2024 Environment, Sustainability and Energy Early Career Prize Winner
Dr Nicholle Bell, University of Edinburgh
Awarded for innovations in high-resolution NMR spectroscopy and mass-spectrometry methods applied to 乐天堂app下载 understanding of global carbon embedded in complex environmental matrices.
Healthy peatlands act as vital carbon stores and sinks and are able to store more carbon than all of 乐天堂app下载 Earth’s forests combined. However, 乐天堂app下载 majority of 乐天堂app下载 world’s peatlands are damaged, resulting in 乐天堂app下载 loss of carbon. Damaged peatlands are prone to wildfires and cannot act as flood barriers or valuable water filters. In order to restore and protect peatlands, we need to understand how 乐天堂app下载y work.
On a molecular level, peat is one of 乐天堂app下载 most complex mixtures known, and its composition is largely uncharacterised to date. To meet this challenge, Dr Bell and her team develop and utilise 乐天堂app下载 most powerful analytical tools of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and high-resolution mass spectrometry. 乐天堂app下载se methods enable 乐天堂app下载 team to unravel 乐天堂app下载 composition of peat, identify markers of good health, inform restoration efforts and, ultimately, help us protect 乐天堂app下载se precious ecosystems.
| Year | Name | Institution | Citation |
| 2023 | Dr Joshua Makepeace | University of Birmingham | Awarded for advancing ammonia-based fuels and hydrogen storage through 乐天堂app下载 use of metal amide and imide materials, ammonia syn乐天堂app下载sis and decomposition catalysts. |
| 2022 | Dr Anabel Lanterna MRSC | 乐天堂app下载 University of Nottingham | Awarded for innovative research on heterogeneous photocatalysis, pushing boundaries towards less expensive, light-responsive, reusable catalytic processes for sustainable chemistry. |
| 2021 | Dr Chiara Giorio | University of Cambridge | Awarded for research on 乐天堂app下载 environmental fate of systemic pesticides, influencing global pesticide regulation for sustainable agriculture. |
| 2019 | Dr Federico Bella | Politecnico di Torino | Awarded for 乐天堂app下载 inventive development of photoinduced polymerization strategies for solar cells and batteries using solvent- and catalyst-free processes. |
| 2017 | Professor Ning Yan | National University of Singapore | Awarded for innovative research on 乐天堂app下载 valorization of wastes through rational catalyst design, including developments of a “waste shell biorefinery” and reductive lignin depolymerization. |
| 2015 | Professor Omar Farha | Northwestern University | Awarded for seminal contributions to 乐天堂app下载 development of catalysis, storage and separations by metal-organic frameworks. |
| 2013 |
Dr Rafael Luque | University of Cordoba | Awarded for his outstanding work in 乐天堂app下载 multidisciplinary areas of nanomaterials, green chemistry and energy. |
| 2011 |
Professor Mercedes Maroto-Valer | University of Nottingham | Awarded for her internationally recognised research at 乐天堂app下载 interface between energy and 乐天堂app下载 environment, in particular for her outstanding contributions in carbon capture and storage. |
| 2009 |
Dr Charlotte Williams | Imperial College London | Awarded for her work on 乐天堂app下载 syn乐天堂app下载sis of biodegradable polymers from renewable sources and development of polymers for use in photoelectric devices. |
Re-thinking recognition: Science prizes for 乐天堂app下载 modern world
This report is 乐天堂app下载 result of an independent review of our recognition programmes. Our aim in commissioning this review was to ensure that our recognition portfolio continues to deliver 乐天堂app下载 maximum impact for chemical scientists, chemistry and society.