We are inviting abstracts for poster presentations. Please send to: cpe-admin@imperial.ac.uk.
The RSC is offering three £100 RSC book vouchers from Materials Horizons, Journal of Materials Chemistry C and RSC Applied Interfaces for poster prizes.
Agenda and abstracts will be posted as they are received.
Attendance is free, but we ask that you do register: Registration for the 2026 CPE Annual Symposium – Fill in form
13 July 2026
9:30 – 9:50 Arrivals/Welcome
9:50 – 10:00 Dr Felice Torrisi – Introduction
Session 1 Chair: Dr Piers Barnes
10:00 – 10:30 Prof Erwin Reisner, University of Cambridge. Solar chemical technologies for the upcycling of CO₂, biomass and plastics
10:30 – 11:00 Prof Bob C. Schroeder, University College London. Beyond Bandgap Engineering: Spin Polarisation in Organic Semiconductors for Photocatalytic Water Splitting
11:00 – 11:30 Prof Ludmilla Steier, University of Oxford. The importance of surface area considerations in revealing property-function relationships in photo- and electrocatalytic CO₂ conversion
11:30 – 11:45 Coffee
Session 2 Chair: Dr Nicola Gasparini
11:45 – 12:15 Prof Alan Drew, Queen Mary University of London. Spin selective material probes in organic materials
12:15 – 12:45 Dr Niladri Banerjee, Imperial College London. Unconventional superconductivity in chiral molecule/superconductor hybrids
12:45 – 13:15 Dr Liyun Ma, Imperial College London. From Fibres to Futures: Weaving Intelligent Textiles for Human-Centred Healthcare
13:15- 14:30 Lunch and poster session
Session 3 Chair: Dr Jess Wade
14:30 – 15:00 Dr Sean Collins, Imperial College London. Precision nano-analyses of variations in exciton behaviour in organic and perovskite semiconductors
15:00 – 15:30 Dr Adam Clancy, University College London. Solution Processable Group 15 Nanoribbons
15:30 – 16:00 Prof Robert Hoye, University of Oxford. Tuning the transition dipole moment of perovskite nanoplatelets to maximise performance and polarized light emission
16:00 Coffee and poster session.
14 July 2026
9:30 – 9:35 Arrivals/Welcome
Session 1: Photo- and electrochemistry. Chair: Dr Jesús Barrio Hermida
9:35 – 10:05 Invited speaker: Dr Calum Ferguson, University of Birmingham. Photocatalytic heterogeneous polymers: what’s the limit?
10:05 – 10:20 Dr James Green, Imperial College London. Theoretical insights into the electronic properties of molecular crystals for photocatalytic water splitting
10:20 – 10:35 Dr Silvia Escudero Curiel, Imperial College London. Synthesis of bioderived FeNC oxygen reduction catalysts in MgCl₂–FeCl₂ mixtures
10:35 – 11:00 Coffee/tea break
Session 2: Electronics-solar cells. Chair: Dr Francesco Furlan
11:00 – 11:30 Invited speaker: Dr Flurin Eisner, Queen Mary University of London. More Than the Sum of Its Parts? Organic-Semiconductor-Based Hybrid Heterojunctions for Light Energy Conversion
11:30 – 11:45 Ding Ding, Imperial College London. Revealing the impact of phase transition on n = 1 2D perovskite photodetectors with intrinsically tunable narrowband detection
11:45 – 12:00 Enas Moustafa, Imperial College London. Tailoring interfacial microstructure with PQDs in layer-by-layer ternary organic photovoltaics
12:00 – 12:45 Lunch break
Session 3: Emerging technologies. Chair: Prof Fırat Güder
12:45 – 13:15 Invited speaker: Dr Daan Arroo, Imperial College London. Reinventing the Maser: Materials Engineering for Quantum Microwave Electronics
13:15 – 13:30 Dr Robert Carroll, Imperial College London. Ultra-sensitive Hall and photo-Hall measurement to characterise emerging semiconductors
13:30 – 13:45 Dr Nadia Farag, Imperial College London. Automation of high throughput materials synthesis and cell testing for sodium ion batteries
13:45 End. Closing comments and poster prize presentations
Speaker abstracts
Prof Erwin Reisner
University of Cambridge
Solar chemical technologies for the upcycling of CO₂, biomass and plastics
The mimicry of photosynthesis to produce sustainable fuels and chemicals has long inspired scientists, but fully functional and scalable systems that fully replicate natural photosynthesis remain rare, and viable routes to commercialisation are uncertain. Recent advances in the assembly of photosynthesis-inspired architectures have enabled the construction of prototype solar devices for direct CO₂ fixation. Artificial leaves combine semiconductor light absorbers with immobilised (bio)molecular catalysts to drive solar-powered CO₂ reduction, producing fuels, alongside oxygen evolution from water oxidation.
