Centre for Sustainable Engineering

News

Winner Sarina Mathew, from the Intercalated BSc

Undergraduate Students' research project posters win prizes at ILF March 2024

18 March 2024

Students from across the School of Engineering and Materials Science, including the Queen Mary Centre for Undergraduate Research (QMCUR), third year BEng students, and the Intercalated BSc in Bioengineering presented their research projects at the Industrial Liaison Forum on 6th March 2024. All students engaged in lively discussion with our academics … [more]

Dr Paul Balcombe

Queen Mary University of London researcher receives UKRI funding for methane monitoring project

13 March 2024

Dr Paul Balcombe has secured £750,000 in funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) for his project on improving methane monitoring. Dr Balcombe, a Senior Lecturer in Chemical Engineering and Renewable Energy at Queen Mary University of London's School of Engineering and Materials Science, will lead the project titled '… [more]

Prof Ana Sobrido with Prof Nunez Coello, who supervised Ana's final year research project in 2004.

Prof Ana Sobrido Gives a Keynote Talk at the IIWPECE in Spain

19 February 2024

Prof Ana Sobrido gave a keynote talk on her group's research in 'Approaches to enhance photoelectrochemical performance of hematite towards the water oxidation reaction' at the II Workshop on Materials for Photocatalysis, Energy and Clean Environment (IIWPECE). This research has led to publications in Nanoscale (2021) and JACS (2023). The IIWPECE … [more]

British Conference for Undergraduate Research

Triple success with three SEMS student projects accepted for presentation at prestigious British Conference for Undergraduate Research

16 February 2024

Three SEMS undergraduate student research projects have been accepted for presentation at the prestigious UK-wide British Conference for Undergraduate Research, being hosted by the London School of Economics (LSE). The students who will be presenting at the conference are Barbaros Zeren and Yash Vaghela, both first year students supervised by … [more]

Dr Wei Tan giving a talk at DTU

Dr Wei Tan presents latest research on Leading Edge Erosion of Wind Turbines at International Symposium

13 February 2024

Dr Wei Tan presented his research on 'Mechanics-guided material design for leading-edge erosion' during the 5th International Symposium at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). Leading-edge erosion, caused by environmental factors such as rain, hail, and debris, poses a significant threat to the performance and reliability of wind turbine blades. … [more]

MIT visitors and Ana Sobrido's team members involved in the Royal Society International Exchanges project enjoying a traditional pub meal.

Team from MIT visit SEMS for Royal Society International Exchange Project

2 February 2024

A team from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), led by Prof Brushett, recently visited Queen Mary for a two week period as part of an exchange project funded by The Royal Society. Running from 2022, and finishing this year, the project seeks to improve upon one of the performance-determining components of … [more]

Prof Joe Briscoe and Ana Karen Zitter at Lightsource BP's London HQ

Professor Joe Briscoe gives talk at Lightsource BP on perovskite solar cells

31 January 2024

Professor Joe Briscoe was invited to give a talk at Lightsource BP - a global leader in solar development, management and operations - to give his perspective on the exciting and fast-moving area of perovskite solar cells. Prof Briscoe gave an overview of the fundamentals, potential advantages, applications and challenges … [more]

Dr Michael Thielke (QMUL) presented his work on sustainable electrodes for flow batteries.

Queen Mary Hosts Workshop on Redox Flow Batteries

25 January 2024

QMUL held a workshop on Redox Flow Batteries, a key player in the transition to a sustainable and net zero future for energy technologies. The event was hosted by Prof Ana Sobrido and her team. Dr Mauricio Murillo took the lead for the organisation of the space, talks, poster presentations … [more]

Proud to be an Engineer

Engineers Celebrate Athena Swan Success

18 January 2024

Gender equality recognised by Athena Swan Bronze Award First recognised in 2010, the School has now had this award conferred for another five years until 2029, where the conditions were met "directly and fully". The Athena Swan Charter works across the globe to support and transform gender equality in Higher … [more]

SEMS staff recognised at the awards were from left to right: Paul, Sanaa, Wei and Irene all being congratulated by James Busfield.

