Research and Enterprise

Professor Seamus Curran appointed adjunct Professor

DIT is delighted to welcome Dr Seamus A. Curran as adjunct professor to the FOCAS Institute.

Professor Curran has a bachelor’s degree in material science and a PhD in physics, both from Trinity College Dublin. Currently, he is the director of the Institute for NanoEnergy at the University of Houston (UH) - a newly formed institute focusing on energy related challenges using the techniques of nanomaterial fabrication and control. He is an associate professor in Physics at UH since 2007. He is also the CEO of C-Voltaics, a UH energy research company spun out in 2008.

He previously held an assistant professor position in physics at New Mexico State University (2003-2007). He also held postdoctoral positions at the Max Planck Institute in Stuttgart, CNRS in Nantes and Rensselaer. He has been the PI and co-PI on $5million federally funded grants and contracts over the last 7 years.

Professor Curran started an anti-counterfeiting company where his company built a method of detecting counterfeit currency, grey traded products, fake replica labels and even the authenticity of certain alcoholic beverages. To do this, he gave up his faculty position at Trinity College Dublin in 2000. The company received venture funding and developed a significant client list before being sold in 2002 when he reentered academic life.

His research accomplishments include publishing over 80 articles and papers, which have been cited over 2,000 times, h index of 20, awarded 4 patents and a further 8 patent applications under PCT review stage.

Prof Curran’s research focus is in renewable energy where his research program specialises in nanocomposite formation using organic polymers (conjugated and non-conjugated) as hosts and filler nanomaterials (nanotubes, fullerenes, nanowires); examining their scientific value as additions to, or replacements for, conventional materials.

Core to this is developing an understanding of the electronic, spectroscopic and morphological properties of the constituents and composites. Evolving from that fundamental understanding is to apply the nanocomposites to the most suitable field of use, across diverse energy generation and storage areas.

The following articles are a sample of those that have featured some of his research achievements:

Renewable research and coatings news

http://www.solarthermalmagazine.com/2010/10/31/can-nanotechnology-produce-the-clean-energy-real-world-solutions-that-we-demand/

http://www.spartnerships.com/newsletter/tgi%2011-5-10/tgi.html

http://www.hindu.com/seta/2004/09/16/stories/2004091600161400.htm

http://www.educationireland.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1022:dit-and-university-of-houston-sign-mou&catid=1:education-ireland-news&Itemid=100442

http://researchmag.nmsu.edu/2006_SP/renewable_energy.htm

http://nanotechwire.com/news.asp?nid=10898

http://newscenter.nmsu.edu/news/article/2350/

On solar energy

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/FutureTech/story?id=1199856&page=2

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sciencetoday/2007/1213/1197411732332.html