CPEG - Faculty of Engineering (University of Leeds)

Dr Olivier Cayre (PhD)

Olivier is currently working as a Post Doctoral Researcher at the Insititute of Particle Science in Leeds

In his words:

I obtained my PhD degree from the University of Hull in the Surfactant and Colloid Group working amongst other projects on the preparation of dipolar and Janus particles as well as the characterisation of particle wettability at liquid interfaces.

I then moved to North Carolina State University (Raleigh, US) in the group of Prof. Orlin Velev where I worked on the characterisation of a new electrokinetic phenomenon involving the motion of Janus particles in alternative electric fields. We also demonstrated that these particles self-assemble in novel types of structures when subjected to high frequency alternative electric fields. When working in Raleigh, I also participated to the development of a novel type of electronic junction made from aqueous ionic gels containing polyelectrolytes. This material showing a diode-like response is purely based on charge anisotropy of two ionic gels brought into contact to form a junction at which the current is conducted in one direction only by the polyelectrolyte counter-ions.

I joined the Colloid and Polymer Engineering Group at the University of Leeds in February 2007 and have been involved since then in a number of projects dedicated to the preparation of different types of capsules. I have been involved in the work of Tim Addison on the use of responsive block polymers for the preparation of a novel type of polymeric capsules using the layer-by-layer technique. I have also started developing a novel "one-pot" method for the production of porous microcapsules whose shell consists of an inner porous polymeric film and an outer monolayer of colloidal particles.

My research interests include:

development of novel colloidal systems and in particular anisotropic and/or responsive particulate, encapsulating, and polymeric systems
use of colloidal systems for the preparation of novel smart materials with application in optics, electronics, sensors, drug delivery...
self- and directed-assembly of colloidal and polymeric systems
particle adsorption at liquid-liquid and liquid-air interfaces.

List of Refereed Journal Publications

Cayre O.J., Wege H.A., Velev O.D. and Paunov V.N., “Bulk Fabrication of Janus and Dipolar Microparticles from Emulsion Templates Stabilised by Oppositely Charged Surfactants”, in preparation
Gangwal S., Cayre O.J., Bazant M.Z. and Velev O.D., “Induced-Charge Electrophoresis of Metallodielectric Particles”, Physical Review Letters, 100, (2008), 058302.
Cayre O.J., Chang S.T. and Velev O.D., “Polyelectrolyte Diode: Nonlinear Current Response of a Junction Between Aqueous Gels”, Journal of the American Chemical Society, 129, (2007), 10801-10806.
Paunov V.N., Cayre O.J., Noble P.F., Stoyanov S.D., Velikov K.P. and Golding M., “Emulsions Stabilised by Food Colloid Particles: Role of Particle Adsorption and Wettability at the Liquid Interface”, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 312, (2007), 381-389.
Courbaron A.C., Cayre O.J. and Paunov V.N., “A Novel Gel Deformation Technique for Fabrication of Ellipsoidal and Discoidal Polymeric Microparticles”, Chemical Communications, 6, (2007), 628-630.
Cayre O.J., Noble P.F. and Paunov V.N., “Fabrication of Novel Colloidosome Microcapsules with Gelled Aqueous Cores”, Journal of Materials Chemistry, 14, (2004), 3351-3355.
Cayre O.J. and Paunov V.N., “Fabrication of Microlens Arrays by Gel Trapping of Self-Assembled Particle Monolayers at the Decane–Water Interface”, Journal of Materials Chemistry, 14, (2004), 3300-3302.
Noble P.F., Cayre O.J., Alargova R.G., Velev O.D. and Paunov V.N., “Fabrication of “Hairy” Colloidosomes with Shells of Polymeric Microrods”, Journal of the American Chemistry Society, 126, (2004), 8092-8093.
Campbell A., Taylor P., Cayre O.J. and Paunov V.N., “Preparation of Aqueous Gel Beads Coated by Lipid Bilayers”, Chemical Communications, 21, (2004), 2378-2379.
Cayre O.J. and Paunov V.N. “Contact Angles of Colloid Silica and Gold Particles at Air-Water and Oil-Water Interfaces Determined with the Gel Trapping Technique“, Langmuir, 20, (2004), 9594-9599.
Paunov V.N. and Cayre O.J. “Supra-Particles and “Janus” Particles Fabricated by Replication of Particle Monolayers at Liquid Surfaces with the Gel Trapping Technique “, Advanced Materials, 16, (2004), 788-791.
Cayre O., Paunov V.N., Velev O.D., “Fabrication of Asymmetrically Coated Colloid Particles by Microcontact Printing Techniques“, Journal of Materials Chemistry, 10, (2003), 2445-2450.
Cayre O., Paunov V.N. and Velev O.D., “Fabrication of Dipolar Colloid Particles by Microcontact Printing“, Chemical Communications, 18, (2003), 2296-2297.

List of Refereed Conference Publications

Noble P.F., Cayre O.J., Alargova R.G., Velev O.D. and Paunov V.N., “Fabrication of Novel Types of Colloidosome Microcapsules for Drug Delivery Applications”, MRS Proceedings Fall (2004), AA5.18.1.
Cayre O.J. and Paunov V.N., “The Gel Trapping Technique: A Novel Method For Characterizing The Wettability Of Microparticles And The Replication Of Particle Monolayers”, NATO ASI CMP Proceedings (2004).
Paunov V.N. and Cayre O.J. “The Gel Trapping Technique – A Novel Method for Characterization of the Wettability of Microparticles and Replication of Particle Monolayers“, MRS Proceedings Fall (2003), M8.25.1-3.
Cayre O.J., Paunov V.N. and Velev O.D., “Preparation of Unsymmetrically Coated Colloid Particles by Microcontact Printing Techniques“, MRS Proceedings Fall (2003), M3.6.1-3.