SEMS Staff Recognised at the Annual Science and Engineering Faculty Celebration

13 December 2023

SEMS staff were recognised at the Annual Faculty of Science and Engineering Celebration on the 13th December 2023. Irene Prieto Reina was awarded the Professional Services Excellence Award. Wei Tan was awarded the Research Excellence Award. Sanaa Hafeez was awarded the Student Experience and Education Award. Paul Balcombe was awarded the … [more]

Shafique Ahmed and Haixue Yan being presented with the Pfeil Award by the IOM3 president Kate Thornton

Shafique Ahmed and Haixue Yan Presented with the Pfeil Award by the IOM3

7 December 2023

Congratulations to Shafique Ahmed and Haixue Yan and their co-authors: Chunxiao Song, Jiyue Wu & Bo Li on their research paper, "Temperature dependence in ageing process in commercial zirconia dental ceramics" which has received the esteemed IOM3 Pfeil Awardfrom the IOM3. The research sheds light on the behaviour … [more]

Staff present to receive their awards included in the front row from left to right: Mouna, Henri, Irene, Neil, Maria, Ji & Angela. At the back on camera: Saqib and Faith.

SEMS Annual Awards Announced

6 December 2023

At the end of the staff meeting on the 6th December 2023, we hosted our annual SEMS prize celebration. We had a large number of nominations this year and the awards were spread across the entire SEMS community. The Team of the Year for 2023 was the Teaching Fellow / Teaching Associate Team … [more]

James and William completing the pre-breakfast ACS Fun Run in Ohio earlier in the year.

William Kyei-Manu from James Busfield's Soft Matter Group passes his PhD exam

6 December 2023

William Kyei-Manu has become the latest member of James Busfield's Soft Matter Group to pass his PhD exam. William completed his PhD viva on the 6th December 2023 defending a thesis entitled, "Carbon Black Reinforcement of Tyre Tread Compounds." His external examiner, Prof Ian Kinloch from Manchester University … [more]

Schematic representation of spin selective transport of electrons

Sobrido's Group publish new paper on 'Electron Spin Selective Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Evolution Reaction'

5 December 2023

Highly efficient electrocatalysts are crucial to the widespread commercialisation of water electrolysis technology and an important step forward toward a sustainable energy future. The Sobrido Group's Dr Carlos Mingoes, in collaboration with Dr Schroeder from UCL led a study published in ACS Materials to boost the electrocatalytic activity for … [more]

Dr Paul Balcombe chats to Professor Tim Bale

Dr Paul Balcombe discusses his research in chemical engineering and renewable energy with Prof Tim Bale ahead of COP28

30 November 2023

In a new mini-interview series considering the question 'How can we save planet Earth?', Queen Mary experts sit down with Prof Tim Bale to discuss how their work with communities around the world can address the climate crisis. In the first video of the series, SEMS' Dr Paul Balcombe talks … [more]

Many colleagues from SEMS attended the celebration including Olly Fenwick, Thomas Iskratsch, Karin Hing and Wei Tan being congratulated in the photo by Martin, Wen and James.

SEMS team recognised at QMUL Academic Promotions Event

21 November 2023

On 21st November QMUL hosted an event to celebrate the staff who have been promoted in the most recent academic promotion rounds. As we reported back in September, this was a very successful outcome for SEMS with 12 of our colleagues being promoted across all the different academic grades, reflecting the … [more]

Emma Sadler with Dr Oliver Fenwick

Emma Sadler wins the PDRA prize at the 2023 SEMS ILF Research Showcase

15 November 2023

At the SEMS recent research led Industrial Liaison Forum, there were nine Postdoctoral Research Associate (PRDA) flash presentations. The session was of great interest to faculty, PDRAs, students and attending industrialists alike. After careful deliberation panel of judges awarded the following prize: Emma Sadler for a presentation on 'Superhydrophobic Surfaces: … [more]

From top left: Francisco Rubén Parra-Perea, Laura Forster and Yuan Zhang, with Dr Oliver Fenwick.

Award Winning Research Students in 2023 SEMS ILF Research Showcase

14 November 2023

At the recent SEMS research-led Industrial Liaison Forum, there was a showcase from 60 of our current PhD students. The panel of judges this year were made up a wide range of early career researchers (Dr Luis Murillo Herrera, Mr Eugenio Sebastian Suena Galindez, Dr Clemence Nadal, Dr Oliver Brookes and … [more]

Five students the SMG plus James and two former group members Leihao Chen and Yinping Tao (and one of Yinping's students) at the IRC 2023 conference banquet in China.