These products can be further upgraded via integrated catalytic processes, for example converting formate into enantioenriched organics through enzymatic cascades or into sugars using engineered microorganisms. The replacement of water oxidation by the valorisation of waste substrates provides a possible path towards commercialisation. This “solar reforming” approach offers favourable thermodynamics and kinetics while improving economic viability by coupling fuel production with waste upcycling.
Notably, outdoor solar plastic reforming is currently being tested at the kilogram/square meter scale. This presentation will outline the emerging paradigm of integrated solar chemistry with a focus on solar reforming. It will also highlight strategies and frontiers such as atmospheric CO₂ utilisation, advanced light management in integrated devices, and solar-driven cascade catalysis for high-value chemical synthesis.
Prof Bob C. Schroeder
University College London
Beyond Bandgap Engineering: Spin Polarisation in Organic Semiconductors for Photocatalytic Water Splitting
The escalating global energy crisis, coupled with the urgent need to transition away from fossil fuels, has intensified the search for sustainable energy solutions. Photocatalytic water splitting using sunlight, water, and a catalyst to generate hydrogen represents a particularly promising approach to clean energy production. Yet this process faces a critical limitation: the formation of unwanted hydrogen peroxide byproducts due to uncontrolled radical spin states, severely compromising both efficiency and commercial viability.
A breakthrough may lie in exploiting molecular chirality. Beyond its recognition since the 19th century, chirality has revealed a remarkable quantum mechanical property: chiral molecules can selectively filter electron spins through the chiral-induced spin selectivity effect. This phenomenon opens an unprecedented pathway to controlling spin states in water splitting reactions, potentially eliminating problematic byproduct formation.
This research presents the development of a novel chiral organic semiconductor that exhibits the desired spin selectivity effect and enables comprehensive analysis of performance in water splitting applications. Comparison with achiral reference materials and racemic analogues reveals a striking four-fold enhancement in current density, directly correlating to hydrogen evolution.
Prof Ludmilla Steier
University of Oxford
The importance of surface area considerations in revealing property-function relationships in photo- and electrocatalytic CO₂ conversion
Catalyst design for the reduction of CO₂ to valuable fuels needs property-function relationships to identify more generalized material design guidelines. A large body of work has been developed studying defect chemistry and especially oxygen vacancy chemistry in oxide systems for the water oxidation reaction, since typically these surfaces are unprotected, offering the investigation of the semiconductor-liquid junction in a photoanode directly. Recent works by Profs. Wang and Domen developed a new p-type visible light absorber (La,Sr)(Rh,Ti)O₃ employed in the Z-scheme photocatalyst sheet device with a record 1% solar-to-hydrogen efficiency, turning the focus to investigating defect chemistry in absorbers driving the reduction reaction. Our latest work explores defect chemistry further, studying the CO₂ photohydrogenation reaction with doped SrTiO₃. A key parameter we identify is surface area-normalized activity, which enables the identification of such material property-function relationships, in analogy to the insights gained from our recent studies in electrochemical CO₂ reduction.
References
1 S. Corby, R. R. Rao, L. Steier and J. R. Durrant, Nat. Rev. Mater., 2021, 6, 1136-1155.
2 L. Steier, I. Herraiz-Cardona, S. Gimenez, F. Fabregat-Santiago, J. Bisquert, S. D. Tilley and M. Gratzel, Adv. Funct. Mater., 2014, 24, 7681-7688.
