Dr Luke Woodliffe, University of Nottingham

Dr Luke Woodliffe is a materials chemist and Research Fellow in hydrogen technologies at the University of Nottingham, UK. He previously held an EPSRC Doctoral Prize fellowship and has a PhD from the University of Nottingham and an MSci from the University of Cambridge. Luke’s research focuses on developing advanced materials for next-generation hydrogen storage, combining materials chemistry, nanotechnology and engineering to address the challenges of climate change and energy security.
 

Luke has published research in leading international journals and has established collaborations with academic and industrial partners in the UK and internationally. He also has multiple years of industrial experience spanning pharmaceutical and materials fields, alongside additional experience in teaching, working cross-culturally and leadership in a church ministry context.
 
 

“The transition to a low-carbon energy economy requires safe and efficient ways to store hydrogen. However, many high-capacity materials currently being investigated for hydrogen storage operate at relatively high temperatures and can suffer from slow desorption rates.
 

“This research project is investigating a new approach to overcome these challenges by confining reactive hydride composites (mixtures of hydrides) within metal-organic frameworks and other highly porous host materials. The research will explore whether confining these hydrogen storage materials within nanoscale and mesoscale pores can change how they behave, enabling hydrogen to be stored and released more rapidly, and at lower temperatures.
 

“Ultimately, the work could contribute to the development of safer, more efficient and more practical hydrogen storage technologies, while providing a foundation for future research and collaboration with industry to translate these materials towards real-world applications.”

Dr Luke Woodliffe, University of Nottingham