Two Soft Matter Group students William Kyei-Manu and Evangelos Koliolios both win awards at the International Rubber Conference 2023

10 November 2023

The latest International Rubber Conference 2023 has recently completed in China. Five of James Busfield's Soft Matter Group presented their work. At the closing ceremony two of the group were amongst the five students awarded prizes for their presentations. The winners were William Kyei-Manu and Evangelos Koliolios who won awards for … [more]

SEMS students at Teledyne e2v

Undergraduate Engineers Visit Teledyne e2v

9 November 2023

Fifteen SEMS students were hosted at Teledyne e2v in Chelmsford as part of our Industrial Site Visits Programme for undergraduate engineering students. Teledyne is a leader in semiconductor devices, full spectrum imaging and high-power radio frequency solutions. They are present in virtually all markets and industries from medical … [more]

The SEMS Research Showcase at the Industrial Liaison Forum

SEMS Industrial Liaison Forum, November 2023

8 November 2023

We were pleased to once again hold the bi-annual Industrial Liaison Forum live in-person at Queen Mary University of London on 8th November 2023 in the People's Palace. The event was well attended by staff and students as well as industrialists. The day was broken up into five parts, starting … [more]

SEMS Systems Engineering Industrial Advisory Board inaugural meeting

Queen Mary forms a new Industrial Advisory Board on Systems Engineering

31 October 2023

The School of Engineering and Materials Science (SEMS) at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) has established a new Industrial Advisory Board (IAB) on Systems Engineering in October 2023 to ensure that the School’s Systems Engineering programmes meet the international standards and needs of industry, and the School students … [more]

Schematic representation of a solar flow battery used in Sobrido's group for direct storage of solar  energy.

Ana Sobrido Shortlisted for the 2023 Journal of Materials Chemistry Lectureship

25 October 2023

Prof Ana Sobrido has been shortlisted for this year's Journal of Materials Chemistry Lectureship Award for her work on solar flow batteries, a niche technology able to directly store solar energy and use it to photocharge a battery. The Journal of Materials Chemistry annual lectureship honours researchers who have … [more]

Queen Mary Professorial Strategic Hires

Queen Mary Professorial Strategic Hires

18 October 2023

Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) is recruiting 10 full Professors to establish their research groups at the University. These permanent academic positions will further strengthen our rapidly expanding, world-leading research following an excellent performance in the latest UK Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021) in which QMUL was ranked 7th in the … [more]

Upcycled materials from waste

Material Matters exhibition shows new batteries and pressure sensors developed from tyre wear particles

20 September 2023

Upcycled materials created by our Material for Sustainability Research Group, in collaboration with The Tyre Collective, have gone on display at a high-profile exhibition in London's Oxo Tower. Dr Maria Crespo-Ribadeneyra led a collaboration with the start-up, where batteries and pressure sensors were created from waste tyre wear particles. … [more]

Announcement of new Honorary Members of the European Society for Biomaterials

Professor Liz Tanner made an Honorary Member of the European Society for Biomaterials

7 September 2023

Professor Liz Tanner has been elected an Honorary Member of the European Society for Biomaterials (ESB) at their conference in Davos Switzerland. According to the Statutes of the ESB "Honorary membership can be awarded to any person who has given the Society particularly meritorious services or who has … [more]

Plenary talk at the Henry Royce Institute National Conference.

Ana Sobrido gives an Invited Talk at the Royce National Conference 2023

7 September 2023

Prof Sobrido gave a talk at the Henry Royce Institute National Conference held at the University of Manchester (6th-7th September) on her group's research work on sustainable materials for flow batteries. Flow batteries are a type of stationary energy storage technology where chemical energy is … [more]

ERC Starting Grant

Dr Wei Tan wins £1.2m grant to develop 'self-healing' materials

5 September 2023

Dr Wei Tan has been awarded a prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant for ambitious research which focuses on self-healing engineering materials. Dr Tan, a Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering at the School of Engineering and Materials Science, has been awarded with £1.2m towards his project, titled: Life-like … [more]

The distribution of lithium concentration is indicated by colours during the charging process of a graphite negative electrode

Study that promises faster charging of electric vehicles published in Nature Communications

