Sustainability
Sustainability is an area of significant interest across all disciplines. In chemistry we are working towards the development of novel chemistries and technologies to enable a reduction in reliance on fossil fuel based materials as well as developing processes that emit less carbon dioxide.
We regularly collaborate with industry, for example in sustainable oxidation chemistries with Lubrizol, sustainable plastics research with Plastic Energy and 3D printing technologies with AstraZeneca. Some of the team are part of the newly founded £4.4M Loughborough led UKRI National Centre for Circular Chemical Economy.
Dr Benjamin Buckley
Reader in Synthetic Chemistry
Areas of interest
Synthetic CO2 Utilizationïelectrosynthesisïplasma chemistry; homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysisïsynthetic methodology
Recent Publication from the Buckley Group:
Harnessing Applied Potential: Selective β-Hydrocarboxylation of Substituted Olefins
A. Alkayal, V. Tabas, S. Montanaro, I. A. Wright, A. V. Malkov* and B. R. Buckley*
Professor Steve Christie
Professor of Chemical Technologies
Areas of interest
Additive manufacturing (3D printing) to make bespoke chemical reactors; in-line analysis; bioreactors; new technologies for sustainable plastics
Recent Publication from the Christie Group:
An open-source toolkit for 3D printed fluidics
A. J. N. Price, A. J. Capel, R. J. Lee, P. Patel and S. D. R. Christie*
Professor Sandie Dann
Professor in Materials Chemistry
Areas of interest
Synthesis of environmentally-friendly pigments; analysis of pharmaceutically important polymorphs of actives and excipients; synthesis and characterisation of complex oxides and sulfides; Magnetically isolated metal nanoclusters; Conductivity of complex sulfides; interaction of zeolite hosts with group 15/16 complexes.
Dr Antonio Fernandez-Mato
Lecturer in Inorganic Chemistry
Areas of interest
Porous materials including hydrogen bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) ; Nanopatterning of functionalised materials ; Sustainable chemistry including plastic recycling and materials recycling
Recent Publication from the Fernandez-Mato Group:
Self-Assembly of Catalytically Active Supramolecular Coordination Compounds within Metal–Organic Frameworks
R. Adam, M. Mon, R. Greco, L. H. G. Kalinke, A. Vidal-Moya, A. Fernandez*, R. E. P. Winpenny, A. Doménech-Carbó, A. Leyva-Pérez*, D Armentano*, E. Pardo*, and J. Ferrando-Soria*
Dr Simon Kondrat
Lecturer in Inorganic Chemistry
Areas of interest
Design of functional inorganic materials for use in the energy sector; heterogeneous catalyst preparation and to catalyst testing; X-ray and Neutron characterisation techniques.
Dr Martin Smith
Senior Lecturer in Inorganic Chemistry
Areas of interest
Phosphorus chemistry; ligand design and synthesis; Homogenous catalysis; Development of new chemosensors; Functional polymers for medical and energy based applications.