Prof. Kathryn Toghill
Professor in Sustainable Electrochemistry & Energy Materials
Kathryn is an established academic researcher and Professor working in the broad field electrochemistry. Her research focuses on sustainable energy and processes, with specific projects relating to the valorisation of CO2 and electrochemical energy storage in particular long duration storage such as in flow batteries and green hydrogen. Her research also explores analytical electrochemistry, novel materials, water splitting and all manner of electrochemical processes. Her research has been funded by the EPSRC, CO2Chem Network and the ERC via their H2020 Starting Grant programme to explore a novel electrochemical approach to CO2 conversion and valorisation.
While the Toghill Group has grown, so has the Toghill-Adamson family, with Arthur joining in 2019 and Robbie in 2023. They can make working life a juggle, but also help inspire research project that will make way for a greener, cleaner world.
At Lancaster University Kathryn lectures in the Department of Chemistry, teaching Skills for Chemists, Electrochemistry, and Solar Energy Conversion and Storage. She is active in departmental outreach activities. Outside Kathryn is founder and coordinator of the UK Redox Flow Battery Network.
Background: Kathryn moved to Lancaster University in November 2014, to commence a lectureship in the newly opened Chemistry Department. Prior to this post, Kathryn was a Research Associate Ecole Polytechnique Federal de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland, working in the group of Prof Hubert Girault (LEPA), for three years. At EPFL Kathryn led research on redox flow batteries and hydrogen evolution, overseeing the installation of a 40 kWh hybrid energy storage system. Her work also involved the utilisation of carbon dioxide, specifically high pressure and supercritical fluid, where strategies for photochemical and electrochemical reduction were explored. Kathryn completed her DPhil (PhD) and EPSRC Postdoctoral Award at Oxford University under the supervision of Prof Richard Compton. here her research focused on the analytical applications of modified boron doped diamond electrodes, and the design and implementation of an electrochemical atomic force microscopy cell. Her undergraduate years were spent undertaking an MChem at Swansea University, with a year abroad spent in the University of Waterloo, Canada, working with Prof Linda Nazar. Kathryn's work in her third year abroad led to her first publication, in Nature Materials, and put her on the academic path with a focus on electrochemical energy storage and energy materials.
Postdoctoral Researchers
Dr Daniel Smith
Daniel studied his Natural Science degree at Lancaster University between the years of 2009 and 2012, studying various topics from both physics and chemistry. He undertook a MSc in Birmingham and then transitioned into the field of electrochemistry by joining the CDT in Fuel Cells and their Fuels at Nottingham University under the guidance of Dr Darren Walsh. His thesis concerned the use of ionic liquids as fuel cell solvents.
Daniel is with us on the ERC DeCO-HVP CO2 Reduction Project and is enthusiatic about the many avenues this project offers.
Dr Hamza Annath
Hamza joined the Toghill Group officially in January 2023. Prior to this, he was an innovation fellow for Lancaster University's GISMO programme seeking to link academia and business to solve research challenges. Hamza has a rich background in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, having worked in industry and straddled academia and industry projects in the UK. He joins us with a wealth of strategies to make new catalyst materials.
Hamza is with us on the ERC DeCO-HVP CO2 Reduction Project and is focussed on the design and synthesis of new catalyst materials.
Dr Luis Pinho
Luis joined the Toghill Group in January 2023. Prior to this, he was an innovation fellow for Lancaster University's GISMO programme seeking to link academia and business to solve research challenges. Hamza has a rich background in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, having worked in industry and straddled academia and industry projects in the UK. He joins us with a wealth of strategies to make new catalyst materials.
Hamza is with us on the ERC DeCO-HVP CO2 Reduction Project and is focussed on the desing and synthesis of new catalyst materials.
Dr Sonal Bajpai
Sonal joined the Toghill Group in May 2021 transferring from the Fielden Group. She recently passed her PhD viva on developing non-enzymatic electrochemical platforms for indicators of kindney disease. Following a brief research associate post in the group to evaluate albumin sensing, Sonal is now Entreperneural Lead for an iCURe Explore market discovery programme with Innovate UK. This is to explore the market potential of the creatinne sensing platform developed as part of her PhD research.
PhD Students
Sam Robertshaw (2019 -
Sam joined the Toghill Group in October 2019. He completed his MChem undergraduate degree in Bangor University, and a year in research on catalysis at Cardiff University in the Hutchings Group. His work is part of the ERC Starting grant funding, and concerns the application of MXenes as heterogeneous CO2 reduction catalysts.
Beth Murdock (2019 -
Beth joined the Toghill Group in October 2019 and is co-supervised by the Tapia-Ruiz Group also in Lancaster Chemistry Department. She completed her MChem undergraduate degree at Lancaster University, completing her final year project with the Tapia-Ruiz Group in 2019. Now, as part of the MSI Material Social Futures Leverhulme Doctoral Training Centre (MSF DTC) Beth will explore sustainable cathode materials for high voltage lithium ion batteries, approaching the work from a materials synthesis and electrochemistry perspective.
