My Research Profile

I joined the Department of Chemistry at Warwick in 2013 where I studied for an integrated Bachelor's and Master's degree. I completed my final year Master's project under the supervision of Professor Richard Walton where I worked on the synthesis and modification of metal-organic frameworks for catalytic applications and collaborated with Dr Volkan Degirmenci in the School of Engineering.

In 2017, I undertook a PhD in the School of Engineering under the joint supervision of Dr Volkan Degirmenci and Professor Richard Walton where I specialised in the synthesis and characterisation of known and novel MOFs and studied their application in catalysis. I then went on to work as a research assistant within the Walton group where I developed new materials and became involved in an overseas development programme, assisting in the supervision of a number of visiting students from Indonesia while they carried out research at Warwick.

In 2022, I joined the Superconductivity and Magnetism group in the Department of Physics at the University of Warwick, where I am currently working as part of the The UK Skyrmion ProjectLink opens in a new window supervised by Professor Geetha Balakrishnan. This project finished in 2023.

Current Role: Research Fellow (Sodium Ion Battery Materials) WMGLink opens in a new window.

Research in The Superconductivity and Magnetism Group

My post doctoral research focuses on the synthesis and characterisation of Skyrmionic materials. In particular, I am interested in synthesising both polycrystalline and single-crystal samples that are known or thought to host skyrmions or exotic magnetic spin textures. I utilised a range of crystal growth techniques including chemical vapour transport, Bridgman technique, self-flux method, optical floating zone and the Czochralski technique. Once synthesised, these materials can then be fully characterised using a both the wide range of techniques available at Warwick, as well as at central facilities such as the Diamond Light Source and ISIS Neutron and Muon Source.

I am also interested in the synthesis and characterisation of novel and known metal-organic frameworks. In particular, optimising the syntheses of novel ytterbium- and yttrium-organic frameworks to grow large enough crystals for single crystal XRD.

Publications:

Below is a full list of my publications

2022

“Non-redox CO₂-fixation Solvent-free Conditions Using a Lewis Acid MOF Constructed from a Sustainably Sourced Ligand” S. Das, J. Zhang, T.W. Chamberlain, G.J. Clarkson, R.I. Walton, Inorg. Chem. (2022).

“The Influence of Defects on the Luminescence of Trivalent Terbium in Nanocrystalline Yttrium Orthovanadate” R.V. Perrella, M. Walker, T.W. Chamberlain, R.I. Walton, Paulo C. de Sousa Filho, Nano Lett. (2022). LINK

“Oxidation of 5-Hydroxymethyl Furfural to 2,5-Furan Dicarboxylic Acid Under Mild Aqueous Conditions Catalysed by MIL-100(Fe) Metal-organic Framework” T.W. Chamberlain, V. Degirmenci and R.I. Walton, ChemCatChem (2022). LINK

“A Highly Stable Yttrium Organic Framework as a Host for Optical Thermometry and D₂O Detection” T.W. Chamberlain, R.V. Perrella, T.M. Oliveira, P.C. de Sousa Filho and R.I. Walton, Chem. Eur. J. (2022). LINK

2021

“Systematic Modification of UiO-66 Metal-Organic Frameworks for Glucose Conversion into 5-Hydroxymethyl furfural in Water” R. Oozeerally, D.L. Burnett, T. W. Chamberlain, R.J. Kashtiban, S. Huband, R.I. Walton, V. Degirmenci, ChemCatChem 13 (2021) 2517-2529. LINK

2019

“A Hydrothermally Stable Ytterbium Metal-Organic Framework as a Bifunctional Solid-Acid Catalyst for Glucose Conversion” D.L. Burnett, R. Oozeerally, R. Pertiwi, T.W. Chamberlain, G.J. Clarkson, Y.K. Krisnandi, V. Degirmenci and R.I. Walton, Chem. Commun. 55 (2019) 11446-11449. LINK

“Replacement of Chromium by Non-toxic Metals in Lewis-Acid MOF Catalysts for Conversion of Biomass-derived Glucose to Platform Molecules” R. Pertiwi, R. Oozeerally, D.L. Burnett, T.W.Chamberlain, N.Cherkasov, M. Walker, R.J. Kashtiban Y.K.Krisnandi, V. Degirmenci, R.I. Walton, Catalysts 9 (2019) 437. LINK

2018

“An Expanded MIL-53-Type Coordination Polymer with a Reactive Pendant Ligand” H. Kunicki, T.W Chamberlain, G.J. Clarkson, R.J. Kashitban, J.E Hooper, D.M. Dawson, S.E. Ashbrook, and R.I. Walton, CrystEngComm 20 (2018) 4355 - 4358. LINK

“Exceptionally Efficient and Recylable Heterogeneous Metal-Organic Framework Catalyst for Glucose Isomerisation in Water, R. Oozeerally, D.L. Burnett, T.W. Chamberlain, R.I. Walton and V. Degirmenci, ChemCatChem 10 (2018) 706–709. LINK

2017

“Structural Variety in Ytterbium Dicarboxylate Frameworks and In Situ Study Diffraction of their Solvothermal Crystallisation” M.I. Breeze, T.W. Chamberlain, G.J. Clarkson, R. Pires de Camargo, Y. Wu, F. Millange, J. Fonseca de Lima, O.A. Serra, D. O’Hare & R.I. Walton, CrystEngComm 19 (2017) 2424-2433. LINK

Recent Conference Highlights:

Invited Talks:

• Warwick Chemistry Symposium 2022

Poster Presentations:

• Federation of European Zeolite Associations meeting, Online, 2021
• MOFs for energy and the environment Faraday Discussion, Online, 2021
• Annual meeting of the British Zeolite Association, Birmingham, 2019 - Best poster prize
• EuropaCat, Aachen, 2019
• Solid State Chemistry Christmas meeting, Liverpool, 2019
• Solid State Chemistry Christmas meeting, London, 2018
• UK-MOF-2018, Southampton, 2018
• Solid State Chemistry Christmas meeting, Reading, 2017

Teaching Duties

During my PhD, I demonstrated for and marked the first year laboratory experiment titled 'ES190 - Energy Balance' in the School of Engineering, which aimed to provide students with a fundamental understanding of the first law of thermodynamics through practical application. I also assisted in transitioning the laboratory to an online format in 2020.