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People

Principal Investigator

Dr Anna Hankin

I joined the Department of Chemical Engineering as a Lecturer/Assistant Professor in 2020. Previously I conducted my PhD and postdoctoral research in the Electrochemical Engineering research group at Imperial. I have a Master's degree in Physics.

Research interests

Electrochemical energy conversion

Water splitting & CO₂ reduction

Experimental characterisation of semiconductor | electrolyte interfaces

Micro-kinetic modelling of (photo-)electrochemical processes

Design, characterisation and modelling of scaled (photo-)electrochemical reactor systems

Metal recovery by electrodeposition

CO₂ utilisation

Postdoctoral Research Associates

Dr Xiaochu Wei

Hi, I am a Research Associate working with Dr Anna Hankin and Professor Magda Titirici. I completed my PhD in 2022, supervised by Dr Anna Hankin and Professor Geoff Kelsall in Chemical Engineering Department at Imperial College London where I also obtained an MSc in Advanced Chemical Engineering in 2017. My research focuses on the development of new processes to recover critical metals from multi-chemistry, end-of-life Li-ion and Na-ion batteries.

Dr Prashant Acharya

Hi, I am a Research Associate in the Electrochemical Systems Laboratory. I work on the capture, conversion, and valorisation of CO2 into carbon nanotubes (CNTs) via electrochemical synthesis in molten carbonates. I received my PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Arkansas in the United States. My research experience includes energy conversion systems, hydrogen production technologies, and advanced materials science.

PhD Researchers

Zhixu (Derek) Zhu

Hi, everyone! I am a final year PhD student at Imperial College London and funded by the Department of Chemical Engineering. My PhD research focuses on tackling global warming and the utilisation of carbon dioxide in carbon nanotube production with electrochemical methods. Before I started my PhD, I finished my MRes research on carbon aerogels in Department of Chemistry at Imperial. Before I joined Imperial, I received my BSc degree in Chemistry from University of Reading.

George Creasey

Hi! I am a third year PhD student at Imperial College London funded by the Department of Chemical Engineering. In 2022, I completed an integrated Master’s degree (MEng Chemical Engineering) at the University of Bath, with a year in industry at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). My PhD project focuses on the development and scale-up of photoelectrochemical reactors for hydrogen production.

Kanyapat (Kloy) Plub-in

Hi! I am a third year PhD student at Imperial College London and funded by the Royal Thai Government Scholarship. I graduated with a BEng degree in Chemical Engineering from Chulalongkorn University in Thailand before completing an MSc degree in Advanced Chemical Engineering at Imperial College in 2022. My PhD project focuses on the development of catalysts for electrochemical glycerol oxidation to co-produce hydrogen and value-added chemicals.

Hanzhi Ye

Hi, I am Hanzhi Ye, a third-year PhD student in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London. I finished my BEng degree in Chemical Engineering at the University of Manchester in 2020. I received my MSc degree in Advanced Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London. My PhD research focus is on electrochemical oxidation of glycerol.

Erin McMurchie

Hi, I’m a second year PhD student, funded by the President’s Scholarship. I focus on systems modelling of direct air capture (DAC) of carbon dioxide. I graduated from the University of Cambridge in 2023 with a Double First Class in Chemical Engineering and re-elected to the Townsend Scholarship and United Steel Scholarship. Before my PhD I worked at Mission Zero Technologies as a Carbon Removal Process Engineer.

Manish Sharma Timilsina

Hello everyone, my name is Manish. I'm a first year PhD student supported by a Departmental Scholarship at Imperial College London. My research focuses on electrodeposition of Ni-based catalysts onto porous substrates for use in zero-gap anion exchange membrane H2O electrolysers. I earned a Master’s by Research in Nano Chemistry from Kookmin University, South Korea, where I developed thermoresponsive redox-active polymers for thermogalvanic cells. I completed my undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering at Kathmandu University, Nepal.

Visiting Researchers

Dr Bojan Tamburic

I am a Senior Lecturer at UNSW Sydney and Deputy Director of the UNSW Water Research Centre. I completed my PhD at Imperial, focusing on sustainable hydrogen production from algae. My current research lies at the intersection of water quality and microbiology. I am passionate about interdisciplinary collaboration and mentoring the next generation of researchers.