31 August 2023

A new study led by Dr Xuekun Lu has found a way to prevent lithium plating in electric vehicle batteries, which could lead to faster charging and safer electric cars. The paper has been published in Nature Communications. Lithium plating is a phenomenon that can occur in lithium ion batteries … [more]

Professor Sir Colin Humphreys
CBE, FREng, FRS, BSc, MA, PhD, Hon DSc, FIMMM, FInstP, FCGI, Hon FRMS

Sir Colin Humphreys appears on BBC Radio 4's "The Life Scientific"

29 August 2023

On Tuesday 29th August Professor Sir Colin Humphreys was Professor Jim Al-Khalili's guest on the BBC Radio 4 programme "The Life Scientific". Colin discussed his work as a materials scientist and engineer, his use of electron microscopy and of course about his work on graphene, the world's … [more]

Design Multifunctional Shape-Morphing Materials

Researchers Create Multifunctional Shape-Morphing Composite Materials Inspired by Kirigami

21 August 2023

Exciting news from the collaborative efforts of researchers at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and University of Nottingham (UoN) has brought about a novel development in shape-morphing structures. Led by Dr. Wei Tan (QMUL) and Dr. Mingchao Liu (NTU, currently at University of Birmingham), the … [more]

KRUK news highlight

SEMS researchers win first Kidney Research UK MedTech Competition

9 August 2023

Kidney Research UK (KRUK) launched its first MedTech competition recently, specifically designed to support the use of technology to improve patients’ lives. This new approach to investing in innovative research is designed to help researchers learn the necessary steps to get their products from concept to patients. A shortlist … [more]

In the photo from left to right are Visiting Professor Keizo Akutagawa, Eduardo, James, Anureet, Travis and SEMS research assistant William Kyei-Manu.

Three more PhD students join the role of honour for the Soft Matter Group in SEMS

25 July 2023

At the graduation ceremony on the 25th July 2023, three more PhD students graduated from James Busfield’s Soft Matter Group at QMUL. Dr Anureet Kaur completed her Phd on a self-healing elastomers funded by Weir Group, Dr Travis Hohenberger completed his PhD on leak prediction in high pressure seals … [more]

In situ photocatalytically enhanced thermogalvanic cells for electricity and hydrogen production

Collaboration with NPU Results in a Publication in Science

20 July 2023

A collaboration led by NPU's academic Prof Xuanhua Li in collaboration with Dr Ana Sobrido has resulted in a publication in Science, In situ photocatalytically enhanced thermogalvanic cells for electricity and hydrogen production. In thermogalvanic cells, temperature-driven concentration gradients of redox active species can lead to a potential difference … [more]

Students and staff with last year's Aston Martin F1 car

School of Engineering and Materials Science students visit Aston Martin F1

13 July 2023

A group of 15 SEMS students visited the new Aston Martin F1 team at Silverstone a few days before the British Grand Prix. The visit was a part of the Make a Mark Day at the AMR Technology Campus, which aimed to inspire the next generation and showcase STEM career opportunities … [more]

Thomas briefing the team for the rocket launching

Let's Move to the Moon!

12 July 2023

The School of Engineering and Materials Science (SEMS) is dedicated to promoting the field of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) among the next generation of scientists and engineers. As part of their ongoing outreach efforts, SEMS staff and students delivered a unique activity to inspire students about the future possibilities … [more]

Stock image of seaweed

"Electronic skin" from bio-friendly materials can track human vital signs with ultrahigh precision

28 June 2023

Queen Mary University and University of Sussex researchers have used materials inspired by molecular gastronomy to create smart wearables that surpassed similar devices in terms of strain sensitivity They integrated graphene into seaweed to create nanocomposite microcapsules for highly tunable and sustainable epidermal electronics. When assembled into networks, the tiny … [more]

Celebrating International Women In Engineering Day

Celebrating the Inspiring Women Engineers at QMUL

23 June 2023

On International Women in Engineering Day on 23 June 2023, we celebrate the remarkable accomplishments of Women In Engineering worldwide, who tirelessly contribute to improving and saving lives. This year, we turn our attention to the exceptional female engineers at the School of Engineering and Materials Science. These women embody the qualities … [more]

Carlos after passing his PhD viva with supervisor Ana Jorge Sobrido and examiners Guanjie He and Oliver Fenwick

