Centre for Sustainable Engineering

News

Abstract submission and registration for the 16th International Workshop on Engineering of Functional Interfaces (EnFI2025) now open 27 April 2025 We are pleased to invite abstract submissions for the 16th International Workshop on the Engineering of Functional Interfaces (EnFI 2025), taking place at Queen Mary University of London on 7th and 8th July 2025. EnFI is a dynamic, multidisciplinary international workshop. It covers all aspects of functional interfaces from materials science, physics … [more]

Queen Mary University of London Hosts Successful UKACM 2025 Conference on Computational Mechanics 25 April 2025 The UKACM 2025 Conference on Computational Mechanics, held from 23rd to 25th April 2025 at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), was a major success. Co-chaired by Dr Wei Tan (QMUL) and Professor Emilio Martínez-Pañeda (University of Oxford), the event brought together a vibrant community of researchers to … [more]

Prof Joe Briscoe discusses future of solar energy at German research institutes 4 April 2025 Professor Joe Briscoe was recently invited to present his research at two German institutes - Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin (HZB) and Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg for Renewable Energy (HI-ERN) at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg. Joe discussed his research into developing the next generations of solar energy devices, … [more]

Queen Mary-led Team Wins Prize in AquaLunar Challenge 28 March 2025 We are proud to announce that a Queen Mary-led team has secured the 2nd Runner-Up Prize in the AquaLunar Challenge - a £1.2 million international competition dedicated to advancing human habitation in space, by developing innovative methods to purify water buried beneath the Moon’s surface. Queen Mary's … [more]

Jiazhe Zhao Wins Best Oral Presentation at International Electrochemistry Conference 28 March 2025 Jiazhe Zhao was awarded the Best Oral Presentation Award at the 39th Topical Meeting of the International Society of Electrochemistry (ISE), held in Natal, Brazil. The conference focused on "The Role of Electrochemistry in Sustainable Energy and the Environment.” Her standout presentation, titled ‘3D Photoelectrochemical Imaging for … [more]

Postgraduate students present research at Industrial Liaison Forum 11 March 2025 On 5 March 2025, our MEng and MSc students presented their research projects at the Industrial Liaison Forum, engaging with industry professionals, external visitors and academics. MEng Projects All fourth-year MEng students undertake team projects, working in groups of four to six. With their projects nearing completion, they showcased a mix of … [more]

Student presentations win prizes in Dragons’ Den-style challenge 11 March 2025 The BEng final year project has been designed to be a linked design project where students will work individually and as a group to integrate core disciplinary concepts to produce the detailed design of a part of a product or process. Students will bring their individual components together to develop … [more]

SEMS Student Prize Ceremony recognises outstanding academic achievements 10 March 2025 On Wednesday 5 March, the School of Engineering and Materials Science held its Undergraduate Student Prize Ceremony, a special event celebrating academic excellence and outstanding student achievement across all undergraduate programmes. Held in the Octagon as part of the bi-annual Industrial Liaison Forum, the ceremony brought together students, staff, and faculty … [more]

Breakthrough in High-Strain Piezoelectric Materials published in Nature Communications 24 February 2025 Our recent work, led by a multidisciplinary team from Queen Mary University of London, has resulted in the development of a groundbreaking ceramic material with exceptional performance. Published in Nature Communications, the study titled 'Phase transformation in lead titanate based relaxor ferroelectrics with ultra-high strain', introduces a new lead titanate-based … [more]

Reestablishment of the strategic partnership between QMUL and Chulalongkorn University started in 1988 3 February 2025 On Thursday 16th January 2025, delegates from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) led by Professor Wen Wang FREng, Vice Principal for Science and Engineering, were warmly received by Lecturer Siratach Sirichumsang, Vice Director of the Office of Registry, Chulalongkorn University and QMUL Alumnus. We thank him for his hospitality and … [more]

UK-Thailand ISPF Strategic Project in Science and Engineering leads to three new signed partnership agreements in Thailand 31 January 2025 Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) currently welcomes more than 130 students from Thailand every year. Most of these are postgraduate students looking to further their expertise at a UK university, and around 10-15 of these students are funded by Royal Thai Government Scholarships. QMUL was recently awarded strategic funding from … [more]

Advanced drinking water purification equipment installed 14 January 2025 In December 2024, as part of a fruitful ongoing relationship with Waternet in Amsterdam, major advanced drinking water purification equipment was installed at the School of Engineering and Materials Science. A team from Waternet travelled from Amsterdam to Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) to install the equipment. Waternet is the … [more]

