Dr Evelina Liarou
Evelina Liarou
Assistant Professor-Research Focused
Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellow
- 08.2024-present. Assistant Professor of Chemistry (Research Focused)
- 02.23 & 06.24. Visiting Researcher @ ETH-Zurich - ETH Polymeric Materials, Switzerland
- 10.2023-present. Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellow @ 神马福利影片, UK
- 09.2022-09.2023. Marie Sklodowska-Curie EUTOPIA Science and Innovation Fellow @ 神马福利影片, UK
- 10-12.2022. Visiting Fellow @ Queensland University of Technology - Macroarc, Australia
- 10.2020-08.2022. Fonds voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek 鈥� Vlaanderen (FWO) Fellow @ Ghent University, Belgium
- 2016-2020 PhD @ 神马福利影片, UK
- 2014-2016 MSc @ National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
- 2009-2013 BSc @ University of Patras, Greece
Research Areas:
- Polymer Physics
- Advanced Electron Microscopy of Polymers
- Polymerization Mechanisms
Ongoing & Past Projects:
- Sound-Induced Self Assembly - Donghao Li (MSc, 2024 / joint with R. Becer)
- Polymer Liquid Crystals - Dr Samantha Liu / P. Wilson group, 2023-2024
- Molecular level understanding of the polymer chain behaviour using STEM - Jared Taylor (MChem, 2023-2024)
- Molecular level imaging of star-shaped polymers - Amirah Mohammed (MChem, 2023-2024)
- How much do SEM, DOSY, TEM, DLS and SAXS agree on polymer particle size - Chenxue Hu (MSc, 2023)
Areas of interest & expertise
- Polymerisations
- Polymer Physics
- Advanced Electron Microscopy ((S)TEM)
Scientific Activity
- Member of Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
- Early Career Member of the Royal Microscopical Society (RMS)
- Member of the European Microscopy Society (EMS)
- Member of the Macro Group UK
- Peer Reviewing
Selected Awards & Distinctions
- Outstanding Reviewer 2024 - Polymer Chemistry journal, RSC
- Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowship (2023)
- Eutopia-SIF (Marie Curie cofund) Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (2022)
- Invited in the 71st Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting (2022)
- Faculty of Science, Engineering, and Medicine PhD Thesis Prize 2021, 神马福利影片, UK (2021)
- FWO Postdoctoral Researcher Fellowship (2020-2022)
- Polymer Chemistry Outstanding Student Research Paper Award, Polymer Chemistry, RSC (2019)
Publications:
- Hall, M. D.; Zhang, B.; Liarou, E.; Junkers, T.*; Haddleton, D.* High-Throughput Kinetic Screening of UV and Visible Light-Induced Copper-RDRP in Continuous Flow Using Inline Benchtop NMR Analysis. JACS Au 2026, 6 (4), 2387-2395.
- Potenti, S.; Lioniello, P.; Mazzotta, E.; Ditaranto, N.; Liarou, E.; Al-Shamery, N.; Lee, P. S.; Sibillano, T.; Giannini, C.; Malitesta, C.; Manini, P.* A Straightforward Access to Sustainable and Reusable Melanin-Supported Palladium Catalysts: Characterization and Application in Sonogashira Cross-Coupling Reactions. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces. 2026, 18 (14), 20962-20975.
- Ratajczyk, M.; Marathianos, A.; Magiakos, A.; Wilson, P.; Haddleton, D. M.; Liarou, E.* Ultra-High Molecular Weight 21-Arm Star-Shaped Polyacrylates via Cu(0)-RDRP. Macromol. Chem. Phys. 2026, 227 (3), e00492.
- Magiakos, A.; Efstathiou, S.; Liarou, E.; Dsouza, A.; Constantinidou, C.; Wilson, P.* The Effect of pH during Fabrication of Platinum-Containing Polymeric Arsenical Hydrogels. Macromolecules 2025, 58 (15), 7709-7721.
- Magiakos, A.; Liarou, E.; Efstathiou, S.; Dsouza, A.; Constantinidou, C.; Walker, M.; Methenitis, C.; Wilson, P.* A Tunable Hydrogel Platform Based on Platinum-Containing Polymeric Arsenicals. Chem. Mater. 2025, 37 (10), 3733-3746.
