Dr Andrea Folli
(he/him)
University Research Fellow in Electrocatalysis
- FolliA@cardiff.ac.uk
- +44 29225 12471
- Translational Research Hub, Floor 3, Room 3.22, Maindy Road, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ
- Available for postgraduate supervision
Overview
Andrea Folli is a University Research Fellow in Electrocatalysis and a member of the management team of Cardiff University Net Zero Innovation Institute, i.e., the Innovation Institute of Cardiff University tasked with delivering the vital innovation, collaboration, and technological advances needed to achieve Net Zero, see here.
He has published more than 50 academic papers, one book chapter, and one patent application. His current work focuses on the investigation of structure-activity relationships in photoredox and electrocatalysis. The group make use of advanced Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy and associated hyperfine techniques in combination with electrochemical methods and electrochemical spectroscopies to improve our understanding of solar to chemical energy conversion and production of solar fuels, catalysts for green chemistry, and radical chemistry for disinfection and biomedical applications.
As a management team member of the Cardiff University Net Zero Innovation Institute (NZII), Andrea coordinates matters related to ECRs, representing their views, and advocating for their needs, perspectives, and training.
Publication
2024
- Avella, E., Folli, A. and Cuesta, A. 2024. Inhibition of photocatalyst‐assisted electron transfer at ITIES under simulated solar irradiation‐the role of supporting electrolyte. ChemElectroChem, article number: e202400333. (10.1002/celc.202400333)
- Karunakaran, A. et al. 2024. Molecularly rigid porous polyamine host enhances barium titanate catalysed H 2 O 2 generation †. New Journal of Chemistry (10.1039/d4nj03460k)
- Silva, A., Hurdley, F., de Oliveira, A. L. M., Slater, T., da Silva Maia, A., Folli, A. and dos Santos, I. M. G. 2024. An EPR investigation on reduced Sn centres in SrSnO3 perovskite. Materials Letters 368, article number: 136705. (10.1016/j.matlet.2024.136705)
- Thangavel, K., Folli, A., Fischer, M., Hartmann, M., Murphy, D. M. and Pöppl, A. 2024. Utilizing EPR spectroscopy to investigate the liquid adsorption properties of bimetallic MIL-53(Al/Cr) MOF †. RSC Advances 14(6), pp. 4244-4251. (10.1039/d3ra07952j)
- Fioco, D., Folli, A., Platts, J., Chiesa, M. and Murphy, D. M. 2024. A continuous-wave EPR investigation into the photochemical transformations of the chromium(I) carbonyl complex [Cr(CO)4bis(diphenylphosphino)]+ and reactivity with 1-hexene. Molecules 29(2), article number: 392. (10.3390/molecules29020392)
2023
- Maliutina, K. M., Omoriyekomwan, J. E., He, C., Fan, L. and Folli, A. 2023. Biomass-derived carbon nanostructures and their applications as electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution and oxygen reduction/evolution. Frontiers in Environmental Engineering 2, article number: 1228992. (10.3389/fenve.2023.1228992)
- Wang, S. et al. 2023. H2-reduced phosphomolybdate promotes room-temperature aerobic oxidation of methane to methanol. Nature Catalysis 6, pp. 895-905. (10.1038/s41929-023-01011-5)
- Thangavel, K., Folli, A., Ziese, M., Hausdorf, S., Kaskel, S., Murphy, D. M. and Pöppl, A. 2023. EPR and SQUID interrogations of Cr(III) trimer complexes in the MIL-101(Cr) and bimetallic MIL-100(Al/Cr) MOFs. SciPost Physics Proceedings 11, article number: 16. (10.21468/SciPostPhysProc.11.016)
- Thangavel, K. et al. 2023. Unveiling the atomistic and electronic structure of Ni II –NO adduct in a MOF-based catalyst by EPR spectroscopy and quantum chemical modelling †. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics (10.1039/d3cp01449e)
- Magri, G. et al. 2023. An in-situ study of the thermal decomposition of 2,2'-azobis(2-methylpropionitrile) radical chemistry using a dual-mode EPR resonator. Research on Chemical Intermediates 49, pp. 289-305. (10.1007/s11164-022-04861-z)
- Thangavel, K. et al. 2023. Magnetic coupling of divalent metal centers in postsynthetic metal exchanged bimetallic DUT-49 MOFs by EPR spectroscopy. AIP Advances 13(1), article number: 15019. (10.1063/9.0000532)
2022
- Taylor, R. L., Housley, D., Barter, M., Porch, A., Whiston, K., Folli, A. and Murphy, D. M. 2022. The influence of solvent composition on the coordination environment of the Co/Mn/Br based para-xylene oxidation catalyst as revealed by EPR and ESEEM spectroscopy. Catalysis Science & Technology 12, pp. 5274-5280. (10.1039/D2CY00496H)
