Research Overview

I am a Senior Lecturer in Physics, Director of the Lancaster IsoLab, and head of Lancaster XPS. I lead the Atomic Imaging and Surface Chemistry group at Lancaster University, where my research is driven by the desire to explore fundamental phenomena using atomic scale imaging and molecular assembly, and to address major challenges in translating functional 2D and 3D molecular materials into real-world environments. My research spans funded projects addressing fundamental surface science, molecular electronics, thermoelectric green energy materials, single atom catalysts, green hydrogen generation, antiviral and antifouling surfaces, and atomically engineered 2D materials.

We have recently been awarded a major £7M project for "Quantum engineering of energy-efficient molecular materials (QMol)" led from Lancaster University, in collaboration with researchers at Imperial College London, Oxford University, Liverpool University, and STFC https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/news/7m-award-for-quantum-engineering-of-energy-efficient-organic-smart-materials

Facilities available in our group include ultra-high vacuum (UHV) molecular deposition, solution self-assembly, 2D material fabrication, atomic resolution atomic force microscopy (AFM), nanomechanical and conductive AFM, scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and X-ray standing wave studies (XSW) at the national Diamond Light Source synchrotron facility.

Career Details

To date I have received two fellowships and funding totalling £3.05M as either PI or Co-I from EPSRC, the EU, the Leverhulme Trust, and Royal Society, in addition to a recent £7M EPSRC Programme Grant award. My work has featured in major public outreach events including the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition (2017, 2018, 2019) and New Scientist Live (Art of Isolation, 2019), generating media coverage translated into 20 languages with a reach of over 100M. My research has been recognised through multiple awards including a 2013 thesis prize, a 2014 Young Scientist Award, and in 2019 I received two awards for Research Impact and was short-listed for the Times Higher Education award for `STEM project of the year'.

PhD Supervision Interests

Competitively funded projects are available in the areas of: 1) Surface chemistry and single atom catalysis. 2) Directed assembly of 2D molecular structures. 3) Scanning probe microscopy in ultra-low noise environments. 4) Thermoelectric energy materials for waste heat recovery. 5) Atomic scale characterisation of 2D materials for quantum technology. Please contact me if you are interested in working on a PhD project. We are always happy to hear from enthusiastic students. Funding, where available, will be awarded on a competitive basis.