# Rachel Evans

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For the American Christian author, see [Rachel Held Evans](/source/Rachel_Held_Evans).

**Rachel Claire Evans** [FLSW](/source/Learned_Society_of_Wales) is a Welsh chemist based at the [University of Cambridge](/source/University_of_Cambridge) and a [fellow](/source/Fellow) of [Jesus College, Cambridge](/source/Jesus_College,_Cambridge).[1] She works on photoactive polymer-hybrid materials for solar devices, including [organic photovoltaics](/source/Organic_Photovoltaic) and stimuli-responsive membranes.[2]

## Early life and education

Evans grew up in [South Wales](/source/South_Wales).[3] She studied at [Swansea University](/source/Swansea_University), earning a [Master of Chemistry](/source/Master_of_Chemistry) (MChem) degree in 2002.[4][5] During her Masters, she completed an [International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience](/source/International_Association_for_the_Exchange_of_Students_for_Technical_Experience) (IASTE) [fellowship](/source/Fellow) at [Lonza Group](/source/Lonza_Group).[3] She returned to [Swansea University](/source/Swansea_University) for her [PhD](/source/PhD), investigating on light-emitting materials for display technologies.[6][4]

## Research and career

After her PhD, Evans spent a year at the [University of Aveiro](/source/University_of_Aveiro).[4] She was subsequently awarded a [Marie Curie Fellowship](/source/Marie_Curie_Fellows_Association) at the [University of Paris](/source/University_of_Paris)[4] where she worked as a [postdoc](/source/Postdoc) on fluorescence of soft materials.[4] Evans left Paris to join the [University of Coimbra](/source/University_of_Coimbra) as a [Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia](/source/Funda%C3%A7%C3%A3o_para_a_Ci%C3%AAncia_e_Tecnologia) postdoctoral fellow. She moved to [Trinity College Dublin](/source/Trinity_College_Dublin) in 2009, where she was a lecturer in Physical Chemistry. Her research was funded by [Science Foundation Ireland](/source/Science_Foundation_Ireland) and [Enterprise Ireland](/source/Enterprise_Ireland).[7] She delivered the 2011 [Royal Society of Chemistry](/source/Royal_Society_of_Chemistry) Schools lecture on the *Chemistry of Light*.[8] In 2013 she published the textbook *Applied Photochemistry* with [Springer Publishing](/source/Springer_Publishing).[9] They explored self-assembly of [conjugated](/source/Conjugated_system) [polyelectrolyte](/source/Polyelectrolyte)–[polyoxometalate](/source/Polyoxometalate) networks, with dimensions controlled by the polymer chain length and steric charge distribution.[10][11] The self-assembly of these [lumophores](/source/Luminophore) can be used to tune the optical and electronic properties.[12] To understand the morphology of these films and inform the design of performance nanostructured devices, her group use [small-angle scattering](/source/Small-angle_scattering), spectroscopy and microscopy.[13][14] Small-angle scattering allows her to study the microstructure of hybrid materials at the near atomic scale.[15] Their [conjugated polyelectrolyte](/source/Polyelectrolyte) work was featured in the *[ChemComm](/source/ChemComm)* Emerging Investigators issue.[16] She also worked on oxygen sensitive printable ink sensors.[17]

Evans has explored polymer-hybrid materials for [luminescent solar concentrators](/source/Luminescent_solar_concentrator).[18] By controlling the placement and orientation of the lumophore, she showed that it is possible to limit light lost by [reabsorption](/source/Reabsorption).[19][20] She minimises [waveguiding](/source/Waveguide) losses by designing materials with high [refractive indices](/source/Refractive_index). She demonstrated that perylene carboxdiimide-bridged triethoxysilane can be covalently grafted to [siloxane hybrids](/source/Siloxane).[18] Her work was featured in the *[Journal of Materials Chemistry C](/source/Journal_of_Materials_Chemistry_C)* Emerging Investigators Issue in 2016.[21] She also develops encapsulation techniques to improve device lifetime.[22] She was made an [associate professor](/source/Associate_professor) in 2016. She collaborated extensively with the [University of Montpellier](/source/University_of_Montpellier) as part of a French-Irish collaboration.[23]