- Barter, M. et al. 2022. Design considerations of a dual mode X-band EPR resonator for rapid in-situ microwave heating. Applied Magnetic Resonance 53, pp. 861-874. (10.1007/s00723-022-01463-1)
- Magri, G., Folli, A. and Murphy, D. M. 2022. Monitoring the substrate-induced spin-state distribution in a Cobalt(II)-Salen complex by EPR and DFT. European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry 2022(9), article number: e202101071. (10.1002/ejic.202101071)
- Blackaby, W. J. M. et al. 2022. Extreme g-Tensor anisotropy and its insensitivity to structural distortions in a family of linear two-coordinate Ni(I) Bis-N-heterocyclic carbene complexes. Inorganic Chemistry 61(3), pp. 1308-1315. (10.1021/acs.inorgchem.1c02413)
2021
- Gorman, S., Rickaby, K., Lu, L., Kiely, C. J., Macphee, D. E. and Folli, A. 2021. A combination of EPR, microscopy, electrophoresis and theory to elucidate the chemistry of W- and N-Doped TiO2 nanoparticle/water interfaces. Catalysts 11(11), article number: 1305. (10.3390/catal11111305)
- Pezzetta, C., Folli, A., Matuszewska, O., Murphy, D., Davidson, R. W. M. and Bonifazi, D. 2021. peri‐xanthenoxanthene (PXX): a versatile organic photocatalyst in organic synthesis. Advanced Synthesis and Catalysis 363(20), pp. 4740-4753. (10.1002/adsc.202100030)
- Spencer, J. N., Folli, A., Ren, H. and Murphy, D. M. 2021. An EPR Investigation of defect structure and electron transfer mechanism in mixed-conductive LiBO2-V2O5 glasses. Journal of Materials Chemistry A: materials for energy and sustainability 9(31), pp. 16917-16927. (10.1039/D1TA02352G)
- Richards, T. et al. 2021. A residue-free approach to water disinfection using catalytic in situ generation of reactive oxygen species. Nature Catalysis 4, pp. 575-585. (10.1038/s41929-021-00642-w)
- Crombie, C. M. et al. 2021. Enhanced selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol via in situ H2O2 production over supported Pd-based catalysts. ACS Catalysis 11, pp. 2701–2714. (10.1021/acscatal.0c04586)
- Folli, A., Ritterskamp, N., Richards, E., Platts, J. A. and Murphy, D. M. 2021. Probing the structure of copper(II)-casiopeina type coordination complexes [Cu(O-O)(N-N)]+ by EPR and ENDOR spectroscopy. Journal of Catalysis 394, pp. 220-227. (10.1016/j.jcat.2020.07.016)
- Underhill, R. et al. 2021. Ambient base-free glycerol oxidation over bimetallic PdFe/SiO2 by in situ generated active oxygen species. Research on Chemical Intermediates 47, pp. 303-324. (10.1007/s11164-020-04333-2)
2020
- Guadix-Montero, S., Santos-Hernandez, A., Folli, A. and Meenakshisundaram, S. 2020. Effect of support acidity during selective hydrogenolysis of glycerol over supported palladium-ruthenium catalysts. Philosophical Transactions A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences 378(2176), article number: 20200055. (10.1098/rsta.2020.0055)
- Dordevic, L. et al. 2020. O-doped nanographenes: a pyrano/pyrylium route towards semiconducting cationic mixed-valence complexes. Angewandte Chemie International Edition 59(10), pp. 4106-4114. (10.1002/anie.201914025)
- Folli, A. et al. 2020. A novel dual mode X-band EPR resonator for rapid in situ microwave heating. Journal of Magnetic Resonance 310, article number: 106644. (10.1016/j.jmr.2019.106644)
2019
- Luckham, S. L. J., Folli, A., Platts, J. A., Richards, E. and Murphy, D. M. 2019. Unravelling the photochemical transformations of chromium(I) 1,3 Bis(diphenylphosphino), [Cr(CO)4(dppp)]+, by EPR spectroscopy. Organometallics 38(12), pp. -. (10.1021/acs.organomet.9b00226)
2018
- Spencer, J., Folli, A., Richards, E. and Murphy, D. M. 2018. Applications of electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy for interrogating catalytic systems. In: Chechik, V. and Murphy, D. M. eds. Electron Paramagnetic Resonance., Vol. 26. Royal Society of Chemistry, pp. 130-170., (10.1039/9781788013888-00130)
- Liu, Z., Mariani, A., Wu, L., Ritson, D., Folli, A., Murphy, D. and Sutherland, J. 2018. Tuning the reactivity of nitriles using Cu(ii) catalysis - potentially prebiotic activation of nucleotides. Chemical Science 9(35), pp. 7053-7057. (10.1039/C8SC02513D)
- Patzsch, J., Spencer, J., Folli, A. and Bloh, J. Z. 2018. Grafted iron(iii) ions significantly enhance NO2 oxidation rate and selectivity of TiO2 for photocatalytic NOx abatement. RSC Advances 8(49), pp. 27674-27685. (10.1039/C8RA05017A)
- Buckingham, M. A., Cunningham, W., Bull, S. D., Buchard, A., Folli, A., Murphy, D. M. and Marken, F. 2018. Electrochemically driven C-H hydrogen abstraction processes with the tetrachloro-phthalimido-N-oxyl (Cl4PINO) catalyst. Electroanalysis 30(8), pp. 1698-1705. (10.1002/elan.201800147)