A Wonderful SEMS Winter Graduation Ceremony Wraps up 2024 18 December 2024 The SEMS winter graduation ceremony took place in the Great Hall on the Mile End campus on 18 December 2024. 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 2023-24 cohort, but there many … [more]

SEMS Annual Staff Awards Announced 11 December 2024 At the end of the staff meeting on the 11th December 2024 and just before the SEMS annual Christmas Staff Party, we hosted our annual SEMS Staff Prize Celebration. We had a record number of nominations this year with the awards being spread across the entire SEMS community. The Valuing People … [more]

Han Zhang, Yushen Wang, and co-authors win IOM3 Composite Award 9 December 2024 Members of Queen Mary University of London’s School of Engineering and Materials Science took centre stage at the Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining’s (IOM3) 2024 Awards Day, held at its London office on 5 December. The event celebrated outstanding achievements across the materials science sector, with the … [more]

Queen Mary hosts Machine Learning for Combustion Meeting 6 December 2024 The Machine Learning (ML) for Combustion Meeting was held successfully on 5 December 2024 at Queen Mary University of London. The event saw an excellent line-up of 13 invited speakers, 11 poster presentations and 70 attendees. The meeting organised under the auspices of Combustion Institute British Section (CIBS) brought together academic researchers and industry professionals … [more]

Ameer Zaki wins Best UK Materials Graduate Award from the IOM3 5 December 2024 At the IOM3 Awards Ceremony on 5 December 2024, Ameer Zaki, a recent Materials Science graduate, was honored with the IOM3 Award for Excellence, presented to the best BEng graduate in the UK. He also received the prestigious IOM3 Royal Charter Prize, awarded to the standout candidate among all student winners. Notably, … [more]

James Busfield wins the T B Marsden Professional Medal 5 December 2024 At the IOM3 Awards Ceremony on 5 December 2024, Professor James Busfield was honored with the T B Marsden Professional Medal for his substantial, long-term contributions to the institute and materials science profession. James’s dedication to the IOM3 rubber community spans 30 years. His journey began with the Rubber in Engineering … [more]

Dr Han Zhang elected as IOM3 Fellow 5 December 2024 We are delighted to announce that Dr Han Zhang, Reader in Polymers and Composites at Queen Mary University of London, has been elected as a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (FIMMM). This prestigious recognition highlights Dr Zhang's contributions to the field of materials science, particularly … [more]

Many SEMS Staff Recognised at the Annual Science and Engineering Faculty Celebration 3 December 2024 Several SEMS staff were recognised at the Annual Faculty of Science and Engineering Celebration on the 3rd December 2024. Congratulations to all of you for this wonderful recognition of the excellence of your work. The SEMS winners were: Matt Horsfield was awarded the “Outstanding Contribution to Professional Services Award” … [more]

Showcase of SEMS Research at our Industrial Liaison Forum 18 November 2024 We were excited to showcase SEMS research at the bi-annual Industrial Liaison Forum was held on 5th November. Our 2nd and 3rd year PhD students presented posters highlighting their research and the postdoctoral researchers gave flash presentations. The Research Showcase was attended by representatives from industry as well as academics … [more]

Hattie Chisnall awarded Best Research Poster at the SEMS Industrial Liaison Forum 12 November 2024 Hattie Chisnall, third year PhD student at the School of Engineering and Materials Science, has been awarded the prize to the best Sustainable Engineering Centre research poster at the ILF event held on Tuesday 5th November 2024. Hattie's poster summarised her PhD project 'Carbon Dioxide Conversion to Value-Added Chemicals via … [more]

Zotefoams Host Site Visits in SEMS SKEMP Week 7 November 2024 Zotefoams, a FTSE listed manufacturer of polymer foams based in Croydon, hosted two delegations of students from SEMS during SKEMP week. The technical support manager, Dr Leena-Marie Wilson explained the process to make closed cell foamed polymer materials for a diverse range of applications including: lightweighting in transportation, impact protection, … [more]

SEMS Industrial Advisory Board meets 5 November 2024 The SEMS Industrial Advisory Board (IAB) met on Tuesday 5th November to discuss our taught programmes and delivery of skills training. It was attended by 14 members of our IAB along with SEMS staff and members of our Student Voice Committee. Topics for discussion included skills development on our Design Innovation &… [more]

