Dr Ignacio Martin-Fabiani

BSc, MSc, PhD, MRSC

  • UKRI Future Leaders Fellow and Senior Lecturer in Materials Science
Publications
ORCiD Google Scholar
Nacho Marton-Fabiani-Carrato

Background:

Dr Nacho Martin-Fabiani leads an experimental and modelling research group working in the fields of colloid, interface, soft matter science and engineering. The main strength of his group resides on the use of advanced spectroscopy, microscopy, and scattering techniques to progress the understanding of liquid formulations which film-form. This is relevant to a wide range of sectors such as paints, coatings, inks, adhesives, and cosmetics. In recent times, his group has expanded to incorporate new research lines. The first one is the study of sustainable formulations, including lifecycle analysis of biobased coatings to compare with current industrial products. The second one is the use of artificial intelligence for formulation optimisation, implementing evidence- and science- based approaches. Last but not least, the group has been involved in significant activity developing methods for microplastics detection and characterisation.  

Qualifications:

  • 2022: Medici Enterprise Training Programme, University of Birmingham
  • 2013: PhD, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and Complutense University of Madrid
  • 2010: MSc in Plastics and Rubber, Menéndez Pelayo International University
  • 2008: BSc in Materials Physics, Complutense University of Madrid

Awards:

  • 2024: Science Award at the Coatings Science International Conference
  • 2020: UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship
  • 2019: Polymer Lecture Exchange Award by the Institute of Physics and the American Physical Society
  • 2016: Vice-Chancellor’s Research Fellowship at Loughborough University
  • 2016: Santander Mobility Award
  • 2015: Award to the best PhD Thesis using synchrotron light in the year 2013/14 by the Spanish Synchrotron User Association (AUSE)

Professional affiliations:

  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
  • Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry
  • Member of the International Polymer Colloids Group

Outline of main research interests:

  • Fundamental soft matter and colloidal science
  • Functional coatings, e.g., antibacterial, abrasion resistant, photocatalytic.
  • Data-driven liquid formulation optimisation
  • Microplastics detection and characterisation
  • Sustainability assessments

Grants and contracts:

Selected Grants

  • Harnessing colloidal engineering for new opacifiers, EPSRC-NSF (£660k), 2025-2028.
  • Next-generation coatings: formulation and functionality, UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship Renewal (£567k), 2025-2028.
  • SSbD4CheM - Safe and Sustainable by Design framework for the next generation of Chemicals and Materials, Horizon Europe (7.5 million €), 2024-2027
  • A bioinspired platform technology for next-generation functional paints and coatings, UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship (£1.1 million), 2020-2025
  • Integrated AFM-CFLIM with fibre-coupled infrared detector for materials research, EPSRC Strategic Equipment Grant (£817k), 2019-2023.

Current teaching responsibilities:

I am currently acting as Deputy Research Director for the Department of Materials, and as lecturer in the following modules:

  • CPG010 Colloid Science and Engineering
  • CGB024 Desing and Make 2

I also supervise final year and Masters projects across the various programs that we deliver in the Department.

Sofroniou, C, Scacchi, A, Le, H, Rodriguez, EE, D’Agosto, F, Lansalot, M, Dunlop, PSM, Ternan, NG, Martin-Fabiani-Carrato, N (2024) Tunable assembly of photocatalytic colloidal coatings for antibacterial applications, ACS Applied Polymer Materials, 6(17), pp.10298-10310, ISSN: 2637-6105. DOI: 10.1021/acsapm.4c01436.

Murdoch, T, Quienne, B, Pinaud, J, Caillol, S, Martin-Fabiani-Carrato, N (2024) Understanding associative polymer self-assembly with shrinking gate fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, Nanoscale, 16(26), pp.12660-12669, ISSN: 2040-3364. DOI: 10.1039/d4nr00737a.

Murdoch, T, Quienne, B, Argaiz, M, Tomovska, R, Espinosa, E, D’Agosto, F, Lansalot, M, Pinaud, J, Caillol, S, Martin-Fabiani-Carrato, N (2023) One step closer to coatings applications utilizing self-stratification: effect of rheology modifiers, ACS Applied Polymer Materials, 5(8), pp.6672-6684, ISSN: 2637-6105. DOI: 10.1021/acsapm.3c01288.

Woods, S, Tinkler, JD, Bensabeh, N, Palà, M, Martin, S, Martin-Fabiani-Carrato, N, Lligadas, G, Hatton, F (2023) Temperature-responsive lactic acid-based nanoparticles by RAFT-mediated polymerization-induced self-assembly in water, ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 11(27), pp.9979-9988, ISSN: 2168-0485. DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.3c01112.

