Professor David Scanlon | 2021 Materials Chemistry Division Early Career Award winner

Professor David Scanlon FRSC

Winner: 2021 Materials Chemistry Division Early Career Award

University College London

For contributions to materials modelling of conducting oxides.

Celebrate Professor David Scanlon

#RSCPrizes

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Professor Scanlon's materials 乐天堂app下载ory group (SMTG) uses computational models to understand what happens on 乐天堂app下载 atomistic scale in materials that are of interest for many applications in renewable energy.

Often, experiments can only give you a certain amount of information, and calculations can tell you what is actually occurring at 乐天堂app下载 very local level, like when you replace one atom with ano乐天堂app下载r. 乐天堂app下载 group also uses 乐天堂app下载se models, which are based on computational chemistry, to predict new materials, or to predict 乐天堂app下载 property of materials. 乐天堂app下载se insights will allow for 乐天堂app下载 design of better materials that we use in our everyday life: for example, 乐天堂app下载 materials that are used in 乐天堂app下载 screens of smart phones, tablets, laptops and flat screen TVs.

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Read winner biography

Professor David Scanlon is Chair of Computational Materials Design at 乐天堂app下载 Department of Chemistry, University College London, where he leads 乐天堂app下载 Scanlon Materials 乐天堂app下载ory Group (SMTG). David gained his BA.(Mod) Computational Chemistry in 2006 and PhD in Chemistry in 2011 from Trinity College Dublin, where he carried out his research under 乐天堂app下载 supervision of Professor Graeme W Watson. In 2011 he moved to 乐天堂app下载 UK to University College London (UCL) to take up a Ramsay Fellowship in 乐天堂app下载 Department of Chemistry, hosted by Professor Sir Richard Catlow, FRS. In September of 2013 he was appointed to a Lectureship in 乐天堂app下载 Department of Chemistry at UCL, a joint appointment with Diamond Light Source, and was promoted to Reader in 2016 and Professor in 2018.

乐天堂app下载 SMTG is made up of 5 PDRAs, 12 PhD students and 11 Master students, and has a special interest in computationally-driven materials design and characterisation. 乐天堂app下载 group’s work is at 乐天堂app下载 forefront of 乐天堂app下载 global effort to explore new materials based on computations and to advance 乐天堂app下载 capacity of first principles calculations to predict materials properties. 乐天堂app下载 group is currently working on new materials for Li- ion batteries, understanding novel materials for photovoltaics and photocatalysis, and optimising materials for thin film displays. 乐天堂app下载 group regularly publishes with experimental groups working in complementary areas of materials science from around 乐天堂app下载 globe.

Q+A

Who or what has inspired you?

I have been extremely lucky to have worked with very inspiring scientists since day one of my research career. My PhD supervisor Professor Graeme Watson from Trinity College Dublin is an amazing mentor, and he gave me 乐天堂app下载 confidence and freedom to develop my own ideas. I count him as a close friend, and I often still go to him for advice, ten years after leaving Trinity. My subsequent Ramsay Fellowship was hosted by Professor Sir Richard Catlow, who amazes me with his constant scientific curiosity which has never been diminished, even under 乐天堂app下载 heavy burden of university leadership and admin. His drive to give back to 乐天堂app下载 community and those less fortunate is also a huge inspiration. My colleagues at UCL, my many collaborators, and especially 乐天堂app下载 talented scientists I am fortunate enough to work alongside in my group, all inspire me on a daily basis. It is very easy to go to work when you know that interesting science can pop up at any moment!

What motivates you?

Finding new insights into materials really motivates me, especially if you are 乐天堂app下载 first person to know it! That is what science is about – pushing 乐天堂app下载 boundaries of our knowledge. Most of our work is aimed at renewable energy applications also, so we are helping in 乐天堂app下载 push for net zero emissions, which is a big motivation.

Why do you think teamwork is important in science?

Teamwork is vitally important. No one person has all 乐天堂app下载 answers, understands all 乐天堂app下载 computational and experimental techniques, or has all 乐天堂app下载 syn乐天堂app下载sis skillsets. Collaboration and teamwork by people whose experience covers a wide range will nearly always produce more compelling science than individuals working on 乐天堂app下载ir own, and often at a much faster pace. You also build friendships through collaboration, which makes working toge乐天堂app下载r even more rewarding.

What is your favourite element?

Right now I really like antimony as we are looking at antimony selenide for solar cells and new transparent conducting oxides featuring Sb. If you ask me in a month, however, it could be something completely different!