Directory

Christopher Evans's directory photo.

Christopher Evans

(he/him/his)

Associate Professor

Primary Affiliation

Artificial Intelligence for Materials

Affiliations

Status Part-time Faculty

Home Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Phone 300-9949

Email cme365@illinois.edu

Address 3261 Beckman Institute, 405 North Mathews Avenue

  • Biography

    Christopher Evans is an associate professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. His primary affiliation is Artificial Intelligence for Materials.

    Education

    • B.S., chemistry, University of Minnesota, 2008

    • Ph.D., Northwestern University, 2013

  • Honors
    • 2022: ACS PMSE Young Investigator Award

    • 2020: 3M Non-tenured Faculty Award

    • 2018: NSF CAREER Award

    • 2017: American Chemical Society: Petroleum Research Fund Doctoral New Investigator

    • 2012: AkzoNobel Award Winner

    • 2010: 3M Fellowship

    • 2010: Ryan Fellowship

  • Research

    Research Interests

    • Polymer physics

    • Diffusion

    • Energy materials

    • Nanoscale

    • Interfacial physics

    Research Areas

    • Polymers

    The Evans group is interested in probing the physics of polymer networks with the incorporation of dynamic covalent bonds and added salts. We are pursuing a fundamental understanding of polymer properties such as energy dissipation, self-healing, crystallization, and transport of small molecules through the network. The group combines molecular design of precise polymers with advanced characterization approaches to determine structure-property relationships in dynamic, ionic networks. Application of networks in the group include supercapacitors, actuators, membranes, batteries, and shockwave dissipating polymers which are informed by our fundamental investigations.

  • 2019

    • C. Shen, Q. Zhao, C. M. Evans "Ion Specific, Odd-Even Glass Transition Temperatures and Conductivities in Precise Network Polymerized Ionic Liquids" Molecular Systems Design and Engineering 2019, 4, 332-341.(Invited article)
    • C. Shen, Q. Zhao, C. M. Evans "Precise Network Polymerized Ionic Liquids for Low-Voltage, Dopant-free Soft Actuators" Advanced Materials Technologies 2019, 4, 1800535.

    2018

    • G. E. Sanoja, N. S. Schauser, J. M. Bartels, C. M. Evans, M. E. Helgeson, R. Seshadri, R. A. Segalman "Ion Transport in Dynamic Polymer Networks Based on Metal–Ligand Coordination: Effect of Cross-Linker Concentration" Macromolecules 2018, 51, 2017-2026.

    2017

    • J. Bartels, G. E. Sanoja, C. M Evans, R. A. Segalman, M. Helgeson "Decoupling Mechanical and Conductive Dynamics of Polymeric Ionic Liquids via a Trivalent Anion Additive" Macromolecules 2017, 50, 8979-8987.

    2016

    • C. M. Evans, C. R. Bridges, G. E. Sanoja, J. Bartels, R. A. Segalman "Role of Tethered Ion Placement on Polymerized Ionic Liquid Structure and Conductivity: Pendant vs Backbone Charge Placement" ACS Macro Letters 2016, 5, 925-930.
    • C. M. Evans, G. E. Sanoja, B. C. Popere, R. A. Segalman "Anhydrous Proton Transport in Polymerized Ionic Liquid Block Copolymers: Roles of Block Length, Ionic Content, and Confinement" Macromolecules 2016, 49, 395-404.
    • C.-K. Mai, J. Liu, C. M. Evans, R. A. Segalman, M. L. Chabinyc, D. G. Cahill, G. C. Bazan "Anisotropic Thermal Transport in Thermoelectric Composites of Conjugated Polyelectrolyte/Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes" Macromolecules 2016, 49, 4957-4963.
    • G. E. Sanoja, B. C. Popere, B. S. Beckingham, C. M. Evans, N. A. Lynd, R. A. Segalman"Structure–Conductivity Relationships of Block Copolymer Membranes Based on Hydrated Protic Polymerized Ionic Liquids: Effect of Domain Spacing" Macromolecules 2016, 49, 2216-2223.
    • W. B. Chang, C. M. Evans, B. C. Popere, B. M. Russ, J. Liu, J. Newman, R. A. Segalman "Harvesting Waste Heat in Unipolar Ion Conducting Polymers" ACS Macro Letters 2016, 5, 94-98.
    • W. B. Chang, H. Fang, J. Liu, C. M. Evans, B. Russ, B. C. Popere, S. N. Patel, M. L. Chabinyc, R. A. Segalman "Electrochemical Effects in Thermoelectric Polymers" ACS Macro Letters 2016, 5, 455-459.