- Sciutto, A., Fermi, A., Folli, A., Battisti, T., Beames, J., Murphy, D. and Bonifazi, D. 2018. Customizing photoredox properties of PXX-based dyes through energy level rigid shifts of frontier molecular orbitals. Chemistry - a European Journal 24(17), pp. 4382-4389. (10.1002/chem.201705620)
- Folli, A. et al. 2018. Improving the selectivity of photocatalytic NOx abatement through improved O2 reduction pathways using Ti0.909W0.091O2Nx semiconductor nanoparticles: from characterisation to photocatalytic performance. ACS Catalysis 8(8), pp. 6927-6938. (10.1021/acscatal.8b00521)
2017
- Blackaby, W. J. M. et al. 2017. Mono- and dinuclear Ni(i) products formed upon bromide abstraction from the Ni(i) ring-expanded NHC complex [Ni(6-Mes)(PPh3)Br]. Dalton Transactions 47(3), pp. 769-782. (10.1039/C7DT04187J)
- Patzsch, J., Folli, A., Macphee, D. E. and Bloh, J. Z. 2017. On the underlying mechanisms of the low observed nitrate selectivity in photocatalytic NOx abatement and the importance of the oxygen reduction reaction. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 19, article number: 32678. (10.1039/C7CP05960D)
- Ritterskamp, N., Sharples, K., Richards, E., Folli, A., Chiesa, M., Platts, J. A. and Murphy, D. M. 2017. Understanding the coordination modes of [Cu(acac)2(imidazole)n=1,2] adducts by EPR, ENDOR, HYSCORE, and DFT analysis. Inorganic Chemistry 56(19), pp. 11862-11875. (10.1021/acs.inorgchem.7b01874)
2016
- Pelties, S., Carter, E., Folli, A., Mahon, M. F., Murphy, D. M., Whittlesey, M. K. and Wolf, R. 2016. Influence of ring-expanded N-heterocyclic carbenes on the structures of half-sandwich Ni(I) complexes: an x-ray, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) study. Inorganic Chemistry 55(21), pp. 11006-11017. (10.1021/acs.inorgchem.6b01540)
- Folli, A., Bloh, J. and Macphee, D. 2016. Band structure and charge carrier dynamics in (W,N)-codoped TiO 2 resolved by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy combined with UV–vis and EPR spectroscopies. Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry 780, pp. 367-372. (10.1016/j.jelechem.2015.10.033)
- Macphee, D. E. and Folli, A. 2016. Photocatalytic concretes - the interface between photocatalysis and cement chemistry. Cement and Concrete Research 85, pp. 48-54. (10.1016/j.cemconres.2016.03.007)
- Hopper, H. et al. 2016. An investigation of the optical properties and water splitting potential of the coloured metallic perovskites Sr1−xBaxMoO3. Journal of Solid State Chemistry 234, pp. 87-92. (10.1016/j.jssc.2015.12.002)
2015
- Folli, A. et al. 2015. Field study of air purifying paving elements containing TiO2. Atmospheric Environment 107, pp. 44-51. (10.1016/j.atmosenv.2015.02.025)
- Folli, A., Bloh, J. Z., Lecaplain, A., Walker, R. and Macphee, D. E. 2015. Properties and photochemistry of valence-induced-Ti3+ enriched (Nb,N)-codoped anatase TiO2 semiconductors. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 17(7), pp. 4849-4853. (10.1039/C4CP05521G)
2014
- Bloh, J. Z., Folli, A. and Macphee, D. E. 2014. Photocatalytic NOx abatement: Why the selectivity matters. RSC Advances 4(86), pp. 45726-45734. (10.1039/C4RA07916G)
- Bloh, J. Z., Folli, A. and Macphee, D. E. 2014. Adjusting nitrogen doping level in titanium dioxide by codoping with tungsten: Properties and band structure of the resulting materials. Journal of Physical Chemistry C 118(36), pp. 21281-21292. (10.1021/jp507264g)
- Folli, A., Bloh, J. Z., Strøm, M., Pilegaard Madsen, T., Henriksen, T. and Macphee, D. E. 2014. Efficiency of solar-light-driven TiO2 photocatalysis at different latitudes and seasons. Where and when does TiO2 really work?. Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters 5(5), pp. 830-832. (10.1021/jz402704n)
2013
- Folli, A., Bloh, J. Z., Beukes, E., Howe, R. F. and Macphee, D. E. 2013. Photogenerated charge carriers and paramagnetic species in (W,N)-codoped TiO2 photocatalysts under visible-light irradiation: An EPR study. Journal of Physical Chemistry C 117(42), pp. 22149. (10.1021/jp408181r)
2012
- Folli, A., Pade, C., Hansen, T. B., De Marco, T. and Macphee, D. E. 2012. TiO2 photocatalysis in cementitious systems: Insights into self-cleaning and depollution chemistry. Cement and Concrete Research 42(3), pp. 539-548. (10.1016/j.cemconres.2011.12.001)
2011
- Folli, A., Campbell, S. B., Anderson, J. A. and Macphee, D. E. 2011. Role of TiO2 surface hydration on NO oxidation photo-activity. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry 220(2-3), pp. 85-93. (10.1016/j.jphotochem.2011.03.017)