Tinkler, J, Scacchi, A, Argaiz, M, Tomovska, R, Archer, A, Willcock, H, Martin-Fabiani-Carrato, N (2022) Effect of particle interactions on the assembly of drying colloidal mixtures, Langmuir, 38(18), pp.5361-5371, ISSN: 0743-7463. DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c03144.

Srimalanon, P, Martin-Fabiani-Carrato, N, Prapagdee, B, Markpin, T, Wimolmala, E, Sombatsompop, N (2021) Influence of reprocessing cycles on mechanical and antibacterial performances of hygienic in situ compatibilized PBS/PLA blends doped with HPQM, Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management, 23(5), pp.1893-1904, ISSN: 1438-4957. DOI: 10.1007/s10163-021-01259-8.

Drakopoulos, S, Manika, GC, Nogales, A, Kim, T, Robbins, AB, Claudio, G, Minnich, AJ, Ezquerra, TA, Psarras, GC, Martin-Fabiani-Carrato, N, Ronca, S (2021) Gold/ultra‐high molecular weight polyethylene nanocomposites for electrical energy storage: Enhanced recovery efficiency upon uniaxial deformation, Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 138(42), 51232, ISSN: 0021-8995. DOI: 10.1002/app.51232.

Martin-Fabiani-Carrato, N, Drakopoulos, SX, Forte, G, Prévost, S, Hoffmann, I, Ronca, S (2021) Chain dynamics of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene composites with graphene oxide nanosheets, ACS Macro Letters, 10(4), pp.460-465, ISSN: 2161-1653. DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.1c00007.

He, B, Martin-Fabiani, I, Roth, R, Toth, G, Archer, A (2021) Dynamical density functional theory for the drying and stratification of binary colloidal dispersions, Langmuir, 37(4), pp.1399-1409, ISSN: 0743-7463. DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.0c02825.

Tangudom, P, Martin-Fabiani-Carrato, N, Prapagdee, B, Wimolmala, E, Markpin, T, Sombatsompop, N (2020) Improvement of mechanical-antibacterial performances of AR/PMMA with TiO2 and HPQM treated by N-2(aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyl trimethoxysilane, Journal of Reinforced Plastics and Composites, 40(13-14), pp.477-489, ISSN: 0731-6844. DOI: 10.1177/0731684420975199.

Dong, Y, Busatto, N, Roth, PJ, Martin-Fabiani, I (2020) Colloidal assembly of polydisperse particle blends during drying, Soft Matter, ISSN: 1744-683X. DOI: 10.1039/d0sm00785d.

Tinkler, J, Scacchi, A, Kothari, HR, Tulliver, H, Argaiz, M, Archer, A, Martin-Fabiani-Carrato, N (2020) Evaporation-driven self-assembly of binary and ternary colloidal polymer nanocomposites for abrasion resistant applications, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 581(Part B), pp.729-740, ISSN: 0021-9797. DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2020.08.001.

Drakopoulos, S, Tarallo, O, Guan, L, Martin-Fabiani-Carrato, N, Ronca, S (2020) Nanocomposites of Au/Disentangled UHMWPE: A combined optical and structural study, Molecules, 25(14), 3225, DOI: 10.3390/molecules25143225.

Dong, Y, Argaiz, M, He, B, Tomovska, R, Sun, T, Martin-Fabiani-Carrato, N (2020) Zinc oxide superstructures in colloidal polymer nanocomposite films: Enhanced antibacterial activity through slow drying, ACS Applied Polymer Materials, 2(2), pp.626-635, ISSN: 2637-6105. DOI: 10.1021/acsapm.9b00991.

Robbins, AB, Drakopoulos, S, Martin-Fabiani, I, Ronca, S, Minnich, AJ (2019) Ballistic thermal phonons traversing nanocrystalline domains in oriented polyethylene, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116(35), pp.17163-17168, ISSN: 0027-8424. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1905492116.

Richardson, PG, Martin-Fabiani, I, Shaw, P, Alsaffar, E, Velasquez, E, Gardner, P, Shaw, P, Adams, JM, Keddie, JL (2019) Competition between crystallization and coalescence during the film formation of poly(chloroprene) latex and effects on mechanical properties, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 58(46), pp.21031-21043, ISSN: 0888-5885. DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.9b02279.

Martin-Fabiani, I, Makepeace, DK, Richardson, PG, de la Haye, JL, Venero, DA, Rogers, SE, D’Agosto, F, Lansalot, M, Keddie, JL (2019) In situ monitoring of latex film formation by small-angle neutron scattering: Evolving distributions of hydrophilic stabilizers in drying colloidal films, Langmuir, 35(10), pp.3822-3831, ISSN: 0743-7463. DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b04251.

Drakopoulos, S, Psarras, GC, Forte, G, Martin-Fabiani, I, Ronca, S (2018) Entanglement dynamics in ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene as revealed by dielectric spectroscopy, Polymer, ISSN: 0032-3861. DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2018.07.021.

