Vesga Maria J, McKechnie David, Laing Stacey, Kearns Hayleigh, Faulds Karen, Johnston Karen, Sefcik Jan; Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects Vol 621 (2021); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfa.2021.126523
Adsorption of glycine on gold nanoparticles: MOHAMMADPOUR Mozhdeh, Johnston Karen; (2021)

More publications

Teaching

My teaching philosophy is to provide the best learning environment by challenging students through providing questions related to everyday exampes, that develop student's understanding and problem solving skills.

I am the course organiser and lecturer for CP102 Introduction to Chemical Engineering: Fundamentals, Techniques and Tools, and I supervise CP407 design projects, 18350 MEng projects, and Distance Learning MSc projects.

Research interests

Polymer composites are widely used in industry due to their strength, flexibility and light weight. Although generic properties of polymers at surfaces are well understood the interaction between a particular polymer and filler particle is not. The main challenge in simulating polymer-solid interfaces is the different length and time scales involved. This research bridges the gap between the micro- and mesoscale properties using a hierarchical multiscale approach. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations are used to obtain the detailed quantum interactions at the interface and this information is used to build surface potentials for atomistic and coarse-grained (CG) molecular dynamics simulations.

Professional activities

Material Modelling Symposium: Organiser; 15/12/2022
CCP5 Annual General Meeting: Speaker; 5/9/2022
High Polymer Research Group: Participant; 24/4/2022
Global Research & Innovation in Plastics Sustainability: Participant; 15/3/2022
Multiscale modelling of advanced materials and interfacial phenomena: Speaker; 9/12/2021
Multiscale modelling of advanced materials and interfacial phenomena: Speaker; 8/12/2021

More professional activities

Projects

Sustainable plastics for bathroom products: Zhang, Xiaolei (Principal Investigator) Johnston, Karen (Principal Investigator); 01-Jan-2022 - 30-Jan-2022
IBioIC CTP PhD studentship: Johnston, Karen (Principal Investigator) Mulheran, Paul (Co-investigator); 01-Jan-2021 - 30-Jan-2025
ISCF - Biocomposite design for food packaging: Johnston, Karen (Principal Investigator) Liggat, John (Co-investigator) Mulheran, Paul (Co-investigator) Magueijo, Vitor (Researcher); 01-Jan-2020 - 31-Jan-2023
Doctoral Training Partnership 2020-2021 University of Strathclyde | Anker, Samira: Johnston, Karen (Principal Investigator) Sefcik, Jan (Co-investigator) Anker, Samira (Research Co-investigator); 01-Jan-2020 - 01-Jan-2024
Catching nucleation in action using surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy: Johnston, Karen (Principal Investigator) Faulds, Karen (Co-investigator) Sefcik, Jan (Co-investigator); 01-Jan-2020 - 30-Jan-2023
CCP5 funded summer project: Johnston, Karen (Principal Investigator); 18-Jan-2020 - 24-Jan-2020

More projects

Address

Chemical and Process Engineering
James Weir Building

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