2010
- Folli, A., Pochard, I., Nonat, A., Jakobsen, U. H., Shepherd, A. M. and Macphee, D. E. 2010. Engineering photocatalytic cements: Understanding TiO2 surface chemistry to control and modulate photocatalytic performances. Journal of the American Ceramic Society 93(10), pp. 3360-3369. (10.1111/j.1551-2916.2010.03838.x)
2009
- Folli, A., Jakobsen, U. H., Guerrini, G. L. and Macphee, D. E. 2009. Rhodamine B discolouration on TiO2 in the cement environment: A look at fundamental aspects of the self-cleaning effect in concretes. Journal of Advanced Oxidation Technologies 12(1), pp. 126-133. (10.1515/jaots-2009-0116)
Articles
- Avella, E., Folli, A. and Cuesta, A. 2024. Inhibition of photocatalyst‐assisted electron transfer at ITIES under simulated solar irradiation‐the role of supporting electrolyte. ChemElectroChem, article number: e202400333. (10.1002/celc.202400333)
- Karunakaran, A. et al. 2024. Molecularly rigid porous polyamine host enhances barium titanate catalysed H 2 O 2 generation †. New Journal of Chemistry (10.1039/d4nj03460k)
- Silva, A., Hurdley, F., de Oliveira, A. L. M., Slater, T., da Silva Maia, A., Folli, A. and dos Santos, I. M. G. 2024. An EPR investigation on reduced Sn centres in SrSnO3 perovskite. Materials Letters 368, article number: 136705. (10.1016/j.matlet.2024.136705)
- Thangavel, K., Folli, A., Fischer, M., Hartmann, M., Murphy, D. M. and Pöppl, A. 2024. Utilizing EPR spectroscopy to investigate the liquid adsorption properties of bimetallic MIL-53(Al/Cr) MOF †. RSC Advances 14(6), pp. 4244-4251. (10.1039/d3ra07952j)
- Fioco, D., Folli, A., Platts, J., Chiesa, M. and Murphy, D. M. 2024. A continuous-wave EPR investigation into the photochemical transformations of the chromium(I) carbonyl complex [Cr(CO)4bis(diphenylphosphino)]+ and reactivity with 1-hexene. Molecules 29(2), article number: 392. (10.3390/molecules29020392)
- Maliutina, K. M., Omoriyekomwan, J. E., He, C., Fan, L. and Folli, A. 2023. Biomass-derived carbon nanostructures and their applications as electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution and oxygen reduction/evolution. Frontiers in Environmental Engineering 2, article number: 1228992. (10.3389/fenve.2023.1228992)
- Wang, S. et al. 2023. H2-reduced phosphomolybdate promotes room-temperature aerobic oxidation of methane to methanol. Nature Catalysis 6, pp. 895-905. (10.1038/s41929-023-01011-5)
- Thangavel, K., Folli, A., Ziese, M., Hausdorf, S., Kaskel, S., Murphy, D. M. and Pöppl, A. 2023. EPR and SQUID interrogations of Cr(III) trimer complexes in the MIL-101(Cr) and bimetallic MIL-100(Al/Cr) MOFs. SciPost Physics Proceedings 11, article number: 16. (10.21468/SciPostPhysProc.11.016)
- Thangavel, K. et al. 2023. Unveiling the atomistic and electronic structure of Ni II –NO adduct in a MOF-based catalyst by EPR spectroscopy and quantum chemical modelling †. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics (10.1039/d3cp01449e)
- Magri, G. et al. 2023. An in-situ study of the thermal decomposition of 2,2'-azobis(2-methylpropionitrile) radical chemistry using a dual-mode EPR resonator. Research on Chemical Intermediates 49, pp. 289-305. (10.1007/s11164-022-04861-z)
- Thangavel, K. et al. 2023. Magnetic coupling of divalent metal centers in postsynthetic metal exchanged bimetallic DUT-49 MOFs by EPR spectroscopy. AIP Advances 13(1), article number: 15019. (10.1063/9.0000532)
- Taylor, R. L., Housley, D., Barter, M., Porch, A., Whiston, K., Folli, A. and Murphy, D. M. 2022. The influence of solvent composition on the coordination environment of the Co/Mn/Br based para-xylene oxidation catalyst as revealed by EPR and ESEEM spectroscopy. Catalysis Science & Technology 12, pp. 5274-5280. (10.1039/D2CY00496H)
- Barter, M. et al. 2022. Design considerations of a dual mode X-band EPR resonator for rapid in-situ microwave heating. Applied Magnetic Resonance 53, pp. 861-874. (10.1007/s00723-022-01463-1)
- Magri, G., Folli, A. and Murphy, D. M. 2022. Monitoring the substrate-induced spin-state distribution in a Cobalt(II)-Salen complex by EPR and DFT. European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry 2022(9), article number: e202101071. (10.1002/ejic.202101071)
- Blackaby, W. J. M. et al. 2022. Extreme g-Tensor anisotropy and its insensitivity to structural distortions in a family of linear two-coordinate Ni(I) Bis-N-heterocyclic carbene complexes. Inorganic Chemistry 61(3), pp. 1308-1315. (10.1021/acs.inorgchem.1c02413)
