Department of Chemical and Forensic Sciences

University of Bradford - Making Knowledge Work! Link to University home page.

Dr Steven Dobrowski

Dr Steven Dobrowski B.Sc., Ph.D.
Senior University Teacher in Forensic Chemistry and Polymer Chemistry
Director of Forensic Sciences

Email: s.a.dobrowski@bradford.ac.uk
Phone: +44 (0)1274 233766
Fax: +44 (0)1274 235350
Research
Teaching

Dr Dobrowski obtained his first degree in Textile Chemistry from the University of Leeds in 1975 and his PhD following postgraduate research on the isolation and microanalysis of the Allworden membrane of Wool under the supervision of Drs Eric V. Truter and Peter T. Speakman. He worked in the paints and polymer-finishing industry for six years before returning to academia to carry out post-doctoral research for Professor Isaac Goodman and Dr Tony F. Johnson on the chemical degradation and analysis of polyurethanes in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Bradford. Dr Dobrowski continued post doctoral research in the Department of Physics, University of Leeds with Professor Ian J. Ward (FRS) working on the synthesis and characterisation of ionically-conducting and liquid-crystalline polymers before taking up a lecturing post in the Department of Chemistry, Stockport College of Technology in 1988. After a period in the Department of Chemistry, Sheffield (Hallamshire) Polytechnic, he moved to the Department of Chemical and Forensic Sciences, University of Bradford in 1990 where his research and teaching activities include both forensic chemistry and polymer chemistry.

Research

Dr Dobrowski's research interests lie in two areas: forensic chemistry, and organic synthesis and characterisation of polymer precursors and their products.

Recent postgraduate research projects include :

Evaluation of Raman Spectroscopy for the detection of drugs of abuse in latent fingerprints and an examination of the fuming process in latent fingerprint detection with cyanoacrylates
Student: Joanna Day; PhD research project, 1998 - 2001
Synthesis of fluorescently-tagged monomers for chemical enhancement of latent fingerprints
Student: Geoff Bruton; PhD research project, 1998 - 2001
Validation of the Christmas Tree stain for the detection of spermatozoa in forensic casework
Student: Shazia Inayat; MPhil research project, 1999 - 2000
Evaluation of the Christmas Tree stain for the detection of spermatozoa
Student: Orlaith Kingston; MSc research project, 1999
Evaluation of PVC and CPEs in thermoplastic elastomers
Student: Carl Goundry; MPhil research project (extra mural) 1997 - 1999
Synthesis of precursors to hairy-rod liquid crystalline polymers
Student: Andy Huang; PhD research project, 1994 - 1998
Beta-cyclodextrin mediated synthesis of 4-hydroxybenzoyloxy-based hairy rod LCPs
Student: Mohammed Nabi; MPhil research project, 1994 - 1995
The hydrosilation reaction between poly(hydrogenmethylsiloxane) and N,N-dimethylacrylamide
Student: Palvinder Kaur; MPhil research project, 1993 - 1994
Preparation and reactivity of vinyl benzyl-terminated macromonomers
Student: Mark O'Brien; PhD research project, 1991 - 1994
Anionic ring-opening polymerisation of cyclic oligocarbonates
Student: Utai Meekum; PhD research project, 1990 - 1993
High conversion bulk copolymerisation of methyl methacrylate with n-butyl acrylate
Student: Mark O'Brien; MPhil research project, 1990 - 1991

Ongoing postgraduate research projects

Structure elucidation of the product in the presumptive test for lead in gunshot residues using rhodizonic acid and rhodizonate salts
Student: Martin Downey; MPhil research project, 2002 - 2003

Final year (BSc/MChem/MSci) research projects

1990-91
§
Anionic polymerisation of styrene using 9-fluorenyl-alkali metal salts
§
Synthesis of novel side-chain liquid crystalline polymers based on tri-arylester mesogens
1991-92
§
S ynthesis of a polysiloxamide
§
The anionic polymerisation of N,N-dimethyl acrylamide using 9-fluorenyl lithium as initiator
§
Reduction of poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide) using lithium aluminium hydride
§
Ring-closing reactions of bisphenol-A-bischloroformate
§
Free radical copolymerisation of methacrylic acid (MA) with 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulphonic acid (AMPS)
1992-93
§
Computer simulation of the reaction between di-isocyanates and diols to yield block copolyurethanes
§
Synthesis of cyclic oligocarbonate precursors
§
Review of polymers for non-linear optical applications
§
Reduction of poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide) using lithium aluminium hydride

