Personal profile

Personal Statement

I graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2016 with an MChem with Study in Industry. I continued to study at Sheffield with a PhD in Chemistry (awarded 2020), researching metal-organic framework (MOF) nanosheets with Dr Jonathan Foster. I was then awarded an EPSRC Doctoral Prize to further develop scalable, continuous synthesis methods for these metal-organic materials, in conjunction with the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering.

In 2021, I took up an EPSRC-funded PDRA position at The University of Strathclyde, working on a collaborative project under Prof. Ashleigh Fletcher (Department of Chemical and Process Engineering) and Dr Iain Oswald (Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences). My main area of research is centred aroud the design and characterisation of flexible metal-organic frameworks, for CO2 capture and gas separation applications. I use a combination of diffraction, adsorption and spectroscopic techniques to try to understand the fundamental rules governing the behaviour of flexible framework materials.

Research Interests

My main research project centres around the characterisation of flexible metal organic frameworks (MOFs), to understand their structural response to external stimuli such as pressure, temperature and guest species. This knowledge allows design of materials towards applications such as CO2 capture, and gas separations.

My research is primarily split between using gravimetric and volumetric adsorption techniques to understand gas adsorption and selectivity rules, and high-pressure X-ray diffraction to characterise structural response to pressure, at an atomic level.

More broadly, I am interested in the rational design of MOFs with specific properties related to their intended end-use, synthesis methods thereof, and stimuli-responsive MOFs for applications across gas/liquid separation and catalysis.

Teaching Interests

I am currently involved with teaching 1st and 2nd year undergraduate tutorials.

CP101 - Basic Principles in Chemical Engineering
CP203 - Chemical Principles

Additionally, I am involved with developing and delivering otureach activities for primary/secondary school children to inspire and encourage interest in STEM subjects.

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy
  • SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
  • SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production

Education/Academic qualification

Doctor of Philosophy, PhD in Chemistry, University of Sheffield

1 Sept 20165 Dec 2019

Award Date: 2 Mar 2020

Master of Chemistry, MChem with Study in Industry, University of Sheffield

1 Oct 20121 Jul 2016

Award Date: 1 Jul 2016

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