- Gorman, S., Rickaby, K., Lu, L., Kiely, C. J., Macphee, D. E. and Folli, A. 2021. A combination of EPR, microscopy, electrophoresis and theory to elucidate the chemistry of W- and N-Doped TiO2 nanoparticle/water interfaces. Catalysts 11(11), article number: 1305. (10.3390/catal11111305)
- Pezzetta, C., Folli, A., Matuszewska, O., Murphy, D., Davidson, R. W. M. and Bonifazi, D. 2021. peri‐xanthenoxanthene (PXX): a versatile organic photocatalyst in organic synthesis. Advanced Synthesis and Catalysis 363(20), pp. 4740-4753. (10.1002/adsc.202100030)
- Spencer, J. N., Folli, A., Ren, H. and Murphy, D. M. 2021. An EPR Investigation of defect structure and electron transfer mechanism in mixed-conductive LiBO2-V2O5 glasses. Journal of Materials Chemistry A: materials for energy and sustainability 9(31), pp. 16917-16927. (10.1039/D1TA02352G)
- Richards, T. et al. 2021. A residue-free approach to water disinfection using catalytic in situ generation of reactive oxygen species. Nature Catalysis 4, pp. 575-585. (10.1038/s41929-021-00642-w)
- Crombie, C. M. et al. 2021. Enhanced selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol via in situ H2O2 production over supported Pd-based catalysts. ACS Catalysis 11, pp. 2701–2714. (10.1021/acscatal.0c04586)
- Folli, A., Ritterskamp, N., Richards, E., Platts, J. A. and Murphy, D. M. 2021. Probing the structure of copper(II)-casiopeina type coordination complexes [Cu(O-O)(N-N)]+ by EPR and ENDOR spectroscopy. Journal of Catalysis 394, pp. 220-227. (10.1016/j.jcat.2020.07.016)
- Underhill, R. et al. 2021. Ambient base-free glycerol oxidation over bimetallic PdFe/SiO2 by in situ generated active oxygen species. Research on Chemical Intermediates 47, pp. 303-324. (10.1007/s11164-020-04333-2)
- Guadix-Montero, S., Santos-Hernandez, A., Folli, A. and Meenakshisundaram, S. 2020. Effect of support acidity during selective hydrogenolysis of glycerol over supported palladium-ruthenium catalysts. Philosophical Transactions A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences 378(2176), article number: 20200055. (10.1098/rsta.2020.0055)
- Dordevic, L. et al. 2020. O-doped nanographenes: a pyrano/pyrylium route towards semiconducting cationic mixed-valence complexes. Angewandte Chemie International Edition 59(10), pp. 4106-4114. (10.1002/anie.201914025)
- Folli, A. et al. 2020. A novel dual mode X-band EPR resonator for rapid in situ microwave heating. Journal of Magnetic Resonance 310, article number: 106644. (10.1016/j.jmr.2019.106644)
- Luckham, S. L. J., Folli, A., Platts, J. A., Richards, E. and Murphy, D. M. 2019. Unravelling the photochemical transformations of chromium(I) 1,3 Bis(diphenylphosphino), [Cr(CO)4(dppp)]+, by EPR spectroscopy. Organometallics 38(12), pp. -. (10.1021/acs.organomet.9b00226)
- Liu, Z., Mariani, A., Wu, L., Ritson, D., Folli, A., Murphy, D. and Sutherland, J. 2018. Tuning the reactivity of nitriles using Cu(ii) catalysis - potentially prebiotic activation of nucleotides. Chemical Science 9(35), pp. 7053-7057. (10.1039/C8SC02513D)
- Patzsch, J., Spencer, J., Folli, A. and Bloh, J. Z. 2018. Grafted iron(iii) ions significantly enhance NO2 oxidation rate and selectivity of TiO2 for photocatalytic NOx abatement. RSC Advances 8(49), pp. 27674-27685. (10.1039/C8RA05017A)
- Buckingham, M. A., Cunningham, W., Bull, S. D., Buchard, A., Folli, A., Murphy, D. M. and Marken, F. 2018. Electrochemically driven C-H hydrogen abstraction processes with the tetrachloro-phthalimido-N-oxyl (Cl4PINO) catalyst. Electroanalysis 30(8), pp. 1698-1705. (10.1002/elan.201800147)
- Sciutto, A., Fermi, A., Folli, A., Battisti, T., Beames, J., Murphy, D. and Bonifazi, D. 2018. Customizing photoredox properties of PXX-based dyes through energy level rigid shifts of frontier molecular orbitals. Chemistry - a European Journal 24(17), pp. 4382-4389. (10.1002/chem.201705620)
- Folli, A. et al. 2018. Improving the selectivity of photocatalytic NOx abatement through improved O2 reduction pathways using Ti0.909W0.091O2Nx semiconductor nanoparticles: from characterisation to photocatalytic performance. ACS Catalysis 8(8), pp. 6927-6938. (10.1021/acscatal.8b00521)
- Blackaby, W. J. M. et al. 2017. Mono- and dinuclear Ni(i) products formed upon bromide abstraction from the Ni(i) ring-expanded NHC complex [Ni(6-Mes)(PPh3)Br]. Dalton Transactions 47(3), pp. 769-782. (10.1039/C7DT04187J)
- Patzsch, J., Folli, A., Macphee, D. E. and Bloh, J. Z. 2017. On the underlying mechanisms of the low observed nitrate selectivity in photocatalytic NOx abatement and the importance of the oxygen reduction reaction. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 19, article number: 32678. (10.1039/C7CP05960D)
