The Energy research theme is a multi-disciplinary research team comprising physical, inorganic, organic and computational chemists collaborating within a vibrant research culture.

The group delivers high quality research from fundamental studies to real-world applications. Their research is driven by the depletion of conventional energy resources and the pressing need for sustainable alternatives and naturally has synergy with the sustainability theme and the centre for the science of materials. Working closely with physicists, mathematicians, computer scientists, materials scientists, social scientists, economists and engineers, they try to find effective solutions for complex issues in the energy sector.

The department of chemistry is part of the CDT in Hydrogen which is led at Loughborough by Professor Upal Wijayantha.

Human health covers a wide number of disciplines in chemistry this is also the case and research spans across all of the traditional disciplines. This ranges from analytical breath analysis to synthetic chemistry and synthetic methodology projects. Funding in this stream comes from a variety of funders, for example the recently funded NeuChip project funded by the EU.

This are covers a range of issues relating to our Security. Staff within this group seek out new methods and technologies to confront criminality. This is often in collaboration with industry e.g. the novel finger print technology “Recover” in collaboration with Foster+Freeman. In addition, significant EU funding has been secured to develop new approaches within rescue efforts for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) incidents.

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 £D 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.

Centres for Doctoral Training (CDT) integrate PhD research and an enhanced research training package into a four-year integrated programme. The Department of Chemistry is part of the new EPSRC Centre for Sustainable Hydrogen (SusHY) in partnership with Nottingham, Birmingham and Ulster.