Our research

Solar redox flow battery (SRFB) is a combination of a redox flow battery (RFB) and a photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell, which may be fully integrated into a single cell or separated into an RFB and a PEC charging component. In this way, the SRFB converts solar energy into a storable electrochemical fuel that can later be converted into electricity. Our research focus is on SRFB’s thermo- and photo-electrochemical behaviour under dynamic operating conditions. For more information about our research, please email our team:

Taking advantage of the temperature dependence of the redox couples, it is possible to store heat directly into electrical energy. An interesting feature of this TREC-applied redox flow battery is its function as a waste-heat harnessing. We aim to provide an innovative breakthrough for maximising the heat conversion efficiency of the RFB with TREC by introducing redox couples with high thermogalvanic coefficients. For more information about our research, please email our team:

In general, alkaline water electrolysis (AWE) requires ca. 1 hour for the ramping-up, which hinders its wider implementation. Our intended solution is to introduce a chemically resistant solar thermal collector, providing a heated electrolyte to increase the reactivity and reduce the ramp-up time. Our proof-of-concept AWE integrated with the solar-thermal collector produced 70% more H2 than a conventional system for the first one hour. For more information about our research, please email our team:

This research project investigates the temperature sensitivity of catalytic kinetics, exploring whether it can be managed through the geometry of transition metal oxides. To understand the underlying mechanism, we will develop binary and ternary metal oxide catalysts and analyse changes in their surface bonding structure at elevated temperatures. This two-year collaborative project (TECHydro; 2025-2027) is supported by UKRI STFC and brings together researchers from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, and the Technical University of Kenya as core partners.