The research of the Schnepp group covers two main areas. The first is the study of materials derived from biomass, including porous carbons and nanostructured ceramics. The group is particularly interested in how chemical and physical features of the biomass translate into different textural properties in the resulting material. They regularly visit large-scale facilities such as Brookhaven National Laboratory and Diamond Light Source to study the mechanisms of biomass pyrolysis. The Schnepp group works closely with several institutes around the world, including the National Institute for Materials Science in Japan, Universidad de Sevilla and University of Auckland.
The second area of research of the Schnepp group is in science education. They are interested in how outreach activities impact interest and career aspirations in school children. They are also studying how science can be made more accessible for people with vision impairment. Zoe Schnepp leads ChemBAM (www.chembam.com), a multi award-winning outreach project.
Listen to Zoe speaking about her research on BBC World Service's Science In Action.