Dr Laurie King

---

Who am I?

I am a Material Chemist working in the field of electrocatalysis and electrochemical storage and conversion technologies.  In brief, our research is focused on developing new materials and fundamental understanding to develop clean, sustainable and green technologies for a Net Zero future.  More specifically, our research group is focused on the design, discovery and characterisation of new materials and catalyst motifs.  In particular, we are interested in characterising these materials in fuel cells and electrolysers. This involves nanoparticle synthesis as well as extensive materials and electrochemical characterisation.  Our work is highly collaboratively, and we currently work theoreticians, beamline scientists, microscopists, engineers and more.  

---

Academic Biography

Academic and professional qualifications

• Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education.  Manchester Met, 2020
• Ph.D., Materials Chemistry, Imperial College London, UK, 2013
• M.Chem., Durham University, UK, 2009

Previous employment

• Research Engineer, SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, Stanford University, US (2017 – 2019)
• Post Doctoral Scholar, SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, Stanford University, US (2015 – 2017)
• Post Doctoral Scholar, Department of Chemistry, University of Wyoming, US (2013 – 2015)

Other academic service (administration and management)

• Secretary to Royal Society of Chemistry Manchester Local Section (March 2020 – present).
• MSc Advanced Materials, Programme Leader 

---

Teaching & Research Supervision

Why study Materials Chemistry ?

Undergraduate courses

Chemistry & Society 2 – In particular, we focus on semiconductors and solar cells in my portion of the course.  We seek to explore 1) how a solar cell works, 2) how solar cells are manufactured in industry and research labs todays, and 3) how to understand the performance of a solar cell (e.g. how efficient is a solar cell?).  This course is an excellent opportunity for students to learn about technologies that is essentail for the globe to reduce our carbon emissions and meet renewable energy targets.     

Frontiers (MChem) & Energy Materials (MSc Advanced Materials).  In this course we discuss next-generation energy storage and conversion technologies.  Specifically, we discuss the challenges and opportunities of energy production technologies (from fossil fuels to renewables to green hydrogen).  Primarily, we focus on energy technologies that provide transformative routes to large-scale decarbonisation of energy.  From lithium ion batteries, to supercapacitors and fuel cells, we will discuss how these technologies work and the materials that are essential to their operation.  This course provides students with the required knowledge to understand how our future energy and electricity requirements will meet Net Zero requirements.  

Bulk Characterisation (MSc Advanced Materials).  This course provides an in depth discussion to enable students to gain an expert understanding of numerous bulk characterisation techniques.  Specifically, in my portion of the class I will teach x-ray diffraction (XRD) and secondary electron microscopy (SEM).  The course is designed to incorporate numerous research examples so that students become familiar with interpretating and assessing data in industry and academia.  

Physical Chemistry Labs (Second year).  All second year Chemists join us to apply our physical chemistry knowledge in the laboratory.  From kinetics, thermodynamics and surface chemistry we give students a broad and wide ranging experience of applying theory.  Beyond our work together in the lab, learning to produce high quality figures and interpret findings is an essential learning outcome for your future careers – no matter which profession you pursue.  

BSc, MChem and MSc Project Supervision.  Interested in understanding materials and how we can apply our knowledge for a green and sustainable future?  Research projects are available for motivated students who want to learn to synthesise advanced functional nano-materials as well as materials and electrochemical characterisations.   

Postgraduate supervision (completed/in progress)

Debora Belami (2020 – present)

---

Research Expertise, Publications & Grants

Research expertise

Overview

Research in the King Lab is focused on the design, synthesis and characterisation of materials and catalysts with interesting and unique properties for applications in renewable energy conversion and storage technologies.  Our work is motivated by the need to design a more sustainable and green future.  Our research is highly collaborative, engaging with numerous industrial and academic partners and lies at the interface of chemistry, materials science and physics. 

Primary Research Themes

• Catalyst design and discovery
• Characterisation of heterogeneous catalysts
• Electrolysis & fuel cell technologies
• Electrosynthesis of alternative fuels & commodity chemicals

Research Background

Electrocatalysis are central to numerous energy conversion and storage technologies.  Our approach is to explore fundamental understanding of materials and catalysts to drive the discovery of catalysts with enhnaced activity, selectivity and durability.  

