Dr Jennifer Edwards
(she/her)

: Available for postgraduate supervision

Teams and roles for Jennifer Edwards

Reader
Chemistry

Broadly speaking our interests lie in the development of novel materials for use in heterogeneous and photo catalysis. These materials are designed for a wide variety of sustainable chemical transformations, from water sanitisation to cleaning up large scale industrial processes. We also work on identifying and utilising new renewable waste streams, diverting tonnes of waste from landfill and creating a more circular chemical economy. We work closely with a number of international industrial companies and concurrently to these we also wish to develop processes and materials which will enable us to tackle serious global issues such as global warming (through CO₂ sequestration) and water sanitisation.

For more information, click on the 'Research' tab above.

My PhD and post-doctoral work focused on the design and development of precious metal catalysts, and utilising them in a variety of valuable industrial processes, noticeable the direct synthesis of hydrogen peroxide. Our extensive research into this area has shown that small, finely divided particles of alloyed Au and Pd facilitate high selectivity in the reaction, where near 100% of the H₂ is incorporated into the H₂O₂ and no water is formed. This is a key requisite for an industrial process, and we have published a number of patents on this process.

My work in Tokyo Metropolitan University with Professor Haruta allowed me to develop and improve catalysts preparation methodology, and much reduce the amount of metal contained in the final catalyst, either through direct preparation or through post metal leaching. In this case, materials that contain 0.05% metal have the same activity as materials carrying 100x more metal.

The Clara Immerwhar award and subsequent collaboration with Professor Strasser in TU Berlin has allowed us to access a number of highly active, stable materials in a facile manner using microwave technology, that rival materials that tend to require much longer (>24h) preparation times.

Following my chancellors research fellowship, I have expanded these themes and have active research projects investigating the mechanism of nanoparticle formation, effect of surface groups on alloy shape composition, adding value to cellulosic waste streams and water/surface disinfection amongst others, with a strong focus on green chemistry. We are embedded within the collaborative CCI research environment, and work closely our computation and microscopy focussed colleagues, and external research groups in Japan, the USA and within the EU.

We are open to support fellowship applications, self-funded PhD research students and collaborations!

For more information on specific projects available with Dr Jennifer Edwards please review the Catalysis and interfacial science section of our research project themes.

CH2306 Application of research methods
CHT225 Practical Catalytic Chemistry

BSc in Chemistry with Biological Science in 2003. PhD in heterogeneous catalysis (2006) with Professor Graham Hutchings, FRS (Direct Synthesis of Hydrogen Peroxide using Catalysts containing Gold) post doctoral research associate in Cardiff Catalysis Institute 2007-2012. JSPS fellowship at Tokyo Metropolitan University with Professor Haruta, 2010. Chancellor's research fellowship awarded 2013 (Cardiff Catalysis Institute, Cardiff University School of Chemistry).