Dr Grace Lowe

I am a Freelance Electrochemist. I work with companies to carry out projects such as proof-of-concept studies for electrochemical technologies, or electrochemical analysis. Before going freelance, I graduated from my PhD at the University of Nottingham in 2019 where I was supervised by Prof. Darren Walsh and Associate Professor Graham Newton. I then worked in 3 different European universities as a post-doctoral researcher, was part of a data science team, and a founder-in-residence at Deep Science Ventures. I am working in the Hankin Lab as part of the Ironic Metals team.

Arend Moelich

Hello, I’m Arend! I’m a master’s candidate at Stellenbosch University (SU), South Africa, collaborating with Imperial College London on Solar2H2. My research is on the development of a concentrating solar optics system for photoelectrochemical hydrogen production. My background in mechanical engineering (BEng (Mechanical) at Stellenbosch University), and my love for nature, has led me to my current role as a researcher in the renewable energy field.

Mengya Yang (2025)
Development of photoelectrodes for solar fuel production

Jatupon Chaiwasu (2024)
Synthesis of Ni-based electrodes for alkaline water electrolysers via electrodeposition

Xiaochu Wei (2022)
Recovering materials from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries

Samara Sadeek (2021)
Electrochemical behaviour of carbon steel in aqueous amine solvents for post combustion CO2 capture

Dr Inyoung Jang
3D printing, characterisation and modelling of solid oxide electrochemical reactors.

Dr John Rodriguez Acosta
Photoelectrode synthesis, solar water splitting and Multiphysics simulation.

MEng in Chemical Engineering

2023/2024

Weng Hin Hong & Li Xun Khor - 'Recovery of materials (Li, Mn, Ni, Co) from lithium-ion battery cathodes'

Alexander Kovacs & Konrad Reents - 'Operation and modelling of a new reactor for solar water splitting'

2022/2023

Sharwari Dixit - 'Design of a hybrid electrolyser system for H₂ production using an intermittent renewable power source'

Sid Halder & Jinjie Zhu - 'Modelling of optical components for H₂ production in modular photoelectrochemial reactors using COMSOL Multiphysics'

Marco Tome Freire & Daniel Binks - 'CO₂ utilisation in carbon nanotube (CNT) production'

2021/2022

Lok Wong - 'The creation, comparison, and validation of one- and two- dimensional vanadium redox flow battery stack process models'

Christopher Lawrence & Euichul Jeong - 'Metal electrodeposition to mitigate resistive losses associated with scale up of photoanodes in photoelectrochemical reactors'

MSc / MRes Students

2023/2024

Alvia Mohammad Yousuf - 'Investigating the photoactivation of Mo-doped BiVO4 for photoelectrochemical water oxidation' - MRes in Green Chemistry, Department of Chemistry - co-supervised with Dr Andreas Kafizas (Chemistry).

Hasna Sobari Ati - 'Optimising green hydrogen production: A focus on catalyst synthesis and implementation in an alkaline anion exchange membrane water electrolyser' - MSc Advanced Chemical Engineering.

Puru Goel - 'Electrochemical recovery of valuable materials from spent Li-ion batteries' - MSc Advanced Chemical Engineering.

Adilah Hassen - 'Optimising solar hydrogen generation in up-scaled systems' - MSc Advanced Chemical Engineering.

Mischelle Thomas - 'CO₂ utilisation in carbon nanotube synthesis' - MSc Advanced Chemical Engineering.

2022/2023

Mohammed Alotaibi - 'Synthesis, optimisation, and characterisation of non-noble low-cost Ni-Mo electrocatalysts for integrated green hydrogen production via anion exchange membrane water electrolysis' - MSc Advanced Chemical Engineering.

Liam O'Neill - 'Experimental characterisation of a novel photoelectrochemical reactor for hydrogen production via solar water splitting' - MSc Advanced Chemical Engineering.

Yutong Ji - 'Investigation of metal ion (Li, Ni, Mn, Co) electrodeposition for cathode metal recovery from spent lithium-ion battery' - MSc Advanced Chemical Engineering.

Sean Baywood Ibe - 'Deployment of carbon dioxide in carbon nanotubes synthesis' - MSc Advanced Chemical Engineering.

Tristan McCallum - 'Enhancing the performance and stability of nanostructured WO₃/BiVO₄ heterojunction photoanodes, for medium scale photoelectrochemical hydrogen production via electrolyte fine-tuning' - MRes in Green Chemistry, Department of Chemistry - co-supervised with Dr Andreas Kafizas (Chemistry).

