For the greener good

With growing concern for global warming and finite fossil fuels, an alternative source of energy is needed - Hydrogen is a potential candidate. A main source of hydrogen is from the fossil fuel methane! Therefore, alternative production is needed - this can be from crops to plant waste (biomass). This is where catalytic science is of vital importance. Almost every process within manufacturing, growing the food you eat, and limiting your car emissions, uses a catalyst. This talk will explore the joys of catalysis, the wonders of nanoscience, and the possibility of a clean carbon neutral future.

Moving away from traditional fuels is an important step towards using energy in a sustainable way. These should be replaced with fuels that are renewable, that result in the release of fewer damaging emissions and which do not produce other negative impacts. If successful, my work may allow bioethanol to be produced from food wastes, which will not require the use of dedicated farmland which is important as the increase in global population needs this land for food growth. Producing bioethanol in this way is fully renewable and results in fewer damaging carbon dioxide emissions.

Nanoparticles are tiny - around a thousand times smaller than the width of a hair! They come in a range of shapes and with various properties. Interactions between nanoparticles gives them the ability to self-organise or self-assemble. This can occur within liquids and on surfaces. This phenomenon is useful in a wide range of fields including energy storage, production and electronics. However, the mechanisms that govern this behaviour are poorly defined. My work aims to determine what factors affect nanoparticle deposition and pattern formation on surfaces.