Mark Potter (2021 -
Mark has returned to the group to undertake a PhD on the ERC CO2 Reduction Project. He was formally with us for his MChem project in 2019-20 where he first evlautaed the iron mnt complex as a homogeneous catalyst for CO2 reduction. His role in the group now will be looking at redox mediators for decoupled reduction reactions.
Brian Lewis (2023 -
Brian joins the group after acheiving a first class Natural Science degree from Lancaster University. He has held a deep interest in electrochemistry since his second year studies and after a successful final 4th year project evaluating scanning probe tips for electrochemical systems, and an internship producing lithium ion battery materials, he has joined the Toghill Group to delve into affordable and scalable grid scale storage solutions. Brian will focus mostly on aqueous organic redox flow batteries.
MRes and Project Students
Group members Past
Hannah Lynn (2021-22)
Hannah is completing an MChem in Lancaster University. After a project in her third year with Kathryn, she elected to join us for more! Hannah is looking at the properties of magnetic graphene oxide as an electrode modifier for the determination of heavy metals.
Dhruv Trivedi - (2017 - 2021)
Dhruv studied his Chemistry degree at Lancaster University , where he completed a final year project with the Toghill Group, developing analytical methods to determine the liquid phase products of electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction. Dhruv then went on to continue his work on carbon dioxide reduction product analysis, extending from liquid hydrocarbon products to the gas phase products, as well as looking at a few electroanalytical techniques, catalysis and reaction cell design.
Dr Craig Armstrong (2015 - 2021)
Craig studied his Natural Science degree at Lancaster University between the years of 2011 and 2015, studying various topics from both physics and chemistry. He then transitioned into the field of electrochemistry by joining the Toghill Group in October 2015 as the founding student member. His research focuses on the rational design, synthesis and characterisation of new mediators for redox-flow batteries. As such, his work involves a diverse range of experimental techniques from oxygen-free synthesis to battery cycling. Craig completed his PhD in Septmber 2019, succesfully defending his thesis in December 2019. Craig was a PDRA withthe Toghill group until December 2021. He has now moved to Swansea University as a PDRA.
Megan Pritchard (2020-21)
Megan undertook a BSc in Chemistry at Lancaster University, and joined the Toghill Group in October 2020 as an MRes student. Her work has focussed on evaluating the performance of aqueous iron complexes for their application in flow batteries.
Callum Francis
(2019 - 2021)Callum joined the Toghill Group in October 2019. He completed his MChem undergraduate degree in Hull University. His work is part of ERC funding concerning the valorisation of CO2, and concerns the application of bimetallic materials as heterogeneous CO2 reduction catalysts. Callum moved to industry in May 2021.
Dr Behnam Bastani
2018 - 2021
Behnam joined the group in 2018. With his background in electronics engineering he obtained his PhD at UMIST on development of optical (bio)chemical sensors within The Department of Instrumentation and Analytical Sciences. He followed his research on real time detection of particles including bacteria and a range of chemical and biochemical analytes using various analytical techniques, including optical spectroscopy (UV-VIS, Raman, infra-red, fluorescence) and mass spectrometry. He has experience in polymer and paper microfluidics for biochemical sensors and biosensors.
Dr Ross Hogue
2018-19
Ross joined the Toghill Group in March 2018 having obtained his PhD under Professor Sally Brooker at the University of Otago, New Zealand in February 2018. Ross is an inorganic synthetic chemists, and his research focus in the group was around the rational and synthesis of redox non innocent ligands for use in flow batteries. He has now moved on to a prestigious Marie Curie Fellowship in Leiden University, the Netherlands.
Dr Declan Bryans
2018
Declan joined the Toghill Group in April 2018, after a fruitful PhD in Strathclyde under the supervision of Dr Len Berlouis. Declan brought his knowledge of chemical engineering and scaling up to the the Toghill group, as he worked to optimise the Zinc Bromine flow battery in Scotland. Declan is now working to evaluate and improve the kinetic performance of other known aqueous flow battery systems. Following a Knowledge Transfer Partnership, Declan now works for Mersden in Scotland.
Jack Pitchers
2017-18
Jack was a Natural Scientist and joined the group to undertake a final year Masters project. He explored new catalysts for electrochemical CO₂ reduction. Jack is now a PhD student in the Hutchings Group, Cardiff University.
Sam Winfield
2017-18
Sam was a 3rd year Environmental Chemist and did his final BSc project with us. His project consisted of synthesising and characterising redox non-innocent ligands for redox flow battery applications.
Jon Tanti
2016
Jon worked with the Toghill Group over the summer of 2016 optimising an electrochemical method for the determination of formaldehyde concentrations in complex media. This work was published in 2018.
Alise Cass
2015 – 16
Alise joined the Toghill Group to undertake her 4th year research project. Alise developed an electrochemical method of determining formaldehyde in complex media.