    2015

    • C. M. Evans, M. R. Singh, N. A. Lynd, R. A. Segalman "Improving the Gas Barrier Properties of Nafion via Thermal Annealing: Evidence for Diffusion through Hydrophilic Channels and Matrix" Macromolecules 2015, 48, 3303-3309.
    • C. M. Evans, S. Kim, C. B. Roth, R. D. Priestley, L. J. Broadbelt, J. M. Torkelson "Role of neighboring domains in determining the magnitude and direction of T g-confinement effects in binary, immiscible polymer systems" Polymer 2015, 80, 180-187.
    • E. S. Cho, C. M. Evans, E. C. Davidson, M. L. Hoarfrost, M. A. Modestino, R. A. Segalman, J. J. Urban "Enhanced water vapor blocking in transparent hybrid polymer–nanocrystal films" ACS Macro Letters 2015, 4, 70-74.
    • S. Askar, C. M. Evans, J. M. Torkelson "Residual stress relaxation and stiffness in spin-coated polymer films: Characterization by ellipsometry and fluorescence" Polymer 2015, 76, 113-122.

    2014

    • M. A. Modestino, K. A. Walczak, A. Berger, C. M. Evans, S. Haussener, C. Koval, J. S. Newman, J. W. Ager, R. A. Segalman "Robust production of purified H 2 in a stable, self-regulating, and continuously operating solar fuel generator" Energy and Environmental Science 2014, 7, 297-301.

    2013

    • C. M. Evans, H. Deng, W. F. Jager, J. M. Torkelson "Fragility is a key parameter in determining the magnitude of T g-confinement effects in polymer films" Macromolecules 2013, 46, 6091-6103.
    • C. M. Evans, K. J. Henderson, J. D. Saathoff, K. R. Shull, J. M. Torkelson "Simultaneous determination of critical micelle temperature and micelle core glass transition temperature of block copolymer–solvent systems via pyrene-label fluorescence" Macromolecules 2013, 46, 4131-4140.

    2012

    • C. M. Evans, J. M. Torkelson "Determining multiple component glass transition temperatures in miscible polymer blends: Comparison of fluorescence spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry" Polymer 2012, 53, 6118-6124.
    • C. M. Evans, J. M. Torkelson "Major Roles of Blend Partner Fragility and Dye Placement on Component Glass Transition Temperatures: Fluorescence Study of Near-Infinitely Dilute Species in Binary Blends" Macromolecules 2012, 45, 8319-8327.
    • C. M. Evans, S. Narayanan, Z. Jiang, J. M. Torkelson "Modulus, confinement, and temperature effects on surface capillary wave dynamics in bilayer polymer films near the glass transition" Physical Review Letters 2012, 109, 038302.

    2011

    • C. M. Evans, R. W. Sandoval, J. M. Torkelson "Glass transition temperature of a component near infinite dilution in binary polymer blends: determination via fluorescence spectroscopy" Macromolecules 2011, 44, 6645-6648.

    2009

    • A. J. Meuler, C. J. Ellison, J. Qin, C. M. Evans, M. A. Hillmyer, F. S. Bates "Polydispersity effects in poly(isoprene-b-styrene-b-ethylene oxide) triblock terpolymers" Journal of Chemical Physics 2009, 130, 234903.
    • C. J. Ellison, A. J. Meuler, J. Qin, C. M. Evans, L. M. Wolf and F. S. Bates "Bicontinuous Polymeric Microemulsions from Polydisperse Diblock Copolymers" Journal of Physical Chemistry 2009, 113, 3726-3737.

    2007

    • A. J. Meuler, C. J. Ellison, C. M. Evans, M. A. Hillmyer, F. S. Bates "Polydispersity-Driven Transition from the Orthorhombic Fddd Network to Lamellae in Poly (isoprene-b-styrene-b-ethylene oxide) Triblock Terpolymers" Macromolecules 2007, 40, 7072-7074.