- Ritterskamp, N., Sharples, K., Richards, E., Folli, A., Chiesa, M., Platts, J. A. and Murphy, D. M. 2017. Understanding the coordination modes of [Cu(acac)2(imidazole)n=1,2] adducts by EPR, ENDOR, HYSCORE, and DFT analysis. Inorganic Chemistry 56(19), pp. 11862-11875. (10.1021/acs.inorgchem.7b01874)
- Pelties, S., Carter, E., Folli, A., Mahon, M. F., Murphy, D. M., Whittlesey, M. K. and Wolf, R. 2016. Influence of ring-expanded N-heterocyclic carbenes on the structures of half-sandwich Ni(I) complexes: an x-ray, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) study. Inorganic Chemistry 55(21), pp. 11006-11017. (10.1021/acs.inorgchem.6b01540)
- Folli, A., Bloh, J. and Macphee, D. 2016. Band structure and charge carrier dynamics in (W,N)-codoped TiO 2 resolved by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy combined with UV–vis and EPR spectroscopies. Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry 780, pp. 367-372. (10.1016/j.jelechem.2015.10.033)
- Macphee, D. E. and Folli, A. 2016. Photocatalytic concretes - the interface between photocatalysis and cement chemistry. Cement and Concrete Research 85, pp. 48-54. (10.1016/j.cemconres.2016.03.007)
- Hopper, H. et al. 2016. An investigation of the optical properties and water splitting potential of the coloured metallic perovskites Sr1−xBaxMoO3. Journal of Solid State Chemistry 234, pp. 87-92. (10.1016/j.jssc.2015.12.002)
- Folli, A. et al. 2015. Field study of air purifying paving elements containing TiO2. Atmospheric Environment 107, pp. 44-51. (10.1016/j.atmosenv.2015.02.025)
- Folli, A., Bloh, J. Z., Lecaplain, A., Walker, R. and Macphee, D. E. 2015. Properties and photochemistry of valence-induced-Ti3+ enriched (Nb,N)-codoped anatase TiO2 semiconductors. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 17(7), pp. 4849-4853. (10.1039/C4CP05521G)
- Bloh, J. Z., Folli, A. and Macphee, D. E. 2014. Photocatalytic NOx abatement: Why the selectivity matters. RSC Advances 4(86), pp. 45726-45734. (10.1039/C4RA07916G)
- Bloh, J. Z., Folli, A. and Macphee, D. E. 2014. Adjusting nitrogen doping level in titanium dioxide by codoping with tungsten: Properties and band structure of the resulting materials. Journal of Physical Chemistry C 118(36), pp. 21281-21292. (10.1021/jp507264g)
- Folli, A., Bloh, J. Z., Strøm, M., Pilegaard Madsen, T., Henriksen, T. and Macphee, D. E. 2014. Efficiency of solar-light-driven TiO2 photocatalysis at different latitudes and seasons. Where and when does TiO2 really work?. Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters 5(5), pp. 830-832. (10.1021/jz402704n)
- Folli, A., Bloh, J. Z., Beukes, E., Howe, R. F. and Macphee, D. E. 2013. Photogenerated charge carriers and paramagnetic species in (W,N)-codoped TiO2 photocatalysts under visible-light irradiation: An EPR study. Journal of Physical Chemistry C 117(42), pp. 22149. (10.1021/jp408181r)
- Folli, A., Pade, C., Hansen, T. B., De Marco, T. and Macphee, D. E. 2012. TiO2 photocatalysis in cementitious systems: Insights into self-cleaning and depollution chemistry. Cement and Concrete Research 42(3), pp. 539-548. (10.1016/j.cemconres.2011.12.001)
- Folli, A., Campbell, S. B., Anderson, J. A. and Macphee, D. E. 2011. Role of TiO2 surface hydration on NO oxidation photo-activity. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry 220(2-3), pp. 85-93. (10.1016/j.jphotochem.2011.03.017)
- Folli, A., Pochard, I., Nonat, A., Jakobsen, U. H., Shepherd, A. M. and Macphee, D. E. 2010. Engineering photocatalytic cements: Understanding TiO2 surface chemistry to control and modulate photocatalytic performances. Journal of the American Ceramic Society 93(10), pp. 3360-3369. (10.1111/j.1551-2916.2010.03838.x)
- Folli, A., Jakobsen, U. H., Guerrini, G. L. and Macphee, D. E. 2009. Rhodamine B discolouration on TiO2 in the cement environment: A look at fundamental aspects of the self-cleaning effect in concretes. Journal of Advanced Oxidation Technologies 12(1), pp. 126-133. (10.1515/jaots-2009-0116)
Book sections
- Spencer, J., Folli, A., Richards, E. and Murphy, D. M. 2018. Applications of electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy for interrogating catalytic systems. In: Chechik, V. and Murphy, D. M. eds. Electron Paramagnetic Resonance., Vol. 26. Royal Society of Chemistry, pp. 130-170., (10.1039/9781788013888-00130)
Research
Research interests
My research interests focus on the investigation of structure-activity relationships in catalysis for green and sustainable chemistry.
