Electrocatalysis holds huge potential in driving the transition to net zero, particularly through the decarbonisation of industrial sectors that rely heavily on fossil fuels as energy sources and chemical feedstocks. We focus on three main electrocatalytic processes: water splitting for the generation of hydrogen and oxygen, carbon dioxide reduction (CO2RR) to produce carbon-based fuels and valuable chemical intermediates, and nitrate/nitrogen reduction for sustainable ammonia synthesis.
To advance these technologies, we have developed innovative electrochemical cells and measurement techniques that enable operando characterisation of electrocatalysts to capture their dynamic behaviour under realistic reaction conditions. Our approach integrates both laboratory- and synchrotron-based characterisation, providing new insights into the catalyst structure, activity and stability. Our strong industrial collaborations provide insight into the challenges faced during scale- up to practical electrolyser formats, allowing us to align our research with real world needs and bridge the gap between fundamental research and commercial application.
Specific areas of active research include:
Applying novel hard x-ray methods to understand the structural transformations of iridium oxide during the oxygen evolution reaction,
Understanding the catalyst electrolyte interface of copper-based CO2RR catalysts for improved selectivity in scaled-up devices
Developing new transition metal-based catalysts for the acidic oxygen evolution reaction
The size effect of different transition metal catalysts for the alkaline oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions,
The role of surface and bulk reconstruction on lattice oxygen activity amongst alkaline oxygen evolution catalysts
Developing the new electrochemical techniques to characterise the activity of transition metal-based catalysts under high mass transport conditions.