1993-94
§ Functionalisation reactions of medical-grade poly(vinyl alcohol) films
§ Raman spectroscopic studies of poly(N,N-diethyl acrylamide) gel electrolytes
§ Synthesis of inclusion catalysts for the preparation of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid
§ Synthesis of precursors to thermotropic hairy-rod liquid crystalline polymers

1994-95
§ Investigation of LCPs using hot-stage polarising light microscopy
§ Methylation of oligomeric diols
§ Synthesis of deuterated liquid crystalline polymers
§ Study of the copolymerisation of sodium and potassium acrylic acids

1995-96
§ An investigation of polymer-electrolyte and solvent-electrolyte interactions using vibrational spectroscopy
§ Alkyl end-capping of poly(ethylene glycol)s
§ Monomers for "hairy rod" liquid crystal polymer (lcp) synthesis
§ Evaluation of methods used to make laboratory test impressions of items of footwear in forensic investigation
§ A forensic investigation and cataloguing of the profiles of cut wires using various implements
§ Forensic identification of an implement from stab cuts in tyres

1996-97
§ Effect of temperature and humidity on the efficacy of some modern fingerprint enhancement reagents
§ A dissertative review of chemical and physical methods for the development of latent fingerprints
§ Development of fluorescent cyanoacrylates for latent fingerprint enhancement
§ Selective cleavage of ether linkages in linear block copolyetherurethanes
§ Ester bond cleavage in linear block copolyesterurethanes; a forensic tool?
§ A mechanistic study of the ester bond cleavage in linear block copolyesterurethanes

1997-98
§ Reagents for the enhancement of latent fingerprints: Preparation of cyanoacetyl chloride, a precursor to cyanoacetic ester intermediates for "Superglue" synthesis
§ Reagents for the enhancement of latent fingerprints: Preparation of some alkyl and aryl esters of cyanoacetic acid
§ Reagents for the enhancement of latent fingerprints: Preparation of alkylcyanoacrylates by depolymerisation of poly(alkyl acrylate)s
§ The commissioning of the Perkin Elmer TGS2 thermogravimetric analyser
§ The use of differential scanning calorimetry (dsc) and thermo gravimetric analysis (tga) for following depolymerisation reactions
§ The design, construction and testing of a fuming cabinet for development of latent fingerprints using substituted-cyanoacrylates
§ Evaluation of amido black and benzidine(s) for the enhancement of blood-sited fingerprints
§ A study in forensic odontology

1998-99
§ Synthesis of 1,8-diazafluoren-9-one (DFO) and selected analogues
§ Synthesis of 9-fluorenyl methylene cyanoacetate and the corresponding acrylate
§ Synthesis of copolymers of methyl-cyanoacrylate and 9-fluorenyl-cyanoacrylate as precursors to substances for latent image enhancement
§ 9-flurorenyl-alkali metal salts as anionic initiators for cyanoacrylates
§ An investigation of the phenomenon of vaporisation of Superglue™ (ethyl cyanoacrylate) from cotton wool
§ An investigation of the effects of humidity and temperature on the clarity of latent fingermarks enhanced by cyanoacrylate fuming
§ Methods for the enhancement of latent fingermarks suitable for use in undergraduate laboratories
§ An investigation of latent earmarks and their chemical enhancement
§ Analysis of hair greases in a population of university students
§ Substances for latent image enhancement

1999-00
§ Preparation of poly(acrylamide anthracene) and its acceptance of cyanoacrylates in Diels Alder reactions
§ False positives and fake blood
§ Distinguishing between small fragments of toughened and non-toughened glass by the fragment shape
§ The transfer of broken glass to footwear and lower garments as a result of the wearer walking through broken glass
§ The distribution of footwear pattern types amongst a young male population
§ Comparison of the Christmas Tree and H&E stains for the detection of spermatozoa