We specialise in the use of advanced Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy and associated hyperfine techniques in combination with electrochemical methods and electrochemical spectroscopies.
Our group is making contributions in the following research areas.
Photo-, electro- and photo-electrocatalysis
In our lab, we are interested in inorganic photocatalysis and photo-electrocatalysis for the conversion and abatement of air and water pollutants, the generation of green hydrogen from water, the reduction of CO2 to CO and C1+ oxygenates, and the conversion of biomass and waste into value-added chemicals and products.
Our exploration of biomass-derived carbon nanostructures as electrocatalysts highlights our commitment to sustainable materials and methods in energy conversion. This research not only advances our scientific understanding of solar energy utilization but also paves the way for practical applications in renewable energy and green chemistry.
Our group is also contributing to developing cost-effective organic photocatalysts. Our objective is to harness solar energy for driving the synthesis of complex organic molecules, broadening the scope of photoredox reactions, minimising energy consumption, and reducing hazardous waste in chemical synthesis.
In these fields of research, we adopt a variety of EPR and electrochemical methods to ascertain the nature of paramagnetic states in photo-and electro- catalysts, including charge carriers generation, trapping, recombination and transfer, which dictate the redox chemistry responsible for macroscopic photo-electrocatalytic activity and selectivity.
Reactive radical generation for disinfection and catalysis
Globally, water disinfection is reliant on chlorination, but requires a route that avoids the formation of chemical residues. Hydrogen peroxide, a broad-spectrum biocide, can offer such an alternative but is typically less effective than traditional approaches to water remediation. Using EPR spectroscopy in combination with carefully designed spin trapping protocols, our research is enabling game-changing approaches to water disinfection based on catalytic radical chemistry that could form the basis of novel and more sustainable methods for water disinfection.
The same approach is also being used to advance the field of selective oxidation chemistry with the goal of demonstrating and developing novel catalytic systems capable of replacing costly stoichiometric oxidants such as dichromate, chromic acid, and permanganate, for selective oxidation processes carried out on an industrial scale.
Catalysis for green chemistry
We focus on using advanced EPR spectroscopy to push the boundaries of catalysis for green chemistry.
We are exploring novel metal-oxide frameworks and supported metal nanoparticles that facilitate the conversion of methane to methanol at ambient temperatures. This research is pivotal in addressing the challenge of methane's environmental impact, and by enhancing the efficiency and selectivity of this conversion process, we work towards developing a scalable and environmentally benign method for methane utilisation.
We also focus on understanding the catalytic chemistry of mono- and bi-metallic-supported metal nanoparticles as well as metal oxides for green chemical processes such as glycerol hydrogenolysis, transesterification of fatty acids, and in general, the conversion of biomass feedstocks to value-added fuels and chemicals.
For more information on specific projects available with Dr Andrea Folli please review the Catalysis and interfacial science and Spectroscopy and dynamics sections of our research project themes.
Teaching
CH2117: Environmental Chemistry
This module provides students with insights into the chemistry of the natural environment and will enable you to learn the physical and chemical properties of planet Earth’s atmosphere, soils (lithosphere), and natural waters (hydrosphere). It is a fundamental component for understanding the causes of natural phenomena, including our weather, seasonal changes, and physical-chemical factors responsible for sustaining life on Earth. You will also examine how the finely tuned natural chemistry and physics can be unbalanced by anthropogenic (from the Greek ànthrōpos, human + genesis, origin, i.e., human-made) activities, as we will devote particular attention to the causes and effects of the current Climate Emergency. These include emissions of greenhouse gases and global warming, sea levels rise, pollution, ozone depletion, and the latest research to combat these deleterious effects.
