I joined ISIS as an instrument scientist on the backscattering instruments in 2015. IRIS and OSIRIS provide high resolution spectroscopic measurement of low energy transitions so can measure the rate and geometry of molecular motion. My research mainly deals with diffusion of organic material in zeolites and other materials.
After a Ph.D. at Edinburgh developing operando IR techniques to investigate microwave-heated catalysis, I began using neutrons in my first postdoc to characterise catalyst systems in 2007. This used inelastic scattering as a vibrational probe to complement IR and Raman in the investigation of catalyst deactivation through coking. Due to their highly absorbing nature, optical techniques are problematic with these materials. After another postdoc using in situ IR at Imperial College, I joined the UK Catalysis Hub at UCL to pursue neutron characterisation techniques for catalytic systems. This was based in the Research Complex at Harwell, and led to me using quasielastic and elastic neutron scattering measurements in addition to vibrational measurements in the inelastic energy range.
I aim to develop and support catalytic science, as well as fundamental and applied science on the quasielastic instruments and beyond. I am particularly interested in the development of novel equipment to develop in situ and operando measurement techniques to ensure data collection from catalytically relevant samples.
Selected publications:
Neutron Scattering in Catalysis and Energy Materials: Themed PCCP collection, edited with Stewart Parker and Richard Catlow Vol.18 (2016) No. 26
In Situ and Operando Measurement of Catalysts at Synchrotron X-Ray and Neutron Sources: Chapter in Modern Developments in Catalysis, World Scientific, 2017
Room temperature methoxylation in zeolites: insight into a key step of the methanol-to hydrocarbons process: Chem. Commun., 52 (2016) 2897
Experimental arrangements suitable for the acquisition of inelastic neutron scattering spectra of heterogeneous catalysts: Rev. Sci. Instrum. 82 (2011) 034101
Quantification of surface species present on a nickel/alumina methane reforming catalyst: Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 12 (2010) 3102