Evans was appointed a lecturer at the [University of Cambridge](/source/University_of_Cambridge) in 2017[3] and a fellow of Jesus College, Cambridge.[4] Her group explore soft materials that are responsive to stimuli, nanostructured inks and hybrid nanoparticles.[24] The soft materials respond to light, using photoresponsive surfactants that include an [azobenzene](/source/Azobenzene) group.[25] She was appointed chair of the [Royal Society of Chemistry](/source/Royal_Society_of_Chemistry) Photophysics and Photochemistry Group in 2017.[26]

She founded Senoptica Technologies[27] in 2018 and is the [chief scientific officer](/source/Chief_scientific_officer) (CSO) working on optical sensors developed in Evans' lab.[28] Senoptica Technologies detect defective [modified atmosphere packaging](/source/Modified_atmosphere/modified_humidity_packaging), changing colour to alert the consumer to the amount of [oxygen](/source/Oxygen) in the pack.[29]

### Awards and honours

2023 Elected a [Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales](/source/Learned_Society_of_Wales) (FLSW)[30]

2018 Elected a [Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry](/source/Fellow_of_the_Royal_Society_of_Chemistry) (FRSC)[31]

2018 Nominated a [Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining](/source/Fellow_of_the_Institute_of_Materials,_Minerals_and_Mining) (FIMMM)[32]

2017 [Royal Society of Chemistry](/source/Royal_Society_of_Chemistry) (RSC) and [Society of Chemical Industry](/source/Society_of_Chemical_Industry) UK Young Researchers Medal[33][34]

2017 [Learned Society of Wales](/source/Learned_Society_of_Wales) Dillwyn Medal[35]

2015 [Trinity College Dublin](/source/Trinity_College_Dublin) Fellowship[36]

2014 Irish Lab Awards *Young Leader of the Year*[37]

2008 [RSC Harry Hallam prize](/source/Harry_Hallam_(academic))[3]

2007 RSC Ronald Belcher Memorial Lectureship[34]

## References

1. ["Dr Rachel C. Evans"](https://labevans.co.uk/about/). *labevans.co.uk*. The Evans Group. 19 October 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2018.

1. Anon (2018). ["Dr Rachel Evans"](https://www.jesus.cam.ac.uk/people/rachel-evans). *jesus.cam.ac.uk*. Jesus College Cambridge. Retrieved 2 December 2018.

1. ["Graduate Profiles"](https://web.archive.org/web/20181203060020/https://www.swansea.ac.uk/chemistry/graduateprofiles/). *swansea.ac.uk*. Archived from [the original](https://www.swansea.ac.uk/chemistry/graduateprofiles/) on 3 December 2018. Retrieved 2 December 2018.

1. Evans, Rachel Claire (2007). ["Efficient emitters for technological applications"](http://discover.library.wales/44WHELF_NLW_VU1:CSCOP_EVERYTHING:44NLW_ALMA21806783110002419) (PhD). *discover.library.wales*. Swansea University. [OCLC 502626916](https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/502626916)[dead link]

1. ["Rachel Evans : School of Chemistry – Trinity College Dublin"](https://web.archive.org/web/20181203061533/https://chemistry.tcd.ie/staff/raevans/). *chemistry.tcd.ie*. Archived from [the original](https://chemistry.tcd.ie/staff/raevans/) on 3 December 2018. Retrieved 2 December 2018.

1. ["RSC Annual Lecture for Schools 'Chemistry of Light' – Irish Science Teachers' Association"](https://www.ista.ie/rsc-annual-lecture-for-schools-chemistry-of-light/). *ista.ie*. Retrieved 2 December 2018.

1. Evans, Rachel C., Douglas, Peter, Burrows, Hugh (2013). *Applied photochemistry*. Dordrecht: Springer. ISBN 9789048138302. [OCLC 842836702](https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/842836702)

1. Houston, Judith E.; Patterson, Adam R.; Jayasundera, Anil C.; Schmitt, Wolfgang; Evans, Rachel C. (2014). "Charge-modulated self-assembly and growth of conjugated polyelectrolyte–polyoxometalate hybrid networks". *Chem. Commun.*. **50** (40): 5233–5235. [doi:10.1039/c3cc47552b](https://doi.org/10.1039/c3cc47552b). [hdl:2262/72169](https://hdl.handle.net/2262/72169). [ISSN 1359-7345](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1359-7345). [PMID 24336591](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24336591)