Starch nanocomposite films pave the way for green electronics 30 October 2024 Queen Mary University of London researchers have developed new nanocomposite films using starch instead of petroleum-based materials, marking a significant advancement in the field of sustainable electronics. Their study, published in Advanced Functional Materials, showcases the development of biodegradable, flexible, and electrically conductive materials that hold promise for a wide … [more]

PhD buddy scheme launched 28 October 2024 During the SEMS PhD induction session on Wednesday 23rd October 2024, Professor Himadri Gupta, Director of Graduate Studies and Deputy Director of Graduate Studies, Dr Chinnapat Panwisawas along with the postgraduate research (PGR) team have welcomed all 60 new PhD students starting at the School of Engineering and Materials Science (SEMS) for … [more]

Congratulations to Dr Tom Thorn for Passing His PhD Viva 23 October 2024 Congratulations to Tom Thorn for passing his PhD viva, with his thesis entitled 'Multifunctional Composites with Enhanced Toughness, Integrated Sensing and Easy-repairing Capabilities'. His research has made significant contributions to the field of polymer composites, with extended service life to reduce waste and enhance environmental sustainability. His work on easy-repairing … [more]

Graphene-based memristors move a step closer to benefiting next-generation computing 23 October 2024 Researchers from Queen Mary University of London and Paragraf Limited have demonstrated a significant step forward in the development of graphene-based memristors and towards unlocking their potential for use in future computing systems and artificial intelligence (AI). This innovation – published in ACS Advanced Electronic Materials and featured on the … [more]

New Green Energy Hub ready to drive innovation and sustainability 15 October 2024 Queen Mary is proud to announce the official launch of its Green Energy Hub, including a new state-of-the-art laboratory designed to accelerate breakthroughs in green energy technologies. The new facility represents a significant investment of almost £3 million from the Queen Mary Faculty of Science and Engineering. Spanning an impressive 195 … [more]

Materials Science Professor leads Gen Z tour of campus for Queen Mary TikTok 15 October 2024 During an Open Day for prospective Undergraduate students on Saturday 5 October, the Queen Mary Social Media Team took the opportunity to scout out an academic to appear in our latest video. The video is contributing to the social media meme of staff members giving tours with scripts written by Gen … [more]

Inspiring young future materials scientists at New Scientist Live 14 October 2024 Materials scientists and engineers from Queen Mary's School of Engineering and Materials Science (SEMS) engaged students at Schools' Day at the New Scientist Live Event at London's ExCeL Centre. Schools' Day welcomes over 6,000 students with thought-provoking talks, ground-breaking discoveries, interactive experiences and hands-on activities. Representing Discover Materials, the … [more]

James Busfield gives the Plenary Keynote Lecture at IRC 2024 11 October 2024 James Busfield was invited to present the keynote plenary lecture on “Transitions in the Abrasion Behaviour of Tyre Compounds” based upon the work of three different industry funded projects (SRI, AMF1 and Birla Carbon) at the International Rubber Conference 2024 in Turkey. His Soft Matter Group also made several … [more]

Prof Sir Harry Bhadeshia gives celebrationary lecture on Visionary Steels 29 September 2024 On Monday 16th and Tuesday 17th of September, the Colorado School of Mines - Advanced steel processing and products research centre (ASPPRC) held a 40th anniversary celebration. The invited Prof Sir Harry Bhadeshia to give a lecture entitled 'Visionary Steels'. The lecture was attended by a huge audience and covered … [more]

Professor Ana Jorge Sobrido Admitted as Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry 21 August 2024 Professor Ana Sobrido's contributions to chemical sciences have been recognised this year by her admission as Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. Prof Sobrido's research targets the design and optimisation of sustainable alternatives to materials for energy conversion and storage. Her UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship develops new … [more]

Afni Restasari wins best Presenter Award at IC-3PE in Indonesia 14 August 2024 Afni Restasari has won the best Presenter Award at IC-3PE in Indonesia. Afni is a PhD student from Indonesia supervised by Wei Tan and James Busfield. Her the top prize was awarded for a talk on a new bio-inspired self-healing polyurethane-urea that she has been working on in SEMS. … [more]

Dr Wei Tan recieves the ESCM Young Researcher Award 5 July 2024 Dr Wei Tan has been honoured with the prestigious ESCM Young Researcher Award at the 21st European Conference on Composite Materials (ECCM21). This award recognises the significant contributions of young researchers (under 35 years old) in the field of composite materials. The award ceremony took place during ECCM21, held from 2nd … [more]