Interested in working with us?

We are always interested in hearing from highly motivated students, researchers as well as industry who would like to discuss research opportunities and collaborations.

Academic collaborations

Prof. Andy Beale, UCL 

Prof. Magnus Rønning, NTNU

Prof. Peter Kelly, MFCIC

Dr Yagya Regmi, MFCIC

Dr Melis Duyar, University of Surrey

Prof. James Kwan, Oxford University

Publications

• Journal articlesMA. Hubert, A. Gallo, Y. Liu, E. Valle, J. Sanchez, et al. (2022). Characterization of a Dynamic Y2Ir2O7 Catalyst during the Oxygen Evolution Reaction in Acid. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C. 126(4), pp.1751-1760. L. Wang, H. Peng, S. Lamaison, Z. Qi, DM. Koshy, et al. (2021). Bimetallic effects on Zn-Cu electrocatalysts enhance activity and selectivity for the conversion of CO2 to CO. Chem Catalysis. 1(3), pp.663-680. MA. Hubert, AM. Patel, A. Gallo, Y. Liu, E. Valle, et al. (2020). Acidic Oxygen Evolution Reaction Activity–Stability Relationships in Ru-Based Pyrochlores. ACS Catalysis. 10(20), pp.12182-12196. G. Chen, MB. Stevens, Y. Liu, LA. King, J. Park, et al. (2020). Nanosized Zirconium Porphyrinic Metal–Organic Frameworks that Catalyze the Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Acid. Small Methods. 4(10), pp.2000085-2000085. M. Ben-Naim, RJ. Britto, CW. Aldridge, R. Mow, MA. Steiner, et al. (2020). Addressing the Stability Gap in Photoelectrochemistry: Molybdenum Disulfide Protective Catalysts for Tandem III–V Unassisted Solar Water Splitting. ACS Energy Letters. 5(8), pp.2631-2640. ME. Kreider, MB. Stevens, Y. Liu, AM. Patel, MJ. Statt, et al. (2020). Nitride or Oxynitride? Elucidating the Composition–Activity Relationships in Molybdenum Nitride Electrocatalysts for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction. Chemistry of Materials. 32(7), pp.2946-2960. LA. King, MA. Hubert, C. Capuano, J. Manco, N. Danilovic, et al. (2019). A non-precious metal hydrogen catalyst in a commercial polymer electrolyte membrane electrolyser. Nature Nanotechnology. 14(11), pp.1071-1074. JA. Gauthier, LA. King, FT. Stults, RA. Flores, J. Kibsgaard, et al. (2019). Transition Metal Arsenide Catalysts for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C. 123(39), pp.24007-24012. J. Sanchez, TR. Hellstern, LA. King, TF. Jaramillo (2019). Surface Engineering of 3D Gas Diffusion Electrodes for High‐Performance H2 Production with Nonprecious Metal Catalysts. Advanced Energy Materials. 9(40), pp.1901824-1901824. AL. Strickler, RA. Flores, LA. King, JK. Nørskov, M. Bajdich, et al. (2019). Systematic Investigation of Iridium-Based Bimetallic Thin Film Catalysts for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction in Acidic Media. ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. 11(37), pp.34059-34066. ME. Kreider, A. Gallo, S. Back, Y. Liu, S. Siahrostami, et al. (2019). Precious Metal-Free Nickel Nitride Catalyst for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction. ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. 11(30), pp.26863-26871. TR. Hellstern, AC. Nielander, P. Chakthranont, LA. King, JJ. Willis, et al. (2019). Nanostructuring Strategies To Increase the Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting Activity of Silicon Photocathodes. ACS Applied Nano Materials. 2(1), pp.6-11. LA. King, TR. Hellstern, J. Park, R. Sinclair, TF. Jaramillo (2017). Highly Stable Molybdenum Disulfide Protected Silicon Photocathodes for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting. ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. 9(42), pp.36792-36798. YN. Regmi, A. Roy, LA. King, DA. Cullen, HM. Meyer, et al. (2017). Lattice Matched Carbide–Phosphide Composites with Superior Electrocatalytic Activity and Stability. Chemistry of Materials. 29(21), pp.9369-9377. TR. Hellstern, J. Kibsgaard, C. Tsai, DW. Palm, LA. King, et al. (2017). Investigating Catalyst–Support Interactions To Improve the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction Activity of Thiomolybdate [Mo3S13]2– Nanoclusters. ACS Catalysis. 7(10), pp.7126-7130. L. Kubie, LA. King, ME. Kern, JR. Murphy, S. Kattel, et al. (2017). Synthesis and Characterization of Ultrathin Silver Sulfide Nanoplatelets. ACS Nano. 11(8), pp.8471-8477. LA. King, BA. Parkinson (2017). Probing the Relative Photoinjection Yields of Monomer and Aggregated Dyes into ZnO Crystals. Langmuir: the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids. 33(2), pp.468-474. LA. King, Q. Yang, ML. Grossett, Z. Galazka, R. Uecker, et al. (2016). Photosensitization of Natural and Synthetic SnO2 Single Crystals with Dyes and Quantum Dots. Journal of Physical Chemistry C. 120(29), pp.15735-15742. LA. King, BA. Parkinson (2016). Photosensitization of ZnO Crystals with Iodide-Capped PbSe Quantum Dots. Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters. 7(14), pp.2844-2848. LA. King, W. Zhao, L. Danos, DJ. Riley (2014). Activation of CdSe quantum dots after exposure to polysulfide. Journal of Physical Chemistry C. 118(26), pp.14555-14561. LA. King, W. Zhao, M. Chhowalla, DJ. Riley, G. Eda (2013). Photoelectrochemical properties of chemically exfoliated MoS2. Journal of Materials Chemistry A. 1(31), pp.8935-8941. LA. King, DJ. Riley (2012). Importance of QD purification procedure on surface adsorbance of QDs and performance of QD sensitized photoanodes. Journal of Physical Chemistry C. 116(5), pp.3349-3355. 
• Chapters in booksLA. King, ME. Kern, BA. Parkinson (2015). Sensitization of Single Crystal Substrates. In: ACS Symposium Series. pp.1-45. 
• ConferencesY. Regmi, T. Lau, D. Decarolis, A. Beale, M. Ronning, et al. (2023). Supported Iridium Catalysts for Water Electrolysers. In: https://ecs.confex.com/ecs/244/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/175537. Gothenburg, Sweden, 8/10/2023. LA. King (2018). Electrocatalysis for sustainable energy storage and conversion. In: Meet the Faculty Candidate Poster Session – Sponsored by the Education Division 2018 – Core Programming Area at the 2018 AIChE Annual Meeting. pp.195-197. 

