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Matt Robinson

Mr Matt Robinson

Teams and roles for Matt Robinson

Overview

Computational chemistry provides essential and complementary insights into the problems that challenge chemistry researchers. It lets us dig into the crucial details of systems which control their experimental behaviour, and acts as a quick guide in the search for solutions in the vast space of chemistry.

In the tamm@CCI research group, we are focused on utilising Density Functional Theory (DFT), Machine Learning, and AI to predict the properties and behaviours of important materials and molecules for applications in catalysis.

In collaboration with bp, my research focuses on the sustainable production of ethylene (currently one of the most produced chemicals globally) from ethanol via a zeolite catalyst, and how the addition of organic molecules can tune the reaction selectivity. This could lead to a single zeolite catalyst having the capacity to productively catalyse many different reactions with different size/shape selectivity requirements by introducing different organic additives into the system.

Research

Tuning Zeolite Catalysts using Organic Additives: Molecular Modelling Studies

Zeolites are commonly used in the industrial processing of renewables, chemicals and petrochemicals as catalysts and adsorbents due to their high acidity, relatively low environmental impact and high thermal stability. Typically, zeolite catalysts are fine-tuned for application to a given process, but it has been shown that flexibility can be introduced by adding organic additives to some zeolite catalysts. 

In the domain of renewable chemicals, protonated mordenite (H-MOR) has been identified as a strong candidate for catalysing the dehydration of ethanol to ethylene, a potential green route from bio-ethanol to a highly-demanded chemical feedstock (~200 million metric tonnes of ethylene produced in 2021). When catalysed by H-MOR, the reaction produces side products such as diethyl ether, which are thought to originate only from Brønsted acid (BA) sites in the larger 12 membered ring (MR) and not the smaller 8MR side pocket. Pyridine has been shown to selectively titrate BA sites in the 12MR, particularly at industrially-relevant temperatures, therefore this project aims to investigate the application of pyridine-based additives to tune the selectivity of the H-MOR-catalysed ethanol dehydration reaction.

Biography

MChem Chemistry - Durham University (2018-2022)

PhD Computational Chemistry - Cardiff University (2022-)

Speaking engagements

  • Engineering Porous Materials at Multiple Scales (EPoMM) Conference 2025, Bath
  • UK Catalysis Conference (UKCC) 2025, Loughborough
  • British Zeolite Association (BZA) Conference 2025, Cardiff
  • Engineering Porous Materials at Multiple Scales (EPoMM) Conference 2024, Bath
  • RSC Theoretical Chemistry Group Graduate Meeting 2024, Warwick

Contact Details

Email RobinsonMT1@cardiff.ac.uk

Campuses Translational Research Hub, Room 0.06, Maindy Road, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ

Research themes

Specialisms

  • Computational chemistry
  • Catalysis and mechanisms of reactions
  • Condensed matter modelling and density functional theory
  • AI & Machine Learning