1. Houston, Judith E.; Chevrier, Michèle; Appavou, Marie-Sousai; King, Stephen M.; Clément, Sébastien; Evans, Rachel C. (2017). "A self-assembly toolbox for thiophene-based conjugated polyelectrolytes: surfactants, solvent and copolymerisation". *Nanoscale*. **9** (44): 17481–17493. [doi:10.1039/c7nr06169b](https://doi.org/10.1039/c7nr06169b). [ISSN 2040-3364](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/2040-3364). [PMID 29106435](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29106435)

1. Dublin, Fiona Killard, Trinity College. ["Rachel Evans : Profiles – Trinity Research : Trinity College Dublin, Rachel Evans"](https://www.tcd.ie/research/profiles/?profile=raevans). *tcd.ie*. Retrieved 2 December 2018.

1. ["Nanostructured Inks for Organic Electronics"](https://web.archive.org/web/20181203055544/https://labevans.co.uk/research/controlled-assembly-of-conjugated-polymers/). *The Evans Group*. 14 November 2016. Archived from [the original](https://labevans.co.uk/research/controlled-assembly-of-conjugated-polymers/) on 3 December 2018. Retrieved 2 December 2018.

1. ["Instrumentation"](https://labevans.co.uk/expertise/). *The Evans Group*. 23 February 2017. Retrieved 2 December 2018.

1. ["ISUO – the Irish Synchrotron, Free Electron Laser, Neutron and Muon Facility Users Organisation Materials and Device Photochemistry Group – Evans (TCD)"](http://isuo.ie/irish-research-activity/research-groups/materials-and-device-photochemistry-group/). *isuo.ie*. Retrieved 2 December 2018.

1. Anon (2014). ["Contributors to the Emerging Investigators Issue 2014"](https://escholarship.org/content/qt7st4k83j/qt7st4k83j.pdf?t=o5zohu). *Chemical Communications*. **50** (40): 5100. [doi:10.1039/c4cc90109f](https://doi.org/10.1039/c4cc90109f). [ISSN 1359-7345](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1359-7345)

1. ["Trinity Chemistry Newsletter 2016"](https://issuu.com/tcd_alumni/docs/trinity-chemistry-newsletter_2016/5). *Issuu*. Retrieved 2 December 2018.

1. Meazzini, Ilaria; Willis-Fox, Niamh; Blayo, Camille; Arlt, Jochen; Clément, Sébastien; Evans, Rachel C. (2016). ["Targeted design leads to tunable photoluminescence from perylene dicarboxdiimide–poly(oxyalkylene)/siloxane hybrids for luminescent solar concentrators"](https://www.pure.ed.ac.uk/ws/files/25321531/51_Tunablephotoluminescence_for_solar_concentrators.pdf). *Journal of Materials Chemistry C*. **4** (18): 4049–4059. [doi:10.1039/C5TC03952E](https://doi.org/10.1039/C5TC03952E). [hdl:20.500.11820/320613b7-a508-47ae-9c07-a34e8bb54070](https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11820/320613b7-a508-47ae-9c07-a34e8bb54070). [ISSN 2050-7526](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/2050-7526)

1. Brennan, Lorcan J.; Purcell-Milton, Finn; McKenna, Barry; Watson, Trystan M.; Gun'ko, Yurii K.; Evans, Rachel C. (2018). ["Large area quantum dot luminescent solar concentrators for use with dye-sensitised solar cells"](https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa38072). *Journal of Materials Chemistry A*. **6** (6): 2671–2680. [doi:10.1039/c7ta04731b](https://doi.org/10.1039/c7ta04731b). [hdl:2262/96216](https://hdl.handle.net/2262/96216). [ISSN 2050-7488](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/2050-7488)

1. Kaniyoor, Adarsh; McKenna, Barry; Comby, Steve; Evans, Rachel C. (15 December 2015). ["Design and Response of High-Efficiency, Planar, Doped Luminescent Solar Concentrators Using Organic-Inorganic Di-Ureasil Waveguides"](https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/277728). *Advanced Optical Materials*. **4** (3): 444–456. [doi:10.1002/adom.201500412](https://doi.org/10.1002/adom.201500412). [ISSN 2195-1071](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/2195-1071). [S2CID 97140164](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:97140164)

1. ["Emerging Investigators 2016: Novel design strategies for new functional materials Home"](https://pubs.rsc.org/en/journals/articlecollectionlanding?sercode=tc&themeid=a6d8831d-df98-4806-bd11-dc83cb06beb1). *pubs.rsc.org*. Retrieved 2 December 2018.

