Email addressl.king@mmu.ac.uk

Who am I?

Who am I?

In September 2019, Dr King joined the Chemistry department at Manchester Metropolitan University as a Senior Lecturer. Her research is broadly classed as Materials Chemistry and is predominantly conducted within the Manchester Fuel Cell Innovation Centre. The group focuses on the synthesis and characterisation of advanced functional materials for electrochemical energy conversion and storage technologies such as fuel cells and electrolysers. In particular, the group is interested in the design, discovery and characterisation of new materials and catalyst motifs that require lower precious metal loadings for these applications.

Dr Laurie King completed her undergraduate degree in chemistry (MChem) at Durham University in 2009. She subsequently moved to Imperial College London for her PhD in the Materials Department. Her PhD was carried out under the supervision of Professor Jason Riley and focussed on the synthesis, fabrication and characterisation of sensitized solar cells. After her PhD, Dr King moved to the University of Wyoming as a Postdoc working with Professor Bruce Parkinson developing model systems of quantum dot and dye sensitized single crystals for solar energy harvesting. In 2015, Dr King moved to Stanford University in California, to continue her postdoctoral training working with Professor Thomas Jaramillo. At Stanford, her research was focused on the design, synthesis and characterisation of electrocatalysts and photoelectrochemical devices for water electrolysis and fuel cell technologies. In 2017, Dr King was promoted to Research Engineer within the SUNCAT Research Center. As a Research Engineer, Dr King had the privilege of leading a subgroup focused on the design of catalysts for fuel cell and electrolyser applications. Dr King frequently collaborated with microscopists, beam-line scientists, and industrial partners during her time at Stanford University.

Academic Biography

Academic and professional qualifications

• 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)

  Teaching & Research Supervision

  Why study ?

  Undergraduate courses

  Chemistry & Society 2

  Frontiers (Energy Materials)

  Physical Chemistry Labs (Second year)

  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

  Publications

  Journal articles

  J. Sanchez, MB. Stevens, AR. Young, A. Gallo, M. Zhao,et al.(2021).Isolating the Electrocatalytic Activity of a Confined NiFe Motif within Zirconium Phosphate.Advanced Energy Materials.11(20), pp.2003545-2003545.

  MB. Stevens, ME. Kreider, AM. Patel, Z. Wang, Y. Liu,et al.(2020).Identifying and Tuning the In Situ Oxygen-Rich Surface of Molybdenum Nitride Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction.ACS Applied Energy Materials.3(12), pp.12433-12446.

  YN. Regmi, E. Tzanetopoulos, G. Zeng, X. Peng, DI. Kushner,et al.(2020).Supported Oxygen Evolution Catalysts by Design: Toward Lower Precious Metal Loading and Improved Conductivity in Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzers.ACS Catalysis.10(21), pp.13125-13135.

  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.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.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.pp.2631-2640.

  JM. McEnaney, BA. Rohr, AC. Nielander, AR. Singh, LA. King,et al.(2020).A cyclic electrochemical strategy to produce acetylene from CO2, CH4, or alternative carbon sources.Sustainable Energy & Fuels.4(6), pp.2752-2759.

  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.

  M. Ben-Naim, DW. Palm, AL. Strickler, AC. Nielander, J. Sanchez,et al.(2020).A Spin Coating Method To Deposit Iridium-Based Catalysts onto Silicon for Water Oxidation Photoanodes.ACS Appl Mater Interfaces.12(5), pp.5901-5908.

  M. Aykol, JS. Hummelshøj, A. Anapolsky, K. Aoyagi, MZ. Bazant,et al.(2019).The Materials Research Platform: Defining the Requirements from User Stories.Matter.1(6), pp.1433-1438.

  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.

  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 books

  LA. King, ME. Kern, BA. Parkinson (2015). Sensitization of Single Crystal Substrates. In:ACS Symposium Series. pp.1-45.

  Conferences

  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 theSUNCAT Summer Institute 2019

  Expert reviewer for journals and publishers

  Research Grants

  EPSRC, US Department of Energy

  Manuscripts

  Nature communications, Chem-Cell, ACS Catalysis, ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, Electrochemistry Commuications, Electrochimica Acta.

  Engagement & Knowledge Exchange

  Community, charity and NGO links

  Dr King is the Secretary for the RSC Local Section Manchester and District (https://www.rsc.org/Membership/Networking/LocalSections/ManchesterAndDistrict/)

  Manchester Met full-time employee and will teach at Manchester Metropolitan Joint Institute, Hubei University.