Soft Matter Group perform brilliantly at the European Rubber PhD Symposium 21 June 2024 The Soft Matter Group (SMG) at QMUL participated in the 12th European PhD symposium in rubber research. This year's event was brilliantly organised by Radek Stoček at the Tomas Bata University in Zlín, Czech Republic. James Busfield said “This is a great annual meeting where … [more]

Study into electrical vehicle batteries makes Nature Comms top 25 31 May 2024 Dr Xuekun Lu’s paper, ‘Multiscale dynamics of charging and plating in graphite electrodes coupling operando microscopy and phase-field modelling’ has been included in Nature Communications’s top 25 Materials Science papers for 2023. The study, led by Dr Lu, found a way to prevent lithium plating in … [more]

SEMS Exhibits at the Advanced Materials Fair in Birmingham 16 May 2024 SEMS technology was exhibited at the Advanced Materials Show at the NEC in Birmingham. This trade fair, which takes place alongside the Advanced Ceramics Show, the Vehicle Electrification Expo and the Battery Cells & Systems Expo featured over 300 exhibitors along with 100 speakers, and attracted more than 4000 visitors. Our exhibit displayed … [more]

Prof Ana Sobrido gives a seminar at Eindhoven University of Technology 16 May 2024 Prof Ana Sobrido gave an invited seminar on electrospun flow battery electrodes and the use of sustainable precursors into the production of these electrode materials. Prof Sobrido’s work on designing the next generation of redox flow batteries electrospinning is part of her UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship research programme. … [more]

Dr Wei Tan gives talk at International Symposium on Current Challenges of Wind Energy Development 15 May 2024 The International Symposium on Current Challenges of Wind Energy Development: Materials Science and Structural Aspects, organised by Leon Mishnaevsky Jr. from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and Dr Alexandros Antoniou from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), took place last week, 13th-15th May in Athens. Over the … [more]

SEMS holds 7th Russell Binions PhD Symposium 25 April 2024 The 7th annual Russell Binions Memorial PhD Symposium took place on Thursday 25th April at the School of Engineering and Materials Science. Each year, The Symposium provides an opportunity for our PhD students and Postdoctoral Research Assistants to formally present their work to their peers and academics in the School. … [more]

Queen Mary's Discover Materials Ambassadors attend the Big Bang Fair 23 April 2024 On 23rd April, Leyton Sixth Form College in east London hosted a Big Bang Fair event, in which around 800 students from secondary schools across the capital came to learn about the variety of study pathways and future careers in STEM fields, engaging in interactive workshops and demonstrations from organisations across … [more]

Prof Ana Sobrido Gives a Talk on her Career Path at The Faraday Institution Meeting 27 March 2024 Prof Ana Sobrido gave a talk at the Faraday Institution ERC Meeting held on the 26th-27th March 2024 at the University of Warwick. In her talk, Ana shared her journey as an academic, her career transition from postdoc to independent researcher and promotions since she joined QMUL in 2016. Ana gave … [more]

UK-Thailand Collaboration “THAI-UP” Leads the Way in Sustainable Materials and Solutions from Agricultural Waste 25 March 2024 In an innovative approach to environmental sustainability and economic development, Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and Mae Fah Luang University (MFL) in Thailand have further enhanced their partnership in a recent project called THAI-UP: Thailand Upcycling agricultural waste for sustainable packaging and value-added products. Funded by the Queen Mary … [more]

Royal Society Awarded Project for New Collaboration Between Calgary University and Queen Mary University of London 22 March 2024 Prof Ana Sobrido and Dr Maria Crespo Ribadeneyra from Queen Mary, with Prof Milana Trifkovic from Calgary University, have been awarded a Royal Society International Exchanges grant to conduct research on Bacterial Nanocellulose-based Polymer Composites as Solid Polymer Electrolyte for Metal Ion-Batteries. Although lithium-ion batteries are widely used in a … [more]

Undergraduate research posters win prizes at ILF 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]

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 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]

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 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]

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]

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]

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]

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 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 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]

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]

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]

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 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]

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 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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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 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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

"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 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 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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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 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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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 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 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 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 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 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]

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]

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]

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]

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 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]

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]

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]

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 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]

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]

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 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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]