2000-01
§ The use of iodine in enhancement of latent fingerprints
§ The reaction of a-naphthoflavone with iodine in post-treatment of iodine-fumed fingerprints
§ Post-Toning of Ninhydrin-treated latent prints with alkali earth metal chlorides
§ Formation of fluorenyl lithium
§ Polymerisation of SuperGlue™ and molecular weight determination of the product on fumed fingerprints
§ Relative sensitivity of the presumptive chemical tests for blood in solution
§ Comparison of photographic and impression evidence of earmarks
§ Preparation of poly(acrylamide anthracene) and its acceptance of cyanoacrylates in Diels Alder reactions
§ Relative sensitivity of the presumptive chemical tests for blood on garments
§ The examination of writing inks

2001-02
§ The reaction of iodine with unsaturated eccrine lipid
§ The isolation and analysis of the iodine - a-naphthoflavone adduct
§ The reaction of Ruhemann's purple with group II metal chlorides
§ Reaction between lead particulates and rhodizonic acid in gunshot residues
§ The initiation reaction of ethylcyanoacrylate in fingerprint enhancement
§ Analysis of a surfactant/polymer formulation used for the de-inking of documents

2002-03
§ The role and fate of bacteria in enhancement of latent fingerprints
§ The detection and identification of some drugs of abuse in hair subjected to bacteriological and environmental decay in burial environments
§ A study of the bio-deterioration of important death scene materials in burial contexts relevant to the forensic archaeology of West Yorkshire over the past 25 years
§ Quantitative determination of iodine in iodine-fumed fingerprints
§ Quantitative determination of iodine in the iodine-a-naphthoflavone complex
§ Enhancement of ninhydrin-treated latent prints from sebaceous secretions after treatment with amines
§ Contrast enhancement of ninhydrin-treated latent prints with Group II metal halides
§ End group analysis of poly(ethylcyanoacrylate) on chemically enhanced latent fingerprints developed with SuperGlue™
§ Molecular weight determination of poly(ethylcyanoacrylate) deposited on latent fingerprints after chemical development with SuperGlue™
§ Determination of lead and barium in complexes obtained in forensic presumptive tests for gunshot residues using squarates
§ Determination of lead and barium in complexes obtained in forensic presumptive tests for gunshot residues using croconates
§ Determination of lead and barium in complexes obtained in forensic presumptive tests for gunshot residues using rhodizonates
§ False positives in the use of Simon's reagent in presumptive screening tests for methamphetamines
§ False positives in the use of Marquis reagent in presumptive screening tests for meth/amphetamines

Teaching

Undergraduate classes delivered by Dr Dobrowski are listed below. If the Module Title is underlined, then the lecture notes for that module are available to read over the Internet to students and staff at the University. You may, if you wish, save the file to disc and print a single copy of these notes for your own use. Further reproduction and any form of distribution to others contravenes copyright and is not permitted.

First Year Classes
Introduction to the Principles of Forensic Science    Code CT6002M
Laboratory Practice and Professional Skills 1    Code CT1005D
Laboratory Practice and Professional Skills for Chemical & Biomedical Sciences    Code CT1006M
Laboratory Practice and Professional Skills 2 / 2M Code CT1007D
Laboratory Practice and Professional Skills 2M Code CT1008M

Second Year Classes
Introduction to the Chemistry of Synthetic Macromolecules Module Code CT4001M
Forensic Examination and Enhancement of Scene Marks Module Code CT6006M
Professional, Personal and Expert Witness Skills Code CT2009M

Third (Final year BSc) Year Classes
Forensic Analysis of Polymers Paints and Fibres Module Code CT3032M
Interpretation and Presentation of Forensic Evidence Module Code CT6010M

Fourth (Final year MChem/MSci) Year Classes
Forensic Analysis of Controlled and Trace Substances Module Code CT3021M

Return to Main Index

last updated 07 August, 2007 Web: Site- Manager

Change Text Only Settings

Graphic version of this page