Chemistry, University of Southampton

The Electrochemistry Research Group has research programmes in electrochemical approaches to energy conversion and storage including research in tfuel cells (operando studies of fuel cell catalysts, new catalyst materials, membranes), lithium batteries (novel 3D battery structures and electrolytes, modelling of battery performance), redox flow batteries and supercapacitors.

Our work in energy is underpinned by in-situ and ex-situ studies of well characterised systems, providing fundamental insights into electrocatalysis. Our work on the development and application of high-throughput methodologies in electrochemistry has been applied to functional materials discovery for a wide range of applications and for electrode modification for applications in electroanalysis, biosensors and biofuel cells. This work has resulted in a very successful spin-out company, Ilika, with more fundamental work still being pursued within the School.

The Electrochemistry Research Group is active in the area of templated electrodeposition of nanomaterials and the applications of nanomaterials, particularly in plasmonics and metamaterials, with internationally leading programmes. Templated electrodeposition technologies, pioneered in Southampton, offer effective routes to novel nanostructures which have the ability to produce large quantities, or areas, of material at reasonable cost. Our earlier work is being commercialised by Nanotecture, a spin-out company in the field of energy storage.

We are currently employing nanostructured plasmonic structures as surfaces for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to develop sensitive, specific sensors for healthcare, environmental and security applications including point-of care diagnostics. Highly structured electrode surfaces are also employed in the development of sensors for a wide variety of analytical applications, including deep-ocean sensors and the characterisation of ultrasonic devices. We also have active research programmes in acustoelectrochemistry, sonoluminescence, scanning electrochemical microscopy, materials electrochemistry and solid state electrochemistry.