Carlos Mingoes passes his PhD Viva

1 June 2023

Carlos defended his PhD project on the 1st June 2023 and passed with very minor corrections - well done Carlos, many congratulations! His PhD studied the electron spin selectivity through chirality and probed the effect of electrons spin selectivity on oxygen evolution reaction. Carlos was supervised by Dr Ana Jorge Sobrido. [more]

SEMS Logo

Success in Faculty of Science and Engineering's BAME Undergraduate Research Internships

24 May 2023

The School of Engineering and Materials Science (SEMS) has been successful in securing a BAME undergraduate research studentship for a summer internship research project to be undertaken by first year BEng Mechanical Engineering student Mr Ismail Moalin, under the joint supervision of Dr Rehan Shah and Prof Henri Huijberts from … [more]

From left to right: Dr Wei Tan (staff), Dr Yinping Tao (alumni), Afni Restasari (PhD), Rattapong Numard (PhD), Dr Menglong Huang (alumni), Dr Khai Nguyen (alumni), Dr Hediyeh Zahabi (alumni), Eathan Plaschka (PhD), Dr Lewis Tunnicliffe (alumni), Dr Sara Naderizadeh (PDRA), Dr Anureet Kaur (alumni and PDRA), Prof James Busfield (alumni and staff), William Amoako Kyei-Manu (PhD), Dr Ben Alcock (alumni), Kirsty Rutherford (PhD), Prof Keizo Akutagawa (alumni and staff), Evangelos Koliolios (PhD), Aaron Duncan (PhD). Missing from the photo was Dr Katz Tsunoda (alumni).

Soft Matter Group at RubberCon 2023 in Edinburgh

11 May 2023

The largest ever group of Soft Matter Group members and former members joined together to participate in RubberCon 2023. This global conference on Elastomer Materials was held in Edinburgh from the 9-11th May. With more than 300 international delegates the event was the largest rubber conference in the UK since the … [more]

Energy efficient out-of-oven manufacturing of natural fibre composites, with integrated multifunctionalities

No ovens? No problems! - Scientists develop extremely energy efficient manufacturing method for natural fibre composites

4 May 2023

No more worries about high energy bills for composites manufacturing! Materials scientists at Queen Mary University of London have developed an innovative and energy-efficient method to manufacture natural fibre composites without the need for conventional ovens. This out-of-oven method is based on a smart nanocomposite film that heats and cures … [more]

Moisture-induced degradation of composite materials

Queen Mary Researchers develop a new model to understand the moisture-induced degradation of composite materials, impacting the offshore energy community.

25 April 2023

Exciting news! Our latest research on environmental-assisted modelling of composite materials has just been published in a top-tier journal: Engineering with Computers (Q1, IF=8.083). Due to their high strength-to-weight ratios and corrosion resistance, lightweight composite materials have found widespread use in aerospace, wind, and marine structural applications. However, these materials … [more]

Andrew Pemberton (Present Elect, INCOSE UK) and Graham Herries (Chair of Innovation and Skills, IET) delivering keynotes.

SEMS runs first Industrial Workshop on Systems Engineering: toward sustainable digital systems

24 April 2023

SEMS' Systems Engineering team - led by Dr Mohammad Hassannezhad - ran an industrial workshop with focus on digital transformation, sustainability and skill gaps, on 24 April at QM's Digital Environment Research Institute (DERI). The workshop brought together a group of 17 industry practitioners from 14 different companies in eight … [more]

Ana giving a talk at CIC energiGUNE

Ana Sobrido presents research on electrospun carbon electrodes for redox flow batteries at CIC energiGUNE

19 April 2023

Ana Sobrido presented her work on electrospun carbon electrodes for redox flow batteries as part of her UKRI FLF at CIC energiGUNE, in Vitoria, Basque Country, Spain. In her talk, Ana shared her research group's latest findings on how to optimise the microstructure of self-supporting electrospun carbon fibre electrodes … [more]

The full-scale James Webb Space Telescope model at South by Southwest in Austin

Engineering the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) - the largest optical telescope in space

17 April 2023

In a seminar at Queen Mary, NASA’s Dr Raymond Ohl explained what makes the JWST’s architecture so unique. Dr Ohl has worked on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) project at the Goddard Space Flight Center in various roles for about 20 years. He was invited by … [more]

