Thomas McCoy

Dr Tom McCoy

BSc PhD

  • Position Fellow Junior Research Fellow
  • Subject areas Biotechnology Chemical Engineering
  • School Physical Sciences
  • Department Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, BP Institute
  • Email tm657@cam.ac.uk
  • Department link ceb.cam.ac.uk/directory/thomas-mccoy
  • Phone number 07934 009 323

Tom is a surface/colloid scientist and Oppenheimer Research Fellow in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology.

Thomas McCoy

Tom finished his doctoral research in Physical Chemistry in 2018 at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. His research investigated the chemical processing of 2-dimensional carbon nanomaterials in water for the purposes of water purification and oil recovery. In addition, he explored the self-assembly of surfactant molecules that spontaneously form complex fluids using small-angle neutron scattering.

Immediately after his PhD, Tom commenced his postdoc at the University of Cambridge in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology (CEB). The project was in collaboration with Infineum UK Ltd. to explore the mechanism of friction reduction and anti-wear caused by small molecule additives in engine oil formulations using neutron reflectivity. Tom also delivers two lecture courses in CEB on Analytical and Physical Chemistry for CET1.

In the 2021, Tom became and Oppenheimer Research Fellow in CEB and a Junior Research Fellow in Wolfson.

Tom’s current research explores the role of organic friction modifiers in engines. These are molecular additives that are incorporated into engine oil formulations to reduce friction and wear between contacting machine parts, improving performance and longevity. The precise mechanism by which these compounds adhere to a metal surface and reduce friction is still debated. Trips to ISIS, Britain’s nuclear spallation source and Institut Laue Langevin, Grenoble, France, are frequent to exploit the use of neutron scattering techniques to elucidate important structural insights for these additives.

For his Oppenheimer Fellowship, Tom will investigate the design and deposition of functional coatings based on self-organising colloidal particles. Understanding how particle interactions influence the properties and morphology of films is a key aim of the work. These findings will provide novel, low cost and low energy materials for new and improved surface coatings, helping in the collective effort towards sustainable materials and reduced climate impact.

What's on

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Science Society - Advances in Stroke Medicine: Blood Vessels, Brains, and Beyond

21/01/2022 at 18.00

The Science Society organises regular talks during term time. Talks take place as as hybrid meetings, make sure to register if you plan to attend via Zoom.

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Write Here,Write Now at Wolfson

24/01/2022 at 15.00

Start your week by scheduling some structured writing time with other Wolfson students.

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Humanities Society - The Anti-Nazi: Hermann Budzislawski (1901-1978) and the Twentieth Century

25/01/2022 at 18.00

The Humanities Society organises regular talks spanning a wide range of topics. Every Tuesday during term time. Register to receive zoom details.

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Write Here,Write Now at Wolfson

28/01/2022 at 15.00

Start your week by scheduling some structured writing time with other Wolfson students.

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Getting a Journal Article Published- Online Workshop

29/01/2022 at 10.00

Join us for the first series of WolfWorks workshops on the theme of Communicating Your Research.

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