3 Q. Wang et al., Nat. Mater., 2016, 15, 611.
4 B. Moss et al., Nat. Mater., 2021, 20, 511-517.
5 D. Bhattacharyya et al., Adv. Funct. Mater., 2025, e11923.
6 Y. Zhou et al., ACS Energy Lett., 2025, 10, 4324-4331.
Prof Alan Drew
Queen Mary University of London
Dr Niladri Banerjee
Imperial College London
Unconventional superconductivity in chiral molecule/superconductor hybrids
Superconductivity – characterised by dissipationless flow of charge in certain materials at low temperatures, has led to several fundamental science and technology breakthroughs. Superconductivity results from the pairing of electrons with opposite spins below a critical temperature forming a stable state which can flow without scattering. In recent years, experiments and theories of chiral molecules on thin film superconductors have indicated a novel superconductivity formed of equal spin pairing. Intriguingly, this implies a dissipationless spin current flowing alongside the charge current leading to functionalities that are otherwise not available.
In this talk, following a brief introduction, I will discuss the status of the field and key outstanding questions. I will show few recent results from our group with chiral molecules on thin superconducting niobium which challenges some of the current understanding in the field.
References
1 Nat. Rev. Chem., 2019, 3, 250-260.
2 Phys. Rev. B, 2018, 98, 214513.
3 Phys. Rev. Mater., 2021, 5, 114801.
Dr Liyun Ma
Imperial College London
From Fibres to Futures: Weaving Intelligent Textiles for Human-Centred Healthcare
Smart textiles offer a unique platform for continuous health monitoring and human-machine interaction, owing to their intrinsic softness, breathability, wearability and washability. As the fundamental building blocks of textiles, fibres and yarns can be engineered through continuous and scalable manufacturing processes to incorporate active sensing and energy-harvesting functions, enabling intelligent systems that respond in real time to physiological, biochemical, motion and environmental signals.
In here, I will introduce our recent work at the I-THREAD Lab on augmented sensing textiles. Our research develops cross-scale strategies for functional integration, spanning materials design, yarn architectures and fabric systems. At the materials level, we explore natural bio-based materials such as silk fibroin and engineer them with electrical conductivity, biocompatibility and biodegradability for both skin-mounted and implantable applications.
At the manufacturing level, we integrate conductive and functional components into flexible yarns through coaxial spinning, electrospinning-based composite fabrication and hollow-spindle spinning, and further translate these yarns into woven, knitted and braided textile systems.
These material and manufacturing strategies allow conventional fabrics to be endowed with enhanced functions, including flame retardancy, corrosion resistance and multimodal sensing, while preserving their comfort and mechanical integrity. I will highlight representative applications in wearable physiological monitoring, tactile sensing for surgical robotics and wound-healing monitoring. Together, these studies demonstrate a full-chain “materials-yarns-fabrics-systems” framework for developing intelligent textile platforms, with potential applications in precision medicine, digital health and next-generation self-powered wearable technologies.
Dr Sean Collins
Imperial College London
Precision nano-analyses of variations in exciton behaviour in organic and perovskite semiconductors
Despite sustained progress in the performance characteristics of organic semiconductors and halide perovskites, many features of structural and chemical heterogeneity remain poorly understood. Probing how structural and compositional heterogeneity precisely modify properties is crucial for developing new interventions for the fabrication of devices with improved stability throughout device operation. Advances in low-dose, nanometre-resolved electron diffraction have enabled access to this information for linking nanoscale structure to characteristics underpinning energy transport mechanisms1 and device ageing2.
When combined with spectroscopy in the scanning transmission electron microscope, diffraction tools can offer a direct means to link optical properties to nanoscale structures3. This presentation will highlight ongoing work to probe the role of localised, crystallographic defects4, dislocations5, crystalline and amorphous phase separation in polymer blend semiconductors6, and compositional heterogeneity in mixed anion lead halide perovskite nanocrystals.
References
1 A. J. Sneyd et al., Sci. Adv., 2021, 7, eabh4232.
2 S. Yoon et al., ACS Energy Lett., 2025, 10, 541-551.
3 J. Hou et al., Science, 2021, 374, 621-625.
4 C. J. H. Smalley et al., Sci. Adv., 2026, 12, eaed0037.
5 S. T. Pham et al., Nat. Mater., 2025, 24, 682-687.
6 S. T. Pham, A. F. Sapnik and S. M. Collins, Small Methods, 2026, e70719.
Dr Adam Clancy
University College London
Solution Processable Group 15 Nanoribbons
Phosphorene nanoribbons (PNRs) are atomically thin, nanometers-wide layers of pure phosphorus which had been theorised to posses properties exceeding their parent 2D phosphorene, including a tuneable bandgap, improved hole mobility, and ferromagnetism. Made through dissolution in a range of solvents, the PNR solutions are immediately primed for assembly into a range of devices such as hole transport layers in perovskite solar cells and dendrite passivation layers in lithium metal batteries. By modifying their synthesis, the intrinsic properties of PNRs can be dramatically and controllably altered, while opening the route to new families of 1D nanoribbons.