The team representatives wining the award

Hyperlink team wins Bright Network award

9 March 2023

The Hyperlink student team wins the Innovation Award by Bright Network for their innovative solutions of developing a hyperloop transport technology. The student team is based at the School of Engineering and Materials Science at Queen Mary University of London and has student members from other schools as the School … [more]

Dr Han Zhang with Dr Nattakan Soykeabkaew (right) and her group members (Phattharasaya Rattanawongkun, Supattra Klayya) at Mae Fah Luang University

Queen Mary University of London and Mae Fah Luang University join forces to tackle waste reduction and promote sustainable development in Thailand

27 February 2023

Queen Mary University of London and Mae Fah Luang University in Thailand have announced the success of their collaboration to address waste reduction and promote sustainable development, which was initially funded by Queen Mary Global Challenge Research Fund and British Council Newton Institutional Link programme. In February 2023, Dr. Han Zhang … [more]

Biomass particles (in grey) and network of pores contained within (in light blue). Credit: Diamond Light Source.

Burnt nut shells in water filters shown to cut E. coli by 96%: Dr Roberto Volpe's research features in Daily Telegraph

20 February 2023

Ground-breaking work lights a path for environmental applications as charcoal made from burnt nut shells could help eradicate superbugs from hospital wastewater, experts believe Dr Roberto Volpe and his team at Queen Mary University of London and University College London in collaboration with the UK’s national synchrotron, Diamond … [more]

Schematic illustrations of easy-repairing composites with enhanced mechanical performance.

The latest research on multifunctional composites at Queen Mary featured by Materials Today

9 February 2023

"Old approach promises new self-healing composites" The latest research on multifunctional composites at Queen Mary is featured by Materials Today, explaining how one can revamp an "old" approach in composite manufacturing into a "new" smart composite with integrated easy-repairing capability. By simply applying heat … [more]

Professor Sir Harry Bhadeshia

A Q&A with Professor Sir Harry Bhadeshia: "I discovered that steel is complicated."

30 January 2023

Professor Sir Harry Bhadeshia will deliver his inaugural lecture at Queen Mary Presents on 8 February 2023. Queen Mary Presents is a new programme which ensures that everyone, everywhere, can be part of Queen Mary’s discussions. From question and answer sessions, to panel discussions and podcasts, we aim to provide … [more]

Proposed mechanism and optimised structures of reaction intermediates for the oxygen evolution reaction of sIr/hematite photoelectrocatalyst system.

Single Atom Iridium on Hematite for Solar Water Splitting: Catalyst or Spectator? SEMS Leads an Innovative Study that Brings New Understanding on the Processes Controlling Solar Water Oxidation

12 January 2023

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) on hematite photoanodes are efficient co-catalysts to boost photoelectrochemical performance. However, the specific role of SACs on hematite photoanodes is not fully understood yet: Do SACs behave as a catalytic site or a spectator? By combining spectroscopic experiments and computer simulations, a research led by Ana Sobrido … [more]

A group of PhD student and staff celebrating in the Octagon after the graduation ceremony

SEMS' Winter Graduation

6 January 2023

The winter graduation ceremony returned to the Great Hall on the Mile End campus once again 2023. The venue was filled with a cast of hundreds of SEMS graduates and their families and friends. The largest cohort was made up our MSc students from last year, but there was a good … [more]

Salvatore at the 2022 Special & Publication Awards Lunch Reception

Salvatore Grasso and co-authors presented with the Pfeil award by the IOM3

4 January 2023

Salvatore Grasso and co-authors including Theo Saunders were presented with the Pfeil award by the IOM3. The Pfeil Award is presented annually for published work of particular merit in the field of ceramics. Eligible papers must be published 2 years before the award is presented in a relevant IOM3 Journal, … [more]

Han Zhang being Presented the Silver Medal and Prize of the IOM3

Han Zhang is presented the Silver Medal and Prize by the IOM3

2 January 2023

Han was presented with the Silver Medal and Prize at an Awards Ceremony at the IOM3 on the 8th December 2022. The Silver Medal is a Premier award for an early career researcher making an outstanding contribution within the materials field. The award was given in recognition of Han’s … [more]

Dimitrios Papageorgiou being Presented the Rosenhain Medal

Dimitrios Papageorgiou is presented the Rosenhain Medal and Prize by the IOM3

1 January 2023

Dimitrios was presented with the Rosenhain Medal at an Awards Ceremony at the IOM3 on the 8th December 2022. The Rosenhain Medal and Prize is a highly competitive award that recognises distinguished achievement in any branch of materials science. The award was given in recognition of Dimitrios’ research which has … [more]

Qinrong celebrating after her viva with some of the research group

Qinrong He passes her PhD viva!

15 December 2022

Congratulations to Qinrong He of Dr Joe Briscoe's group who passed her PhD viva on 15th December 2022! Thanks to internal examiner Dr Dimitrios Papageorgiou, and external examiner Dr Hamideh Khanbareh of the University of Bath. Qinrong's thesis was entitled "Design and development of fibre-based piezoelectric energy harvesters&… [more]

Kirsty (in the middle) receiving her first prize at the IRC2022 closing ceremony

Kirsty Rutherford wins the IRCO Prize at IRC2022

5 December 2022

The latest International Rubber Conference 2022 recently completed in India. Five of James Busfield's Soft Matter Group presented their work there. At the closing ceremony one of the group, Kirsty Rutherford, took home the IRCO Best Student Presentation Award for her paper on "The development of a robust method … [more]

Dr Tom Macdonald

Queen Mary academic secures University Research Fellowship from the Royal Society

30 November 2022

Dr Tom Macdonald, an 1851 Research Fellow in the School of Engineering and Materials Science at Queen Mary University of London, is one of 50 successful recipients of the Royal Society’s University Research Fellowship (URF) for 2022. The Royal Society research fellows will work on research projects spanning the physical, mathematical, … [more]

Visitors from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals

SEMS hosts visit from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals

28 November 2022

SEMS hosted a visit from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) on Monday 28th November. They were lead by the Assistant Cultural Attaché from the Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and by Professor AlKharoubi, KFUPM. The group were a total of 24 students and staff from … [more]

Electrospinning process for electrode fabrication

To switch to renewables, we need better energy storage

15 November 2022

Ana Jorge Sobrido explains why she works on Sustainable Electrodes for Redox Flow Batteries The dual energy and climate crises have increased global focus on renewable energy generation through wind and solar: the need for low cost, efficient energy storage is greater now than ever. Even before the present gas … [more]

Photoelectrochemical calcium ion sensor based on hematite nanorods

Hematite nanorods – a promising material for photoelectrochemical sensing and imaging

10 November 2022

Hydrothermally grown hematite nanorods have been shown to be an excellent substrate for photoelectrochemical imaging and sensing. The material displayed enhanced photocurrent compared to hematite films, good stability, excellent spatial resolution and good sensitivity to pH. Coupling the hematite nanorods with a thin calcium ion selective PVC membrane, we obtained … [more]

Ana with a summary of her FLF research done by artist Vanessa Damianou.

Ana participates in the Crucible Programme Workshop in Wetherby

10 November 2022

Ana Jorge Sobrido participated in the two-day residential crucible programme organised by FLF Development Network, at the Wood Hall Hotel in Wetherby. The programme is designed to foster collaborations between researchers and introduce new ways of thinking and working, to form interdisciplinary, cross-sector networks between researchers who normally … [more]

Research showcase

SEMS November Industrial Liaison Forum including PhD Research Showcase and and Student Awards

9 November 2022

We were pleased to once again hold the bi-annual Industrial Liaison Forum live in-person at Queen Mary University of London on 9th November 2022 in the Octagon. The event was well attended by staff and students as well as industrialists. The day was broken up into five parts, starting in the … [more]

Prize winners

November Prize-giving for SEMS' Taught Students

9 November 2022

At the Industrial Liaison Forum on 9th November 2022, we celebrated the achievements of some of our best taught students. Over 20 prizes were awarded by the School. These were awarded across subject and year groups and included "Academic Achievement Prizes as well as "Best Project Prizes". One "… [more]

ECOTOOL to develop energy efficient composite tooling, a new Synergy Promotion project funded by the EPSRC Future Composites Manufacturing Hub