1. McKenna, Barry; Troughton, Joel R.; Watson, Trystan M.; Evans, Rachel C. (2017). "Enhancing the stability of organolead halide perovskite films through polymer encapsulation". *RSC Advances*. **7** (52): 32942–32951. [Bibcode:2017RSCAd...732942M](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2017RSCAd...732942M). [doi:10.1039/c7ra06002e](https://doi.org/10.1039/c7ra06002e). [hdl:2262/82530](https://hdl.handle.net/2262/82530). [ISSN 2046-2069](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/2046-2069)

1. ["A growing French-Irish radiance"](https://ie.ambafrance.org/A-growing-French-Irish-radiance). *Ambassade de France en Irlande – French Embassy in Ireland*. Retrieved 2 December 2018.

1. ["Research"](https://labevans.co.uk/research/). *The Evans Group*. 19 October 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2018.

1. ["Soft Responsive Materials"](https://labevans.co.uk/soft-responsive-materials/). *The Evans Group*. 1 August 2018. Retrieved 2 December 2018.

1. ["RSC Photophysics & Photochemistry Group Meeting 2018 – Specific"](http://specific.eu.com/rsc-photophysics-photochemistry-group-meeting-2018/). *specific.eu.com*. 19 November 2018. Retrieved 2 December 2018.

1. ["Home - Senoptica Technologies LTD"](https://senoptica.com). *Senoptica Technologies LTD*

1. ["About Us | Senoptica Technologies LTD"](https://senoptica.com/about-us/). *senoptica.com*. Senoptica Technologies Ltd. Retrieved 2 December 2018.

1. ["Home | Senoptica Technologies LTD"](https://senoptica.com/). *Senoptica Technologies LTD*. Retrieved 2 December 2018.

1. Wales, The Learned Society of. ["Rachel Evans"](https://www.learnedsociety.wales/fellow/rachel-evans/). *The Learned Society of Wales*. Retrieved 2023-08-30.

1. ["Rachel is admitted as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry"](https://labevans.co.uk/2018/09/27/rachel-is-admitted-as-a-fellow-of-the-royal-society-of-chemistry/). *The Evans Group*. 27 September 2018. Retrieved 2 December 2018.

1. Sallows, Lianne (26 October 2018). ["New IoM3 Fellows"](https://www.msm.cam.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/new-iom3-fellows). University of Cambridge. Retrieved 2 December 2018.

1. Sallows, Lianne (8 May 2018). ["2017 Macro Group UK Young Researchers Medal awarded to Dr Rachel Evans"](https://www.msm.cam.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/2017-macro-group-uk-young-researchers-medal-awarded-dr-rachel-evans). University of Cambridge. Retrieved 2 December 2018.

1. ["2017 Macro Group UK Young Researchers Medal"](https://macrogroup.org.uk/2018/05/04/2017-macro-group-uk-young-researchers-medal/). *Macro Group UK*. 4 May 2018. Retrieved 2 December 2018.

1. ["Dillwyn prize for outstanding ECR researcher in STEMM"](https://labevans.co.uk/2017/05/22/dillwyn-prize-for-outstanding-ecr-researcher-in-stemm/). *The Evans Group*. 22 May 2017. Retrieved 2 December 2018.

1. Dublin, Provost & President, Trinity College. ["Provost & President : Trinity College Dublin"](https://www.tcd.ie/provost/addresses/2015-10-09-new-fellows-dinner.php). *tcd.ie*. Retrieved 2 December 2018.

1. ["2014 – School of Chemistry – Trinity College Dublin"](https://chemistry.tcd.ie/news-events/2014/). *chemistry.tcd.ie*. Retrieved 2 December 2018.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Rachel Evans](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Evans) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Evans?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.