Conference organisation

Committee Chair for the SUNCAT Summer Institute 2019

Expert reviewer for journals and publishers

Peer Reviewer for numerous journals including: Nature, Nature Communications, Joule-Chem, ACS Catalysis, ACS Appl. Mater. Inter., ACS Omega, Electrochim. Acta, Electrochem. Commun.

---

Engagement & Knowledge Exchange

Impact and influence on policy

• Technical expert to All-Party Parliamentary Climate Change Group (APPCCG) on the topic of hydrogen fuel cells for decarbonisation of transportation in the UK. (March – October 2020).
• Published essay with MP Alexander Stafford titled “Achieving Net Zero Emissions from the UK Transport Sector by 2050: The role of Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles” as part of the APPCCG Net Zero Exchanges: Connecting policy and research for climate action.  
• Technical Reviewer for the Henry Royce Institute “Materials for the Energy Transition Roadmap: Materials for low-carbon production of hydrogen and related energy carriers and chemical feedstocks”. March – July 2020.

Media appearances or involvement

• Expert interviewee invited by BBC 4 “The Bottom Line” to discuss the “Hydrogen Future” aired on Thursday 18th March 2021.

---

Awards, Honours & Distinctions

Expert reviewer for external funding bodies

• Member of the Associate College of EPSRC Reviewers (2021 – onwards)
• Invited reviewer for Office of Basic Energy Sciences (BES) within the US Department of Energy Office of Science.

Membership of professional associations

• Member of Royal Society of Chemistry (MRSC)