New EPSRC project launched to develop energy efficient composite tooling

13 October 2022

As one of the three new Synergy Promotion projects funded by the EPSRC Future Composites Manufacturing Hub, the project entitled “Energy Efficient Composite Tooling with Integrated Self-Regulating Heating and Curing Capabilities based on Recycled Composite Waste (ECOTOOL)” led by Queen Mary University of London has been launched with … [more]

Anureet and James at the Conference Dinner at ECCMR in Milan

Anureet Kaur successfully completes her PhD in the Soft Matter Group

27 September 2022

Anureet Kaur has become the latest member of James Busfield's Soft Matter Group to pass their PhD exam. Anureet completed her PhD viva on the 27th September defending a thesis entitled, " Development of Self-healing and Recyclable Elastomers." Anureet was also supervised by Julien Gautrot and Gabriel Cavalli. … [more]

Single Crystal Perovskite Optical Fibre

First single-crystal organometallic perovskite optical fibres

24 September 2022

Due to their very high efficiency in transporting electric charges from light, perovskites are known as the next generation material for solar panels and LED displays. We now have invented a brand-new application of perovskites as optical fibres. The results are published in Science Advances. Optical fibres are tiny wires … [more]

Mike Keeble presenting the Henry Clifton Sorby Award in New Orleans to Professor Sir Harry Bhadeshia

Professor Sir Harry Bhadeshia is awarded the Henry Clifton Sorby Award

13 September 2022

The International Metallographic Society awarded Professor Sir Harry Bhadeshia the Henry Clifton Sorby Award. It is awarded annually to an "internationally recognised figure for lifetime achievement in the fields of metallography and materials science". It is the highest honour presented by the International Metallographic Society and was presented … [more]

UK RFB Network Committee - Dr Ana J Sobrido, Dr Kathryn Toghill and Dr Declan Bryans

UK Redox Flow Battery Network Annual Meeting Hosted at Queen Mary University of London

11 July 2022

The 6th Annual Meeting of the UK Redox Flow Battery Network  (UKRFBN) took place on the 11th July 2022. This year the event was held at Queen Mary University of London and hosted by Ana Jorge Sobrido, who is an active member of the UKRFBN Committee. Around 80 people registered … [more]

Participants of the EPSRC-supported workshop on the future of Electrochemistry

Ana Jorge Sobrido Participates in EPSRC-supported Workshop on the Future of Electrochemistry in the UK

7 July 2022

Organised by Prof Dryfe (University of Manchester), Prof Katherine Holt (University College London), Dr Mark Symes (University of Glasgow) and Dr Upul Wijayantha (Loughborough University), this stimulating event gathered around 40 academics from UK institutions working on topics with a significant electrochemistry component to debate current challenges of the area and … [more]

A diagram of a redox flow battery. Credit: Ana Sobrido

Queen Mary partners with the Faraday Institution to power up redox flow batteries  

1 June 2022

Queen Mary’s Dr Ana Jorge Sobrido will lead a project to overcome engineering issues that are currently preventing the wide-spread adoption of redox flow batteries (RFBs).    RFBs are emerging as a crucial technology for the transition to renewable energy, since their large capacity can help to … [more]

Dr Han Zhang joins the EPSRC Early Career Forum in Manufacturing Research

Queen Mary University of London scientist appointed to the EPSRC Early Career Forum in Manufacturing Research

1 February 2022

Dr Han Zhang, Senior Lecturer at the School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London, has been appointed as the member of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Early Career Forum (ECF) in Manufacturing Research in late 2021. The EPSRC ECF in Manufacturing Research aims to … [more]

Solar energy and wind power stations. Credit: iStock.com

Scientists create stable materials for more efficient solar cells

15 December 2021

Crystalline silicon is the most widely used material for solar cells. However, over the last decade, perovskite solar cells, made from metal halide perovskite materials, have shown promise to make cheaper, and potentially more efficient solar cells than silicon. But whilst perovskite solar cells can now compete in terms of … [more]

Energy Law Institute

Dr Joe Briscoe contributes to COP26 special edition of Queen Mary's Energy and Climate Change Law Institute Review

1 November 2021

The Energy & Climate Change Law Institute at Queen Mary University of London are delighted to publish its law review focused on COP 26. With a foreword by Lord Carnwath CVO and introduction by guest editor Professor Stephen Tromans QC, the review takes a fresh look at what … [more]