Prof Robert Hoye
University of Oxford
Tuning the transition dipole moment of perovskite nanoplatelets to maximise performance and polarized light emission
Metal-halide perovskites exhibit bright and sharp luminescence, with properties that can be tuned over a wide range through solution processing1,2. By making perovskite nanocrystals anisotropic, we can achieve both exciton fine structure splitting as well as control over the horizontal transition dipole moment.
In this talk, I will discuss our recent works focussed on self assembling these nanoplatelets, and tuning their orientation. Through control over the solvent evaporation rate, we tune the orientation of nanoplatelets to maximise performance and polarized light emission.
References
1 Ye et al., Chem. Soc. Rev., 2024, 53, 9085.
2 Ye, Mondal et al., Nat. Commun., 2024, 15, 8120.
3 Ye et al., Nat. Photonics, 2024, 18, 586.
4 Jeong et al., arXiv, 2025, 2505.22817.
Dr Calum Ferguson
University of Birmingham
Photocatalytic heterogeneous polymers: what’s the limit?
Refined polymer photocatalysts have emerged over the past decade as highly effective materials for facilitating photoredox catalysis in the synthesis of value-added compounds. To date, a diverse range of photocatalytic polymers has been developed, including linear systems typically conjugated donor-acceptor or vinyl-based polymers. In addition, porous organic polymers such as conjugated microporous polymers, covalent triazine frameworks, polymers of intrinsic microporosity, and covalent organic frameworks have attracted considerable attention.
Despite the broad scope of reactivity accessible with these materials, photocatalytic polymers still lag behind the highly sophisticated transformations achievable with homogeneous photocatalysts. Our research seeks to identify the key limiting factors behind this disparity and develop strategies to overcome them.
In most heterogeneous photocatalytic systems, the rate-limiting step is either the mass transport of substrates to the active sites or the efficiency of energy and electron transfer at those sites. This talk presents work investigating how the miniaturisation of conjugated microporous polymers can enhance catalytic performance, and how deliberate tuning of the solid-liquid interface can significantly accelerate reaction rates.
Dr James Green
Imperial College London
Theoretical insights into the electronic properties of molecular crystals for photocatalytic water splitting
Organic molecular crystals are a promising platform for optoelectronics due to their chemical and structural diversity, and while molecular crystals have been heavily investigated for organic electronic applications such as OLEDs and solar cells, there has been comparatively little theoretical research into photocatalytic overall water splitting in these materials.
One major challenge for the in silico design of molecular crystalline photocatalysts for overall water splitting is the need to accurately describe and predict electronic properties in the solid state. This talk discusses theoretical insights into the electronic properties of molecular crystals and how these can guide the search for photocatalytic water-splitting materials.
Dr Silvia Escudero Curiel
Imperial College London
Synthesis of Bioderived FeNC Oxygen Reduction Catalysts in MgCl₂–FeCl₂ Mixtures
The alkaline oxygen reduction reaction, critical in fuel-cell power systems, is fundamental to hydrogen-based green energy technologies. However, the environmental and socioeconomic challenges associated with current Pt-based catalysts make it imperative to adopt innovative and sustainable strategies to advance toward a more resilient and environmentally responsible future.
Iron-nitrogen-carbon electrocatalysts are an attractive alternative owing to their excellent oxygen-reduction catalytic efficiency; nevertheless, commercially available FeNC catalysts are typically synthesized under harsh and demanding conditions, which may intensify environmental concerns and contribute to the formation of less active iron species. They can serve as a cost-effective alternative when developed within a circular bioeconomy framework that valorises biomass residues as a carbon source.
In this work, tea leaf residues are employed as a nitrogen-rich biomass precursor to promote the formation of Fe-N active sites through a one-step ionothermal pyrolysis mediated by MgCl₂·6H₂O–FeCl₂ mixtures. The resulting carbonaceous materials exhibited high surface area and exposed Fe–Nₓ active sites, underscoring their potential for practical, sustainable oxygen-reduction devices.
Dr Flurin Eisner
Queen Mary University of London
More Than the Sum of Its Parts? Organic-Semiconductor-Based Hybrid Heterojunctions for Light Energy Conversion
Each class of semiconductor (organic, perovskite, inorganic) comes with its own distinct set of properties, advantages, and limitations. Combining different semiconductor types, or pairing semiconductors with other functional materials, at a hybrid heterojunction offers a route to combine their respective advantages, mitigate their disadvantages, and unlock new properties that go beyond what any single material can offer alone.
Here, I present three classes of hybrid heterojunctions built around organic semiconductors, each yielding distinct properties. The first is a nanostructured heterojunction between the inorganic semiconductor CuSCN and non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs), which gives rise to interesting charge-transfer behaviour. The second explores hybrid heterojunctions combining organic semiconductors with perovskites. The third is a multilayer architecture incorporating NiFeOOH-functionalised graphite sheets as photoelectrodes for solar fuel production.
Together, these systems span a range of applications, from solar cells and photodetectors to photoelectrodes for solar fuel production, illustrating how the design of hybrid heterojunctions can extend the functionality of semiconductors beyond what each component can achieve in isolation.
Ding Ding
Imperial College London
Revealing the Impact of Phase Transition on n = 1 2D Perovskite Photodetectors With Intrinsically Tunable Narrowband Detection
2D perovskites featuring a single layer of perovskite octahedra sandwiched between organic cations display narrow absorption due to their quantum-confined structure. They offer a compelling route to filter-free, narrowband photodetection compared with broadband 3D counterparts. While halide mixing provides spectral tunability, it introduces severe phase segregation and energetic disorder.
This work integrates n = 1 (PEA)₂PbBrₓI₄₋ₓ into photoconductors, achieving tunable response from 400 to 520 nm, and reveals the existence of two different phases and their gradual transition based on halide composition. Although chloride additive PEACl suppressed phase segregation in mixed halides, it introduced additional traps that reduced photocurrent. The additive enhanced out-of-plane orientation, disrupting in-plane transport in photoconductors, but significantly improved performance in photodiodes.
This work provides device-level insight into halide immiscibility in n = 1 2D perovskites, showing that overcoming performance limitations requires balancing long-range structural order with short-range electronic disorder.
Enas Moustafa
Imperial College London
Tailoring Interfacial Microstructure with PQDs in Layer-by-Layer Ternary Organic Photovoltaics
Enas Moustafa, Stanly A. Cazaly, Harry Bridge, Jolanda S. Muller, Jun Yan, Stoichko Dimitrov, Thomas J. Macdonald, Flurin D. Eisner, and Jenny Nelson
Organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices have achieved high efficiency, but further progress is constrained by interfacial recombination and sub-optimal morphology, and limited stability. Here we address these challenges by introducing CsPbI₃ perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) as an interlayer at the D18/Y6 interface, deposited via an orthogonal-solvent layer-by-layer process. Incorporation of an optimized PQDs interlayer boosts the power conversion efficiency from 16.7% in the binary device to 18.8% in the ternary architecture, corresponding to a relative increase of approximately 12%.
The systematic comparative study of morphology, optical/optoelectronic and electrical characteristics, as well as the related charge recombination and transfer dynamics, revealed that the PQDs interlayer provided a unique electronic structure that passivates PQDs surface defects and mitigates interdiffusion of the organic layers, enabling improved microstructure regulation, leading to enhanced fill factor. Moreover, the high dielectric constant of the PQDs appears to facilitate exciton dissociation at the D18/Y6 interface allowing the PQDs to act as a relay that separates and stabilizes charges at the D18/PQDs/Y6 junction, thereby reducing the trap-assisted recombination.
This leads to suppressed non-radiative recombination losses, resulting in higher open-circuit voltage (V_OC) and short-circuit current (J_SC). Beyond performance gains, the PQDs interlayer also improves the shelf-life stability under N₂, prolonging the stability for the pristine devices over 12 months. Hence, our findings demonstrate that introducing CsPbI₃ PQDs interlayer, implemented via orthogonal-solvent LBL processing, provides an effective route to tune interfacial morphology and energetics, offering a practical strategy to further enhance both efficiency and stability in OPV devices.
