Background: 

Ryan completed his undergraduate degree in chemistry at the University of Nottingham in 2017. During the final year of his MSci, he undertook a research project into the use of 3D polymer architectures as structural scaffolds for the fabrication of inorganic nanomaterials. He stayed at the University of Nottingham to expand on this work for his PhD, focusing on the synthesis of novel block copolymer architectures in supercritical CO₂, again using the polymers as scaffolds to create new nanomaterials for application in the energy and healthcare sectors.

After completing his PhD in 2021, Ryan then joined the Department of Materials at Loughborough University as a post-doctoral researcher. During this time, he worked on an Innovate UK funded project, primarily focused on the development of novel fluorescent polymer additives for plastic packaging to improve their reuse and recyclability. In 2023, Ryan was awarded an EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellowship at Loughborough University to research the synthesis of aqueous functionalisable polymers for anti-fouling applications.

Qualifications:

• MSci Chemistry, University of Nottingham, 2017
• PhD Chemistry, University of Nottingham, 2021

Key awards:

• Dean Moore Postgraduate Award, University of Nottingham, 2020

Outline of main research interests:

Ryan’s research expertise lies in synthetic polymer chemistry. Specifically, in the synthesis of block copolymers, and other well-defined polymer architectures, by controlled radical polymerisation techniques.

• Synthesis, self-assembly and characterisation of block copolymers
• Post-polymerisation functionalisation of polymers
• Nanomaterials
• Polymer coatings
• Polymer Recycling

Grants and contracts:

• EPSRC - Doctoral Prize Fellowship (2023-2025)
• Innovate UK – Accelerated Knowledge Transfer, Interface Polymers Ltd. (2024)
• EPSRC/HEIF – Enterprise Projects Group Grant (2024)

Current teaching responsibilities:

• MPP562 – Polymer Science
• MPC110 – Final Year Project
• MPD014 – Polymer Engineering: Properties & Design

Current administrative responsibilities:

• Member: Research & Innovation Committee, AACME
• Member: Loughborough Research Staff Associate (LURSA)

• O.J. Harris, P. Tollington, C. J. Greenhalgh, R. R. Larder, H. Willcock and F. L. Hatton*, “Synthesis and RAFT polymerisation of hydrophobic acrylamide monomers derived from plant oils”, Polym. Chem., 2025, 16, 1321-1331.
• O.J. Harris, R. R. Larder, B. Jordan, I. Prior, R. El-Khoury, K. O. Sebakhy and F. L. Hatton*, “RAFT solution polymerisation of a bio-based α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone monomer in Cyrene”, Chem. Commun., 2024, 60, 14399-14402.

Selected publications:

• R.R. Larder*, F. L. Hatton*, “Enabling the Polymer Circular Economy: Innovations in Photoluminescent Labeling of Plastic Waste for Enhanced Sorting”, ACS Polymers Au, 2023, 3, 182–201.
• R.R. Larder, E. Krumins, P. L. Jacob, K. Kortsen, R. Cavanagh, L. Jiang, C. Vuotto, I. Francolini, C. Tuck, V. Taresco, S. M. Howdle*, “Antimicrobial ‘inks’ for 3D printing: block copolymer-silver nanoparticle composites synthesised using supercritical CO₂”, Polym. Chem., 2022,13, 3768-3779.
• R.R. Larder, T. M. Bennett, L. S. Blankenship, J. A. Fernandes, B. K. Husband, R. L. Atkinson, M. J. Derry, D. T. W. Toolan, H. A. Centurion, P. D. Topham, R. V. Gonçalves, V. Taresco, S. M. Howdle*, “Porous hollow TiO₂ microparticles for photocatalysis: exploiting novel ABC triblock terpolymer templates synthesised in supercritical CO­₂”, , Polym. Chem., 2021,12, 2904-2913.

External collaborators: 

• Interface Polymers Ltd., Loughborough
• University of Nottingham
• Diamond Light Source

External roles and appointments:

• Member of Royal Society of Chemistry
• Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy