Matthew Bird

Centre for Doctoral Training Doctoral Researcher

 

Matt Bird
 

Address

School of Chemistry
University of Nottingham
University Park Nottingham
NG7 2RD
United Kingdom

Email

Matthew.Bird@nottingham.ac.uk

Lead Supervisor

Dr Darren Walsh

Research Summary                                                                            

Matthew Bird joined the Centre for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Research in September 2017 and is based in the Carbon Neutral Laboratory at the University of Nottingham, working under the supervision of Associate Professors Darren Walsh (Chemistry) and Ming Li (Chemical Engineering). Prior to this, he graduated from the University of Nottingham in July 2017 with a Master of Science degree in Chemistry. His research focuses on perovskite materials as catalysts for water electrolysis.

He is funded through the EPSRC CDT  in Fuel Cells and their fuels: EP/L015749/1.

Qualifications

MSci: Chemistry with an Assessed Year in Industry, University of Nottingham (2017).

Biography

Originally from Leicester, Matthew joined the University of Nottingham in 2013. An industrial placement year at 3M (Atherstone) developing coated abrasives for the automotive aftermarket taught him that there is more going on with sandpaper than anyone would imagine.

His Master’s research project was with Professor Robert Mokaya investigating activated carbons for CO2 storage with potential application in CCS systems. Porous activated carbons with surface areas up to 3000 m2 g-1 were synthesised and tested, some showing very favourable CO2 uptake properties.

Research

Although more well known for their use in solar cells, perovskite materials have shown promising characteristics for use in fuel cells and electrolysers. The use of perovskite materials (ABO3) as catalysts for the oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions in water splitting will be investigated. The ultimate aim is to develop a highly active and stable catalyst to help make the Hydrogen Economy a reality.

Other activities

Matthew is passionate about STEM outreach and has volunteered at several Big Bang Fairs including the national fair at the NEC and Birmingham and local school-based fairs in in Leicester and intends to continue to do so each year. He has been a member of the Creative Writing Society at the University of Nottingham since 2013. In 2017, he decided it would be a good idea to jump out of a plane, so joined the Skydiving Society as well.

Publications