Dr Daan Arroo
Imperial College London
Reinventing the Maser: Materials Engineering for Quantum Microwave Electronics
Masers, the microwave counterparts of lasers, are among the lowest-noise amplifiers ever developed, but their widespread use has historically been limited by the need for cryogenic cooling, high magnetic fields and bulky specialist infrastructure. The demonstration of room-temperature solid-state masers1,2 based on photo-excited spin-active materials has reopened this technology as a materials and device engineering challenge: can the gain medium, optical pump and microwave resonator be co-designed to deliver practical microwave amplification under ambient conditions?
In this talk I will introduce the work of the Imperial Maser Group3 on ambient-condition masers based on optically pumped molecular and solid-state materials. I will discuss how organic molecular crystals such as pentacene-doped p-terphenyl exploit photo-generated triplet states to produce microwave amplification, and how the properties of the gain medium, optical pump and microwave resonator must be engineered together to enable practical devices.
References
1 M. Oxborrow, J. D. Breeze and N. M. Alford, Nature, 2012, 488, 353-356.
2 J. D. Breeze, E. Salvadori, J. Sathian, N. McN. Alford and C. W. M. Kay, Nature, 2018, 555, 493-496.
3 Imperial Maser Group, https://www.imperial.ac.uk/maser/ (accessed 8 July 2026).
Dr Robert Carroll
Imperial College London
Ultra-sensitive Hall and photo-Hall measurement to characterise emerging semiconductors
The Hall effect, when considering high-mobility inorganic systems, is a staple ingredient of material characterisation. For decades the effect has been used to quickly determine carrier type, carrier density and mobility. Due to their high resistivity, measuring the Hall effect in low mobility materials is, however, challenging and the interpretation of the Hall signal remains unclear. Further to this, having access to only majority carrier properties is often insufficient and a broader access to minority carrier parameters is required.
Our group has recently acquired a parallel dipole line system to make ultra-sensitive measurements of the Hall effect, opening the door to Hall measurements in highly resistive semiconductors. Moreover, the system is complemented with photo-Hall capability to access a wide range of optoelectronic parameters including charge carrier diffusion lengths and lifetime. Finally, measurements can be performed in a cryostat enabling variable temperature Hall and photo-Hall effect to gain insights on transport and recombination in emerging semiconductors.
References
1 O. Gunawan, S. R. Pae, D. M. Bishop, Y. Virgus, J. H. Noh, N. J. Jeon, Y. S. Lee, X. Shao, T. Todorov, D. B. Mitzi and B. Shin, Nature, 2019, 575, 151-155.
Dr Nadia Farag
Imperial College London
Automation of High Throughput Materials Synthesis and Cell Testing for Sodium Ion Batteries
Nadia L. Farag, Jingyu Feng, Ifan Stephens, Magdalena M. Titirici
To move towards wide-spread adoption of renewable energy sources we need sufficient energy storage technologies. To meet growing demand and continue to diversify supply chains, it is necessary not only to optimise existing battery technologies but also explore next-generation battery materials. However, it is not typically possible to test a wide variety of materials and chemistries simultaneously due to time constraints. Additionally, coin cell assembly and subsequent electrochemical data suffer due to human error and inconsistencies during cell assembly, often resulting in large variation between datasets.
The DIGIBAT facility at Imperial College London provides tools to automate material synthesis, electrolyte formulation and cell assembly, removing these roadblocks. Automation allows for continuous experimentation done in a reliably reproducible way, enabling the generation of large, consistent, datasets. Thereby, the research process is accelerated while simultaneously improving results.
This work will compare initial results from manual and automated coin cell assembly, probing how true these statements about automation are, discussing both the advantages and any limitations encountered so far. Additionally, an automated electrolyte optimisation for sodium ion batteries using common additives will be explored, with both the advantages and challenges when creating an automated workflow being discussed.
Poster session sponsored by RSC Sustainable Energy & Fuels.
Poster prizes sponsored by RSC Applied Interfaces, Materials Horizons and Journal of Materials Chemistry C.