Martin-Fabiani, I, de la Haye, JL, Schulz, M, Liu, Y, Lee, M, Duffy, B, D'Agosto, F, Lansalot, M, Keddie, JL (2018) Enhanced water barrier properties of surfactant-free polymer films obtained by macroRAFT-mediated emulsion polymerization, ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 10(13), pp.11221-11232, ISSN: 1944-8244. DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b01040.

Martin-Fabiani, I, Koh, ML, Dalmas, F, Elidottir, KL, Hinder, SJ, Jurewicz, I, Lansalot, M, Bourgeat-Lami, E, Keddie, JL (2018) Design of waterborne nanoceria/polymer nanocomposite UV-absorbing coatings: Pickering versus blended particles, ACS Applied Nano Materials, ISSN: 2574-0970. DOI: 10.1021/acsanm.8b00736.

de la Haye, JL, Martin-Fabiani, I, Schulz, M, Keddie, JL, D'Agosto, F, Lansalot, M (2017) Hydrophilic MacroRAFT-mediated emulsion polymerization: Synthesis of latexes for cross-linked and surfactant-free films, MACROMOLECULES, 50(23), pp.9315-9328, ISSN: 0024-9297. DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.7b01885.

Dehan, V, Bourgeat-Lami, E, D'Agosto, F, Duffy, B, Fortini, A, Hilton, S, Krassa, K, Keddie, JL, Koh, ML, Lansalot, M, Lee, M, de la Haye, JL, Martin-Fabiani, I, Mantzaridis, C, Mazeffa, DP, Sear, RP, Schulz, M, Sibbald, M, Skerry, B, Thomas, B (2017) High-performance water-based barrier coatings for the corrosion protection of structural steel, Steel Construction, 10(3), pp.254-259, ISSN: 1867-0520. DOI: 10.1002/stco.201710034.

Fortini, A, Martin-Fabiani, I, de la Haye, JL, Dugas, P-Y, Lansalot, M, D'Agosto, F, Bourgeat-Lami, E, Keddie, JL, Sear, RP (2016) Dynamic stratification in drying films of colloidal mixtures, Physical Review Letters, 116(11), 118301, ISSN: 0031-9007. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.118301.

Martin-Fabiani, I, Fortini, A, de la Haye, JL, Koh, ML, Taylor, SE, Bourgeat-Lami, E, Lansalot, M, D'Agosto, F, Sear, RP, Keddie, JL (2016) PH-switchable stratification of colloidal coatings: surfaces "on demand", ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 8(50), pp.34755-34761, ISSN: 1944-8244. DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b12015.

Rebollar, E, Rueda, DR, Martin-Fabiani, I, Rodriguez-Rodriguez, A, Garcia-Gutierrez, M-C, Portale, G, Castillejo, M, Ezquerra, TA (2015) In Situ Monitoring of Laser-Induced Periodic Surface Structures Formation on Polymer Films by Grazing Incidence Small-Angle X-ray Scattering, LANGMUIR, 31(13), pp.3973-3981, ISSN: 0743-7463. DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.5b00285.

Rebollar, E, Rueda, DR, Martin-Fabiani, I, Rodriguez-Rodriguez, A, Garcia-Gutierrez, M-C, Portale, G, Castillejo, M, Ezquerra, TA (2015) In situ monitoring of laser-induced periodic surface structures formation on polymer films by grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering, Langmuir, 31(13), pp.3973-3981, ISSN: 0743-7463. DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.5b00285.

Martin-Fabiani, I, Rebollar, E, Garcia-Gutierrez, M-C, Rueda, DR, Castillejo, M, Ezquerra, TA (2015) Mapping the structural order of laser-induced periodic surface structures in thin polymer films by microfocus beam grazing incidence small-angle x-ray scattering, ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 7(5), pp.3162-3169, ISSN: 1944-8244. DOI: 10.1021/am5074968.

Martin-Fabiani, I, Riedel, S, Rueda, DR, Siegel, J, Boneberg, J, Ezquerra, TA, Nogales, A (2014) Micro- and submicrostructuring thin polymer films with two and three-beam single pulse laser interference lithography, Langmuir, 30(29), pp.8973-8979, ISSN: 0743-7463. DOI: 10.1021/la5021059.

Soccio, M, Alayo, N, Martin-Fabiani, I, Rueda, DR, Garcia-Gutierrez, M-C, Rebollar, E, Martinez-Tong, DE, Perez-Murano, F, Ezquerra, TA (2014) On the assessment by grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering of replica quality in polymer gratings fabricated by nanoimprint lithography, Journal of Applied Crystallography, 47(2), pp.613-618, ISSN: 0021-8898. DOI: 10.1107/S160057671400168X.