By exploring all these different aspects, you will witness how the basics of inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry that you have learned in other Year 1 courses come into play in the natural environment. The course will also equip you with skills that will facilitate your progression through Year 2 and above.
The intricate workings of complex natural phenomena involve a delicate interplay between inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry. Each of these chemical domains contributes to the overall behaviour and characteristics of the system in its unique way. The study of this interplay is critical to our understanding of the natural world and provides insights into the fundamental principles that govern the behaviour of matter and energy.
Supervisions
Scientific supervision
In my laboratory, we embrace a multidisciplinary approach, combining experimental techniques with theoretical modelling to push the boundaries of what's possible in sustainable energy and catalysis research. I am always on the lookout for curious and motivated students who are eager to contribute to meaningful scientific advancements and explore these cutting-edge areas:
- Photocatalysis: Exploring innovative methods for harnessing solar energy to drive chemical reactions. Projects here aim to develop new photocatalytic materials that can effectively convert solar energy into chemical energy, offering sustainable solutions for environmental remediation and energy conversion.
- Electrochemistry and electrocatalysis:
- Photo-electrocatalysis: Delving into the intricacies of photo-induced electrochemical processes. Projects here will merge the principles of photocatalysis with electrochemistry. Students will design and synthesise novel photo-electrocatalytic systems that can efficiently facilitate reactions like water splitting and carbon dioxide reduction, contributing to the study of future methods for producing clean energy.
- Radical chemistry for disinfection and catalysis:
- Theory and methods in EPR spectroscopy: Projects here are dedicated to pushing the boundaries of EPR spectroscopy by developing novel theoretical and practical approaches, facilitated by collaborations with theoreticians and computational chemists, as well as microwave engineers.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Students in my group will be exposed to the REGARDS framework.
REGARDS is a program that I initiated for the group and that aims to promote belonging and empowerment in the workplace across Race, Ethnicity, Gender, Age, Religion, Disability, and Sexual orientation. The key elements of REGARDS are:
- The lab Equality Statement (ES) which defines the group's activities and commitment to equality as well as physical and mental wellbeing (I am an accredited i-ACT manager).
- The lab Action Plan (AP) that outlines the steps the team take to promote self-awareness, counteract unconscious bias, identify accessible-to-all communication methods and flexible working arrangements to suit everyone’s needs and commitment outside of the work environment.
- The lab Support Network (SN) via which raising awareness of mentoring programs (CU and beyond), peer support opportunities, and inclusive training to foster a welcoming environment for all students.
ES-AP-SN are regularly reviewed and updated whenever a new member joins the group, ensuring that everyone feels valued and considered, creating the best possible environment to maximize their potential. This will also serve as an essential training opportunity to propagate a positive and inclusive research ethic in the group members' future research endeavours.
My students are also exposed to programmes and networks (RSC’s “the missing elements”, BBSTEM, STEMWomen, DiSTEM, Stemmetes) to promote and enhance the visibility of researchers from underrepresented groups; and training opportunities from CU, GW4 and RSC to promote EDI culture.
Leadership building
We believe that the journey of a PhD programme is not only about obtaining a degree and, if possible, publishing papers. We see a PhD programme as a process of becoming a highly employable scientist capable of anticipating, reflecting and engaging on the wider scientific, ethical and societal impacts of our work, thus adding much value to the graduate attributes.
In the group, we have a common and shared responsibility to understand our roles within the higher education community and prepare ourselves to be educated citizens. We continuously reflect on the student experience, contributing to the development of leadership competencies.
Leadership development involves self-awareness, understanding of others, values, diverse perspectives, organizations, and change. We seek leadership programmes for all the group members that aim to empower us and enhance our self-efficacy as leaders and understand how we can make a difference. Our concept of leadership "stems from our relationship with others, and it is fostered through self-awareness and an understanding of context" (Journal of Leadership Education).
Within the group we regularly practice leadership skills by:
- Being communicative: we openly and clearly articulate goals, we are open to feedback, and we manage the team dynamics in the most respectful way to all the members;
- Building relationships: we value the importance of a trust-based network for support and knowledge exchange.
- Strategically thinking: our research and activities are supported by clear plans with defined goals, approaches, objectives, and tools.
- Learning effective time management and financial discipline: from learning what we can delegate and what we cannot, to developing project management skills critical for efficiency and effectiveness in any workplace. Students are also encouraged to manage their own finances within the research budget allocated to their projects, helping them to develop important skills crucial for their own future careers.
Current supervision
Nathan Harrison
Graduate Demonstrator
Callum Morris
Research student
Dom Conway
Research student