- Gillhuber, S.; Kammerer, J. A.; Quinn, A.; Holloway, J. O.; Mundsinger, K.; Liarou, E.; Golberg, D.; Frisch, H.; O'Mara, M. L.*; Barner-Kowollik, C.*; Roesky, P. W.* Control over Ba(ii)-mediated single-chain polymer nanoparticle compaction by dynamic metal complexation. Polym. Chem. 2025, 16 (41), 4537-4547, 10.1039/D5PY00883B.
- Hall, M. D.; Zhao, B.; Liarou, E.; Junkers, T.*; Haddleton, D.* Visible-light-induced copper-mediated reversible deactivation radical polymerisation without additional photocatalysts. Chem. Sci. 2025, 16 (37), 17436-17443, 10.1039/D5SC05171A.
- Patel, A.; Maitland, G. L.; Liarou, E.; Topham, P. D.; Derry, M. J.* Transparent diblock copolymer nanoparticle dispersions via efficient RAFT emulsion polymerisation in ionic liquid. Polym. Chem. 2025, 16 (23), 2767-2777, 10.1039/D5PY00076A.
- Coursari, D., Efstathiou, S., Al-Shok, L., Hall, M. D., Eissa, A. M., Liarou, E., Haddleton, D. M.* Optimisation of azide鈥揳lkyne click reactions of polyacrylates using online monitoring and flow chemistry, Polym. Chem. 2025, 16, 1065-1071
- Marathianos, A., Magiakos, A., Han, Y., Sanchez, A., Whitfield, R., Kammerer, J., Anastasaki, A., Wilson, P., Patterson, J. P., Barner-Kowollik, C., Liarou, E.* Atomic-Scale Imaging of Polymers and Precision Molecular Weight Analysis, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024 146 (50), 34292-34297
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Mountaki, S. A., Whitfield, R., Liarou, E., Truong, N. P., Anastasaki, A.*, Open-Air Chemical Recycling: Fully Oxygen-Tolerant ATRP Depolymerization, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024 146 (28), 18848-18854.
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Brogden, 螘. 螠., Wilson, P. F., Hindmarsh, S., Hands-Portman, I., Unsworth, A., Liarou, E., Bon, S. A. F.*, A Mesh Reinforced Pressure-Sensitive Adhesive for a Linerless Label Design, RSC Appl. Polym. 2024, 2, 248-261.
- Mohammed,M., Jones, B. A., Liarou, E., Wilson, P.*, Localised polymerisation of acrylamide using single-barrel scanning electrochemical cell microscopy, Chem. Commun., 2023, 59, 10992-10995
- Liarou, E.; Houck, H. A.; Du Prez, F. E.*, Reversible Transformations of Polymer Topologies Using Visible Light and Darkness, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2022, 144, 15, 6954鈥�6963
- Marathianos. A.; Wemyss, A. M.; Liarou, E.; Jones, J. R.; Shegiwal, A.; Town, J. S.; Lester, D. W.; Li, Y.; Haddleton, D. M.*, Controlling the Particle Size in Surfactant-Free Latexes from 蠅-Propenyl Oligomers Obtained through Catalytic Chain Transfer Polymerization, ACS Appl. Polym. Mater., 2021, 3, 6, 3185鈥�3196.
- Tobin, H.; Liarou, E.; Song, J.; Magiakos, A.; Wilson, P.*, Synthesis and self-assembly of corona-functionalised polymeric arsenical nanoparticles, Eur. Polym. J., 2021, 144, 110235.
- Marathianos, A.;楼 Liarou, E.;楼 Hancox, E.; Grace, J. L.; Lester, D. W.; Haddleton, D. M.*, Dihydrolevoglucosenone (CyreneTM) as a bio-renewable solvent for Cu(0)-mediated RDRP without external deoxygenation, Green Chem., 2020, 22, 5833-5837.
- Aljuaid, M.; Liarou, E.; Town, J.; Baker, J.; Haddleton, D. M.; Wilson, P.*, Synthesis and [2+2]-photodimerisation of monothiomaleimide functionalised linear and brush-like polymers, Chem. Commun., 2020, 56, 9545-9548.
- Zhang, J.; Liarou, E.; Town, J.; Li, Y.; Wemyss, A. M.; Haddleton, D. M.*, Aqueous copper-mediated reversible deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP) utilizing polyetheramine derived initiators, Polym. Chem., 2020, 11, 5534-5541.