2021/2022

Kanyapat Plub-in - 'Electrocatalyst development for anion exchange membrane water electrolyser' - MSc Advanced Chemical Engineering.

Feiran Li - 'Carbon dioxide utilisation in carbon nanotube production' - MSc Advanced Chemical Engineering.

Bochen Li - 'Solar hydrogen generation in an up-scaled photoelectrochemical reactor' - MSc Advanced Chemical Engineering.

Alex Fleetwood - 'Photo-electrochemical reactors for solar-powered hydrogen production' - MRes in Catalysis: Chemistry and Engineering, Department of Chemistry - co-supervised with Dr Andreas Kafizas (Chemistry).

2020/2021

Giovanni Lento - 'Carbon dioxide utilisation in carbon nanotube production' - MSc Advanced Chemical Engineering.

Yuming Zhang - 'Optimisation of photoelectrode substrate structures for up-scaled photoelectrochemical reactors via kinetic modelling' - MSc Advanced Chemical Engineering.

Nicole Marroquin - 'The effect of light attenuation on photoelectrochemical reactor efficiency' - MSc Advanced Chemical Engineering.

Yuqi Chen - 'Moving towards the low-cost solar generation of H₂ fuel - can metal oxide heterojunctions make this a reality?' - MRes in Catalysis: Chemistry and Engineering, Department of Chemistry - co-supervised with Dr Andreas Kafizas (Chemistry).

Christos Krigkou - 'Improving the performance of large-scale metal oxide heterojunction photoanodes for solar-driven water splitting: understanding their limitations through prototype device testing' - MSci in Chemistry, Department of Chemistry - co-supervised with Dr Andreas Kafizas (Chemistry).

2019/2020

Connor Donovan - 'Moving towards the low-cost solar generation of H₂ fuel - can metal oxide heterojunctions make this a reality?' - MRes in Catalysis: Chemistry and Engineering, Department of Chemistry - co-supervised by Dr Andreas Kafizas (Chemistry).

Gian Bains - 'A mechanistic study into the electrochemical stability of deep eutectic solvents' - MSc Advanced Chemical Engineering - co-supervised by Dr Sze-yin Tan (Chemical Engineering).

Undergraduate Research Opportunities (UROP) Students

Victoria Adesioye (UG student at University College Dublin) (2025) - 'Electrochemical recovery of copper from spent catalyst electrodeposition solutions'

Enrique Blasco (2025) - 'Electrochemical carbon nanotube growth in Li-Na carbonate electrolytes'

Maximilian Allison (UG student from the University of Toronto) (2024) - 'Flat band potential of BiVO₄ photoanodes - a theoretical and experimental study for its determination'

Bruno Kubo (2024) - 'Development of an online tool for modelling electrochemical thermodynamics' (contd. project of R. Tang, E. Lam and C. Lawrence)

XingYu Piao, Candy Zhang & Maximilian Mittl (UG student at the Technical University of Munich) (2024) - 'Electrochemical recovery of heavy metals from waste solutions generated by sustainability-focused research'

Callum Wootton (2023) - 'Development of a novel method of synthesizing carbon nanotubes using CO₂ as a feedstock'

Chelsea Okezie-Akwiwu (2023) - 'Developing materials for low-cost, sustainable H₂ production from solar energy'

Ben Shelley (2023) - 'Solar hydrogen generation in an up-scaled photoelectrochemical reactor'

Haiyi Wang (2022) - 'Recovery of metals from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries'

Bohui (Robert) Tang (2022) - 'Development of an online tool for modelling electrochemical thermodynamics' (contd. project of E. Lam and C. Lawrence)

Sharwari Dixit (2021) - 'Enhancement of photoelectrode performance in green hydrogen production via electrodeposition of conductive metal interlayers'

Heather Page (2021) - 'Solar fuel devices database: Quantifying progress, unifying reporting, and enabling benchmarking'

Elton Lam (2021) - 'Development of an online tool for modelling electrochemical thermodynamics' (contd. project of C. Lawrence)

Christopher Lawrence (2020) - 'Development of an online tool for modelling electrochemical thermodynamics'

Federico Trotta (2019) - 'Synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using cameillia sinesis as biological reducing agent to produce conductive silver Inks for photoelectrochemical applications'