Dr Tiziana Denaro

Who am I?

I joined Manchester Fuel Cell Innovation Centre in early February 2019 with the position of Technical Facility Manager.
I have a Master’s Degree in Applied Physics and PhD in Materials Science and Electrochemistry with a focus on Environmental and Energy applications.
I started my career as a researcher at the “Institute for Advanced Technology for Energy (ITAE) Nicola Giordano”, a leading research centre in the field of renewable energy, part of the Italian National Centre of Research (CNR) in Messina, Italy. 
During this period, I was involved in collaborative research between the Centre and leading industries in the electrochemistry sector such as DeNora, FIAMM and Tozzi Renewable Energy Ltd operating in the field of renewable energy, fuel cell, battery and photovoltaic systems.

I have a broad experience in both private and public research, having covered scientific roles for leading companies (Dyesol, ITM Power, Arvia Technology) in electrochemical systems for different applications and working as a Post Doc with Prof. Kucernak’s group at the Imperial College London and as researcher at the Italian National Centre of Research. In my latest industrial role in Arvia Technology, I was the R&D Product Manager, leading research on water purification via electrochemical processes.

My background covers numerous electrochemical technologies including fuel cells, hydrogen generation technology and photovoltaics, with particular emphasis on the scaling up of processes, materials and devices. Specific expertise lies in the large area deposition of active materials including formulation science for ink development, deposition technologies (e.g. screen printing, spray coating and electrodeposition) and curing processes (thermal, UV, IR etc.). 
Key to these roles was the design and build of manufacturing and engineering solutions to enable scalable fabrication and the associated product and process validation of industrially relevant techniques. This directly contributed towards the commercialisation of enabling technologies in the fields of renewable energy, water purification and the hydrogen economy.

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Academic Biography

Academic and professional qualifications

Master Degree in Physics,  Department of Physics, University of Messina (Italy)
“Small Angle Neutron Scattering in bio-molecular solution” 

PhD in “Materials for the Environment and Energy”, Department of Material Engineering, University of Rome “Tor Vergata” (Italy)
“Physico-chemical and photo-electrochemical characterization of nano-structured materials for solar energy conversion and hydrogen production by photo-electrolysis”

NEBOSH Certificate NGC1, NGC2 (Health and Safety managment)

Previous employment

Research and Development Manager – Arvia Technology Ltd  (2017-2019)

Post Doc Research Associated –  Kucernak’s group-  Imperial College London (2016-2017)

Senior Electrochemist – ITM Power – (2013- 2016)

Project Scientist – Dyesol (Graetcell Solar) (2009-2013)

Research Scientist – Italian National Council of Research (CNR) – Institute of Advanced Technologies for Energy (ITAE)  “Nicola Giordano” (2005-2009)

Languages

• Sicilian
• Italian
• English

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Research Expertise, Publications & Grants

Invited papers

Scientific publications:

S. Siracusano, T. Denaro, V. Antonucci, A. S. Aricò, C. Urgheghe, F. Federico 
“Study of oxygen-depolarized Ag-based cathode catalysts for electrolysis in chlor-alkali cell “
Journal Applied Electrochemistry, 38, 1637-1646 (2008)

V. Baglio, A. Di Blasi, T. Denaro, V. Antonucci, A. S. Aricò
“Optimization of Electrode Properties for Low Temperature DMFC applications”
Journal of New Materials for Electrochemical Systems 11, 165-174 (2008)

V. Baglio, A. Di Blasi, T. Denaro, V. Antonucci, A. S. Aricò, R. Ornelas, F. Matteucci, G. Alonso, L. Morales, G. Orozco and L. G. Arriaga
“Synthesis, Characterization and Evaluation of IrO2-RuO2 Electrocatalytic Powders for Oxygen Evolution Reaction”
Journal of New Materials for Electrochemical Systems 11, 105-108 (2008)

T. Denaro, V. Baglio, M. Girolamo, V. Antonucci, A. S. Arico’, F. Matteucci and R. Ornelas
“Investigation of low cost carbonaceous materials for application as counter electrode in Dye-sensitized Solar Cells”
Journal of Applied Electrochemistry 39, 2173-2179 (2009)

Denaro, T., Baglio, V., Girolamo, M., Neri, G., Deorsola, F., Ornelas, R., Matteucci, F.,  Antonucci, V., Aricò, A.S. 

“The influence of physico-chemical properties of bare titania powders obtained from various synthesis routes on their photo-electrochemical performance”                                               International Journal of Electrochemical Science Vol. 7, Iss. 3, 2254-2275 (2012)

Conferences Proceedings:

V. Baglio, A. Di Blasi, A. Stassi, C. D’Urso, T. Denaro, V. Antonucci, A. S. Aricò
“Electrochemical Behaviour of Bimetallic Pt-M/C Catalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction in DMFCs”
209th ECS Meeting, Denver, Colorado, USA, May 2006.

V. Baglio, A. Stassi, A. Di Blasi, C. D’Urso, T. Denaro, V. Antonucci, A.S. Aricò 
“Investigation of bimetallic Pt-M/C as DMFC cathode catalysts”
57th Annual Meeting of the International Society of Electrochemistry (ISE), Edinburgh, UK, August 2006

S. Siracusano, T. Denaro, V. Antonucci, A. S. Aricò, C. Urgheghe, F. Federico 
“Study of oxygen-depolarized Ag-based cathode catalysts for electrolysis in chlor-alkali cell “
GEI-ERA 2007, Cagliari, Italia, Luglio 2007

S. Siracusano, T. Denaro, V. Antonucci, A. S. Aricò, C. Urgheghe, F. Federico 
“Study of oxygen-depolarized Ag-based cathode catalysts for electrolysis in chlor-alkali cell “
58th Annual Meeting of the International Society of Electrochemistry, Banff, Canada, September 2007

A. Di Blasi, V. Baglio, T. Denaro, V. Antonucci, A.S. Aricò
“Optimization of Electrode Properties for Low Temperature DMFC Applications Under Forced Convection Flow”
Fuel Cell Seminar 2007, San Antonio, Texas, USA, October 2007

V. Baglio, A. Di Blasi, T. Denaro, V. Antonucci, A. S. Aricò
“Optimization of Electrode Structure for Low Temperature DMFCs”
International Symposium on Innovative Materials for Process in Energy Systems, Kyoto, Japan, October 2007

T. Denaro, V. Baglio, M. Girolamo, F. Matteucci, R. Ornelas, V. Antonucci, A. Aricò
“ Materiali a basso costo, alternativi al Pt, come controelettrodo nelle DSSC”
GEI-ERA 2008, Genova, Italia, Giugno 2008

Francesca Martina, Isabella Zama, Francesco Matteucci, Giuseppe Gigli Giuseppe Ciccarella, Antonino Aricò, Tiziana Denaro
“Novel TiO2-based nanogel electrolyte for DSSC”
Nanotech Northern Europe 2008, 23-25 September, Copenhagen (Denmark)