- Liarou, E.; Han, Y.; Sanchez, A. M.; Walker, M.; Haddleton, D. M.*, Rapidly Self-deoxygenating Controlled Radical Polymerization in water via in-situ Disproportionation of Cu(I), Chem. Sci., 2020, 11, 5257-5266.
- Ma, C.; Han, T.; Kang, M.; Liarou, E.; Wemyss, A. M.; Efstathiou, S.; Tang, B. Z.; Haddleton, D. M. *, Aggregation-Induced Emission Active Polyacrylates via Cu-Mediated Reversible Deactivation Radical Polymerization with Bioimaging Applications, ACS Macro Lett. 2020, 9, 5, 769-775.
- Theodorou, A.; Liarou, E.; Haddleton, D. M.; Stavrakaki, I.; Skordalidis, P.; Whitfield, R.; Anastasaki, A.*; Velonia, K.*, Protein-Polymer Bioconjugates via a Versatile Oxygen Tolerant Photoinduced Controlled Radical Polymerization Approach, Nat Commun., 11, 1486 (2020).
- Liarou, E.*; Staniforth, M.; Town, J. S.; Marathianos, A.; Grypioti, M.; Li, Y.; Chang, Y.; Efstathiou, S.; Hancox, E.; Wemyss, A. M.; Wilson, P.; Jones, B. A.; Aljuaid, M., Stavros, V. G.; Haddleton, D. M.*, UV irradiation of Cu-based complexes with aliphatic amine ligands as used in living radical polymerization, Eur. Polym. J., 2020, 109388.
- Shegiwal, A.; Wemyss, A. M.; Liarou, E.; Town, J; Patias, G.; Atkins, C. J.; Marathianos, A.; Lester, D. W.; Efstathiou, S. and Haddleton, D. M.*, Polymerisable surfactants for polymethacrylates using catalytic chain transfer polymerisation (CCTP) combined with sulfur free-RAFT in emulsion polymerization, Eur. Polym. J., 2020, 125, 109491.
- Hancox, E.; Liarou, E.; Town, J. S.; Jones, G. R.; Huband, S.; Topham, P. D. and Haddleton D. M.*, Microphase separation of highly amphiphilic, low N polymers by photoinduced copper-mediated polymerization, achieving sub-2 nm domains at half-pitch, Polym. Chem., 2019, 10 (46), 6254-6259.
- Town, J. S.*; Gao, Y.; Hancox, E.; Liarou, E.; Shegiwal, A.; Atkins, C. J. and Haddleton, D. M.*, Automatic peak assignment and visualisation of copolymer mass spectrometry data using the 鈥榞enetic algorithm鈥�, Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom., 2020;e8654.
- Marathianos A.; Liarou E.; Anastasaki A.; Whitfield R.; Laurel M.; Wemyss A. M. and Haddleton D. M.*, Photo-induced copper-RDRP in continuous flow without external deoxygenation, Polym. Chem., 2019, 10, 4402-4406.
- Alsubaie, F.; Liarou, E.; Nikolaou, V.; Wilson, P.; Haddleton, D. M.*, Thermoresponsive viscosity of polyacrylamide block copolymers synthesised via aqueous Cu-RDRP, Eur. Polym. J., 2019, 114, 326-331.
- Shegiwal, A.; Wemyss, A. M.; Schellekens, M. A. J.; de Bont, J.; Town, J.; Liarou, E.; Patias, G.; Atkins, C. J.; Haddleton, D. M.*, Exploiting catalytic chain transfer polymerization for the synthesis of carboxylated latexes via sulfur鈥恌ree RAFT, J. Polym. Sci. A: Polym. Chem., 2019, 57 (3), E1-E9.
- Liarou, E.; Anastasaki, A.; Whitfield, R.; Iacono, C. E.; Patias, G.; Engelis, N. G.; Marathianos, A.; Jones, G. R.; Haddleton, D. M.*, Ultra-low volume oxygen tolerant photoinduced Cu-RDRP, Polym. Chem., 2019, 10 (8), 963-971.
