Dr Alex Loch

  • UK IC Postdoctoral Research Fellow (School of Chemistry)

Biography

I am an early career researcher and materials chemist with a strong focus on application-based research. My interests lie in the development of organic semiconductors and supramolecular materials to address real world challenges. In November 2024, I commenced a UK Intelligence Community (IC) Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Glasgow (UofG), supported by the Government Office for Science and the Royal Academy of Engineering. My research during this Fellowship focuses on ‘New Preconcentrators for Improved Detection of Low-Volatility Chemical Threats’.

I completed by Honours research project on the ‘Synthesis of Luminescent, Poly(dendrimer)-based Sensors for the Detection of Explosives’ at the School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland (UQ), Australia. In mid-2022, I completed my PhD at the Centre for Organic Photonics & Electronics (COPE) at UQ under the supervision of Prof. Paul Burn and Dr Paul Shaw, where I investigated luminescent materials for illicit drug vapor detection. In mid-2022, I moved to UofG to contribute to the Hetero-print project (EP/R03480X/1) led by Prof. Peter Skabara and Prof. Dave Adams, focusing on heterogeneous transfer-printing and manufacturing. Subsequently, in mid-2024, I joined Prof. Emily Draper’s group at UofG, where I worked on electrochromic devices for applications in smart windows, wearables, sensors, and energy storage.

Research interests

The Loch Group focuses on designing new supramolecular preconcentrators that enhance the sensitivity of existing detection systems, improving safety, reliability, and reducing detection times. By integrating materials chemistry, photophysics, and device engineering, we aim to pioneer innovative materials that that will protect both the public and the environment. We are also interested in stimuli-responsive materials specifically designed for optical applications, such as photochromic markers. In this context, we have developed multi-stimuli-responsive materials that respond to light and mechanical stress in both bulk and nanofabricated geometries.

 

Research groups

Publications

List by: Type | Date

Jump to: 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2020
Number of items: 13.

2025

Loch, Alex ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7475-2529, Mikhail, Ibram, Bianco, Simona ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5305-8546, Ghosh, Dipankar ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1165-2819, Sonani, Ravi R., Chechik, Victor, Vassalli, Massimo ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3063-4376, Egelman, Edward H., Smith, Andrew J. and Adams, Dave J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3176-1350 (2025) A supramolecular benzophenone-based photoinitiator for spatially-resolved polymerization. ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 17(20), pp. 30297-30305. (doi: 10.1021/acsami.5c03506) (PMID:40353572)

Bowley, Emma, Bianco, Simona ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5305-8546, Hallam Stewart, Finlay, Wallace, Chloe M., Ginesi, Rebecca E. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0866-5555, Loch, Alex S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7475-2529, Rosenthal, Martin, Smith, Andrew J. and Adams, Dave J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3176-1350 (2025) Designing and controlling transient supramolecular gels. ChemSystemsChem, 7(2), e202400073. (doi: 10.1002/syst.202400073)

Loch, Alex S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7475-2529, Burn, Paul L. and Shaw, Paul E. (2025) Fluorescence‐based detector design principles for low vapor pressure analytes. Advanced Sensor Research, 4(1), 2400092. (doi: 10.1002/adsr.202400092)

2024

Simpson, Jack D., Thomson, Lisa, Woodley, Christopher M., Wallace, Chloe M., Dietrich, Bart ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4544-4604, Loch, Alex S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7475-2529, Adams, Dave J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3176-1350 and Berry, Neil G. (2024) Predicting the mechanical properties of supramolecular gels. Advanced Materials, (Accepted for Publication)

Dahiya, Abhishek Singh ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4509-2650, Zumeit, Ayoub, Christou, Adamos, Loch, Alex S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7475-2529, Purushothaman, Balaji, Skabara, Peter J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7319-0464 and Dahiya, Ravinder ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3858-3841 (2024) Printing semiconductor-based devices and circuits for flexible electronic skin. Applied Physics Reviews, 11, 041334. (doi: 10.1063/5.0217297)

Gauci, Valentina, Loch, Alex S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7475-2529, McDowall, Daniel, Edwards-Gayle, Charlotte and Adams, Dave J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3176-1350 (2024) Controlling aggregation of diketopyrrolopyrroles in water. Dyes and Pigments, 223, 111968. (doi: 10.1016/j.dyepig.2024.111968)

Fan, Shengqiang, Loch, Alex S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7475-2529, Vongsanga, Kylie, Dennison, Genevieve H., Burn, Paul, Gentle, Ian R. and Shaw, Paul E. (2024) Differentiating between V‐ and G‐series nerve agent and simulant vapours using fluorescent film responses. Small Methods, 8(1), 2301048. (doi: 10.1002/smtd.202301048) (PMID:37932024)

Loch, Alex S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7475-2529, Cameron, Douglas, Martin, Robert W., Skabara, Peter J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7319-0464 and Adams, Dave J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3176-1350 (2024) Simple photocleavable indoline-based materials for surface wettability patterning. Materials Advances, 5, pp. 741-748. (doi: 10.1039/D3MA01039B)

2023

Loch, Alex S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7475-2529, Burn, Paul L. and Shaw, Paul E. (2023) Fluorescent sensors for the detection of free-base illicit drugs - effect of tuning the electronic properties. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 387, 133766. (doi: 10.1016/j.snb.2023.133766)

2022

Jiang, W. et al. (2022) Dielectric constant engineering of organic semiconductors: effect of planarity and conjugation length. Advanced Functional Materials, 32(3), 2104259. (doi: 10.1002/adfm.202104259)

