Energy and Environment
Researchers
- Dr Bryan, Nicholas
- Prof Budd, Peter
- Dr Burton, Neil
- Prof Collison, David
- Prof Dryfe, Robert
- Dr Gorry, Peter
- Dr Heath, Sarah
- Dr Ingleson, Michael
- Dr Koehler, Sven
- Prof Livens, Francis
- Dr McDouall, Joseph
- Prof Muller-dethlefs, Klaus
- Dr Natrajan, Louise
- Dr O'malley, Patrick
- Prof Pimblott, Simon
- Dr Pritchard, Robin
- Dr Schroeder, Sven
- Dr Sharrad, Clint
- Dr Thomas, John
- Prof Turner, Michael
- Prof Turner, Prof Nicholas
- Prof Whitehead, Christopher
- Prof Yeates, Stephen
Research Theme Leader: Professor Francis Livens
Access to a plentiful supply of cheap, clean energy is perhaps the foremost challenge of the 21 century. The School of Chemistry regards this challenge as a research priority, and the challenge is the focus of considerable intellectual effort. The School has significant research portfolios in the fields of nuclear energy, of bioenergy sciences, and of carbon capture and hydrogen storage, heavily supported by the RCUK, by governmental bodies and by industry.
Research interest in the challenges of nuclear power production is primarily focused on the management, the disposition and ultimately the geological disposal of nuclear waste derived from the UK’s historic legacy of weapons production and from expanded nuclear power production in the future. The School houses the Centre for Radiochemistry Research (CRR), one of the BNFL University Research Alliances. This centre is the leader of a limit number of academic facilities able to work with radioactive materials. The effects of, and chemistry induced by, ionizing radiation are the focus of a collaborative research program initiated by the School of Chemistry, the Dalton Nuclear Institute (DNI) and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). This joint effort involves the construction of a bespoke facility in Cumbria, housing dedicated gamma ray and heavy ion irradiation facilities for a team of three academics from the School of Chemistry. Additional research streams involve the development of plasma techniques for the remediation of contaminated organic materials, and of carbon dust functionalisation to improve the disposal of radioactive graphite wastes.
Academics of the School of Chemistry play controlling roles in the research of the
Centre of Excellence for Biocatalysis Biotransformation and Biocatalytic Manufacture (CoEBio3). This centre, housed in the Manchester Interdisciplinary Biocentre (MIB), is the focus of a major white biotechnology research collaboration with Shell to develop biofuels. In parallel to the studies in CoEBio3, theoretical studies are considering the conversion of biomass to ethanol. Additional theoretical research in bioenergy sciences include investigations of solar energy conversion in Photosystem II. The production of biofuels from agricultural wastes and cellulose materials offers a route to high-energy-content fuels for transportation independent of external influences.
Current concerns over global warming and the release of gaseous carbon dioxide into the atmosphere have placed carbon sequestration and the development of molecular hydrogen as a clean fuel at the forefront of energy research challenges. Researchers in the Organic Materials Innovation Centre (OMIC) are investigating the use polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs) as carbon capture materials, while the Centre for Nanoporous Materials (CNM) has been funded to investigate the use of inorganic nanoporous systems for example for hydrogen storage.
A spin-off company, PlasmaClean, has been developed from Professor Christopher Whiteheads’s research in plasma chemistry. The company has a number of patents and licences relating to plasma-induced destruction of odorous materials.
Research in this area also supports the EPSRC Doctotal Training Centre in for Nuclear Fission Research, Science and Technology (Nuclear FiRST).