- Jones, G. R.; Anastasaki, A.; Whitfield, R.; Engelis, N.; Liarou, E.; Haddleton, D. M.*, Copper鈥怣ediated Reversible Deactivation Radical Polymerization in Aqueous Media, Angew. Chemie Int. Ed., 2018, 57, 10468鈥�10482.
- Liarou, E.楼; Whitfield, R.楼; Anastasaki, A.*; Engelis, N. G.; Jones, G. R.; Velonia, K.; Haddleton, D. M.*, Copper鈥怣ediated Polymerization without External Deoxygenation or Oxygen Scavengers, Angew. Chemie Int. Ed., 2018, 57 (29), 8998-9002.
- Liarou, E.; Varlas, S.; Skoulas, D.; Tsimblouli, C.; Sereti, E.; Dimas, K.; Iatrou, H.*, Smart polymersomes and hydrogels from polypeptide-based polymer systems through 伪-amino acid N-carboxyanhydride ring-opening polymerization. From chemistry to biomedical applications, Prog. Polym. Sci., 2018, 83, 28-78.
- Engelis, N. G.; Anastasaki, A.*; Whitfield, R.; Jones, G. R.; Liarou, E.; Nikolaou, V.; Nurumbetov, G.; Haddleton, D. M.*, Sequence-Controlled Methacrylic Multiblock Copolymers: Expanding the Scope of Sulfur-Free RAFT, Macromolecules, 2018, 51 (2), 336-342.
Book Chapters
1. Anastasaki, A.; Whitfield, R.; Nikolaou, V.; Truong, N. P.; Jones, G. R.; Engelis, N. G.; Liarou, E.; Whittaker, M. R; and Haddleton, D. M., One-Pot Sequence-Controlled (SC) Multiblock Copolymers via Copper-Mediated Polymerization, Sequence鈥怌ontrolled Polymers, John Wiley & Sons, 2018, 417-434.
Marathianos, A., Magiakos, A., Han, Y., Sanchez, A., Whitfield, R., Kammerer, J., Anastasaki, A., Wilson, P., Patterson, J. P., Barner-Kowollik, C.,Liarou, E.*, Atomic-Scale Imaging of Polymers and Precision Molecular Weight Analysis,
Liarou, E.; Houck, H. A.; Du Prez, F. E., Reversible Transformations of Polymer Topologies Using Visible Light and Darkness,
Liarou, E.; Han, Y.; Sanchez, A. M.; Walker, M.; Haddleton, D. M., Rapidly Self-deoxygenating Controlled Radical Polymerization in water via in-situ Disproportionation of Cu(I), .
Liarou, E.; Anastasaki, A.; Whitfield, R.; Iacono, C. E.; Patias, G.; Engelis, N. G.; Marathianos, A.; Jones, G. R.; Haddleton, D. M., Ultra-low volume oxygen tolerant photoinduced Cu-RDRP, .
Liarou, E.; Whitfield, R.; Anastasaki, A.; Engelis, N. G.; Jones, G. R.; Velonia, K.; Haddleton, D. M., Copper鈥怣ediated Polymerization without External Deoxygenation or Oxygen Scavengers,
Liarou, E.; Varlas, S.; Skoulas, D.; Tsimblouli, C.; Sereti, E.; Dimas, K.; Iatrou, H., Smart polymersomes and hydrogels from polypeptide-based polymer systems through 伪-amino acid N-carboxyanhydride ring-opening polymerization. From chemistry to biomedical applications, .
- Tutorials @ Year 2 Macromolecules (2025, Dep. of Chemistry, 神马福利影片)
- Workshops @ Year 2 Macromolecules (2025, Dep. of Chemistry, 神马福利影片)
- Lecture on Reversible Deactivation Radical Polymerization CH3F6 (2024-, Dep. of Chemistry, 神马福利影片)
- Lecture on Ionic Polymerization @ Polymer MSc (2023-, Dep. of Chemistry, 神马福利影片)
- Guest lecture Degradable Polymers in Marine Environments & Self-immolative polymers (2021-2023, Dep. of Organic & Macromolecular Chemistry, Ghent University)
- Guest lecture Light-Stabilized Dynamic Materials (2021-2022, Dep. of Organic & Macromolecular Chemistry, Ghent University)
- Guest lecture Post-Polymerization Modification (2021, Dep. of Organic & Macromolecular Chemistry, Ghent University)