Soccio, M, Nogales, A, Martin-Fabiani, I, Lotti, N, Munari, A, Ezquerra, TA (2014) Relaxation dynamics and cold crystallization of poly(pentamethylene terephthalate) as revealed by dielectric spectroscopy, Polymer (United Kingdom), 55(6), pp.1552-1559, ISSN: 0032-3861. DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2014.02.005.

Martín-Fabiani, I, Siegel, J, Riedel, S, Boneberg, J, Ezquerra, TA, Nogales, A (2013) Nanostructuring Thin Polymer Films with Optical Near Fields, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 5(21), pp.11402-11408, ISSN: 1944-8244. DOI: 10.1021/am4036543.

Martín-Fabiani, I, Linares, A, Nogales, A, Ezquerra, TA (2013) Dielectric relaxation of poly (trimethylene terephthalate) in a broad range of crystallinity, Polymer, 54(21), pp.5892-5898, ISSN: 0032-3861. DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2013.08.048.

Martín-Fabiani, I, García-Gutiérrez, M-C, Rueda, DR, Linares, A, Hernández, JJ, Ezquerra, TA, Reynolds, M (2013) Crystallization under One-Dimensional Confinement in Alumina Nanopores of Poly(trimethylene terephthalate) and Its Composites with Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 5(11), pp.5324-5329, ISSN: 1944-8244. DOI: 10.1021/am401194p.

García-Gutiérrez, M-C, Linares, A, Martín-Fabiani, I, Hernández, JJ, Soccio, M, Rueda, DR, Ezquerra, TA, Reynolds, M (2013) Understanding crystallization features of P(VDF-TrFE) copolymers under confinement to optimize ferroelectricity in nanostructures, Nanoscale, 5(13), pp.6006-6006, ISSN: 2040-3364. DOI: 10.1039/c3nr00516j.

Rebollar, E, Vázquez de Aldana, JR, Martín-Fabiani, I, Hernández, M, Rueda, DR, Ezquerra, TA, Domingo, C, Moreno, P, Castillejo, M (2013) Assessment of femtosecond laser induced periodic surface structures on polymer films, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 15(27), pp.11287-11287, ISSN: 1463-9076. DOI: 10.1039/c3cp51523k.

Rueda, DR, Martín-Fabiani, I, Soccio, M, Alayo, N, Pérez-Murano, F, Rebollar, E, García-Gutiérrez, MC, Castillejo, M, Ezquerra, TA (2012) Grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering of soft and hard nanofabricated gratings, Journal of Applied Crystallography, 45(5), pp.1038-1045, ISSN: 0021-8898. DOI: 10.1107/s0021889812030415.

Martín-Fabiani, I, Rebollar, E, Pérez, S, Rueda, DR, García-Gutiérrez, MC, Szymczyk, A, Roslaniec, Z, Castillejo, M, Ezquerra, TA (2012) Laser-Induced Periodic Surface Structures Nanofabricated on Poly(trimethylene terephthalate) Spin-Coated Films, Langmuir, 28(20), pp.7938-7945, ISSN: 0743-7463. DOI: 10.1021/la300833x.

González, M, Martín-Fabiani, I, Baselga, J, Pozuelo, J (2012) Magnetic nanocomposites based on hydrogenated epoxy resin, Materials Chemistry and Physics, 132(2-3), pp.618-624, ISSN: 0254-0584. DOI: 10.1016/j.matchemphys.2011.11.077.

Rebollar, E, Sanz, M, Pérez, S, Hernández, M, Martín-Fabiani, I, Rueda, DR, Ezquerra, TA, Domingo, C, Castillejo, M (2012) Gold coatings on polymer laser induced periodic surface structures: assessment as substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 14(45), pp.15699-15699, ISSN: 1463-9076. DOI: 10.1039/c2cp43049e.

Rebollar, E, Pérez, S, Hernández, JJ, Martín-Fabiani, I, Rueda, DR, Ezquerra, TA, Castillejo, M (2011) Assessment and Formation Mechanism of Laser-Induced Periodic Surface Structures on Polymer Spin-Coated Films in Real and Reciprocal Space, Langmuir, 27(9), pp.5596-5606, ISSN: 0743-7463. DOI: 10.1021/la200451c.

External collaborators:

  • Institute Charles Gerhard Montpellier (CNRS), France
  • Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, France
  • POLYMAT, University of the Basque Country, Spain
  • University of Turku, Finland
  • Ulster University, UK
  • New York University, USA
  • Hempel

Current External roles:

  • Secretary of the Join Colloids Group Committee (RSC/SCI)
  • External examiner for MSc Chemical Research at UCL
  • Associate Editor of Frontiers in Soft Matter

Previous External roles and appointments:

  • Facility Allocation Panel Member for the ISIS Neutron and Moun Source (2022-2025)
  • Materials Horizons Community Board Member (2021-2024)
  • EPSRC Engineering Early Career Forum member (2021-2024)