2020

Zhang, Guanran, Loch, Alex S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7475-2529, Kistemaker, Jos C. M., Burn, Paul L. and Shaw, Paul E. (2020) Dicyanovinyl-based fluorescent sensors for dual mechanism amine sensing. Journal of Materials Chemistry C, 8(39), pp. 13723-13732. (doi: 10.1039/D0TC03974H)

Zhang, Guanran, Loch, Alex ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7475-2529, Babazadeh, Mohammad, Burn, Alex L. and Shaw, Paul E. (2020) Determining the correlation between excited state dynamics and donor and acceptor structure in nonfullerene acceptors. Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 124(33), pp. 17851-17863. (doi: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.0c01402)

Loch, Alex S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7475-2529, Stoltzfus, Dani M., Burn, Paul L. and Shaw, Paul E. (2020) High-sensitivity poly(dendrimer)-based sensors for the detection of explosives and taggant vapors. Macromolecules, 53(5), pp. 1652-1664. (doi: 10.1021/acs.macromol.0c00060)

This list was generated on Sun Jun 15 05:58:49 2025 BST.
Jump to: Articles
Number of items: 13.

Articles

Loch, Alex ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7475-2529, Mikhail, Ibram, Bianco, Simona ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5305-8546, Ghosh, Dipankar ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1165-2819, Sonani, Ravi R., Chechik, Victor, Vassalli, Massimo ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3063-4376, Egelman, Edward H., Smith, Andrew J. and Adams, Dave J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3176-1350 (2025) A supramolecular benzophenone-based photoinitiator for spatially-resolved polymerization. ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 17(20), pp. 30297-30305. (doi: 10.1021/acsami.5c03506) (PMID:40353572)

Bowley, Emma, Bianco, Simona ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5305-8546, Hallam Stewart, Finlay, Wallace, Chloe M., Ginesi, Rebecca E. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0866-5555, Loch, Alex S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7475-2529, Rosenthal, Martin, Smith, Andrew J. and Adams, Dave J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3176-1350 (2025) Designing and controlling transient supramolecular gels. ChemSystemsChem, 7(2), e202400073. (doi: 10.1002/syst.202400073)

Loch, Alex S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7475-2529, Burn, Paul L. and Shaw, Paul E. (2025) Fluorescence‐based detector design principles for low vapor pressure analytes. Advanced Sensor Research, 4(1), 2400092. (doi: 10.1002/adsr.202400092)

Simpson, Jack D., Thomson, Lisa, Woodley, Christopher M., Wallace, Chloe M., Dietrich, Bart ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4544-4604, Loch, Alex S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7475-2529, Adams, Dave J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3176-1350 and Berry, Neil G. (2024) Predicting the mechanical properties of supramolecular gels. Advanced Materials, (Accepted for Publication)

Dahiya, Abhishek Singh ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4509-2650, Zumeit, Ayoub, Christou, Adamos, Loch, Alex S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7475-2529, Purushothaman, Balaji, Skabara, Peter J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7319-0464 and Dahiya, Ravinder ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3858-3841 (2024) Printing semiconductor-based devices and circuits for flexible electronic skin. Applied Physics Reviews, 11, 041334. (doi: 10.1063/5.0217297)

Gauci, Valentina, Loch, Alex S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7475-2529, McDowall, Daniel, Edwards-Gayle, Charlotte and Adams, Dave J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3176-1350 (2024) Controlling aggregation of diketopyrrolopyrroles in water. Dyes and Pigments, 223, 111968. (doi: 10.1016/j.dyepig.2024.111968)

Fan, Shengqiang, Loch, Alex S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7475-2529, Vongsanga, Kylie, Dennison, Genevieve H., Burn, Paul, Gentle, Ian R. and Shaw, Paul E. (2024) Differentiating between V‐ and G‐series nerve agent and simulant vapours using fluorescent film responses. Small Methods, 8(1), 2301048. (doi: 10.1002/smtd.202301048) (PMID:37932024)

Loch, Alex S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7475-2529, Cameron, Douglas, Martin, Robert W., Skabara, Peter J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7319-0464 and Adams, Dave J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3176-1350 (2024) Simple photocleavable indoline-based materials for surface wettability patterning. Materials Advances, 5, pp. 741-748. (doi: 10.1039/D3MA01039B)

Loch, Alex S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7475-2529, Burn, Paul L. and Shaw, Paul E. (2023) Fluorescent sensors for the detection of free-base illicit drugs - effect of tuning the electronic properties. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 387, 133766. (doi: 10.1016/j.snb.2023.133766)

Jiang, W. et al. (2022) Dielectric constant engineering of organic semiconductors: effect of planarity and conjugation length. Advanced Functional Materials, 32(3), 2104259. (doi: 10.1002/adfm.202104259)

Zhang, Guanran, Loch, Alex S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7475-2529, Kistemaker, Jos C. M., Burn, Paul L. and Shaw, Paul E. (2020) Dicyanovinyl-based fluorescent sensors for dual mechanism amine sensing. Journal of Materials Chemistry C, 8(39), pp. 13723-13732. (doi: 10.1039/D0TC03974H)

Zhang, Guanran, Loch, Alex ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7475-2529, Babazadeh, Mohammad, Burn, Alex L. and Shaw, Paul E. (2020) Determining the correlation between excited state dynamics and donor and acceptor structure in nonfullerene acceptors. Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 124(33), pp. 17851-17863. (doi: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.0c01402)

Loch, Alex S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7475-2529, Stoltzfus, Dani M., Burn, Paul L. and Shaw, Paul E. (2020) High-sensitivity poly(dendrimer)-based sensors for the detection of explosives and taggant vapors. Macromolecules, 53(5), pp. 1652-1664. (doi: 10.1021/acs.macromol.0c00060)

This list was generated on Sun Jun 15 05:58:49 2025 BST.