Dr Stephen Cox

Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry

Royal Society University Research Fellow

Research Interests

The behavior of liquids and their interfaces underlies many important phenomena across the biological and physical sciences. I use molecular simulations and statistical mechanics to elicit the microscopic details of interfacial systems, with an emphasis on perhaps the most important of all liquids: water and its salt solutions.

Recent research has focused on improving simulations methods to give a better description of ions adsorbed to charged interfaces [1], which is important for tackling complex problems such as ice nucleation [2]. I also have a keen interest in understanding dielectric response in water [3,4] and its implications for aqueous ion solvation [5].

Dr Cox discusses his research

[1] T Sayer & SJ Cox, J. Chem. Phys. 153, 164709 (2020) [publisher,arXiv]

[2] T Sayer & SJ Cox, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 21, 14546 (2019) [publisher,arXiv]

[3] SJ Cox, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 117, 19746 (2020) [publisher,arXiv]

[4] SJ Cox & M Sprik, J. Chem. Phys. 151, 064506 (2019) [publisher,arXiv]

[5] SJ Cox, DG Thorpe, PR Shaffer & PL Geissler, Chem. Sci. 11, 11791 (2020) [publisher,arXiv]

Recruitment

Possible PhD projects involve improving simulation methodology to understand the structure and dynamics of charged interfaces in solution; using molecular simulations to understand how polar crystals grow; or pursuing theoretical approaches to improve our understanding of complex fluids.

If you are interested in joining the team, please get in touch to discuss opportunities.

Biography

2021-present: Royal Society University Research Fellow, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, UK
2017-2021: Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 Research Fellow, visiting Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, UK
2018-present: College lecturer, Churchill College, University of Cambridge, UK
2020-2021: Undergraduate Tutor, Churchill College, University of Cambridge, UK
2015-2017: Postdoctoral research fellow, Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Ca. USA
2010-2014: PhD student, Department of Chemistry, University College London, UK

Awards

2020 Journal of Chemical Physics Best Paper by an Emerging Investigator

Publications

Crumbling Crystals: On the Dissolution Mechanism of NaCl in Water

N O'Neill, C Schran, SJ Cox, A Michaelides

(2022)

(link to publication)

Classical quantum friction at water-carbon interfaces

AT Bui, FL Thiemann, A Michaelides, SJ Cox

(2022)

(doi: 10.48550/arxiv.2210.14040)

(link to publication)

A theory for the stabilization of polar crystal surfaces by a liquid environment.

SJ Cox

– Journal of Chemical Physics

(2022)

157,

094701

(doi: 10.1063/5.0097531)

Dielectric response of thin water films: a thermodynamic perspective

SJ Cox, PL Geissler

– Chemical science

(2022)

13,

9102

(doi: 10.1039/d2sc01243j)

Understanding crystal nucleation mechanisms: where do we stand? General discussion

MW Anderson, M Bennett, R Cedeno, H Cölfen, SJ Cox, AJ Cruz-Cabeza, JJ De Yoreo, R Drummond-Brydson, MK Dudek, KA Fichthorn, AR Finney, I Ford, JM Galloway, D Gebauer, R Grossier, JH Harding, A Hare, D Horváth, L Hunter, J Kim, Y Kimura, CEA Kirschhock, AA Kiselev, W Kras, C Kuttner, AY Lee, Z Liao, L Maini, SO Nilsson Lill, N Pellens, SL Price, IB Rietveld, JD Rimer, KJ Roberts, J Rogal, M Salvalaglio, I Sandei, G Schuszter, J Sefcik, W Sun, JH Ter Horst, M Ukrainczyk, AES Van Driessche, S Veesler, PG Vekilov, V Verma, T Whale, HP Wheatcroft, J Zeglinski

– Faraday Discussions

(2022)

235,

219

(doi: 10.1039/d2fd90021a)