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Associate Professor, Graduate Tutor
Biography
Tom is a Lecturer in Chemical Engineering and an expert in electrochemical technologies. Since his PhD, during which he developed carbon nanomaterials for catalysis and sensing, he has applied electrochemical techniques including novel scanning probe electrochemical microscopy and nanoscale electrochemistry across fundamental and applied projects in the key areas of electrochemical energy storage and conversion. He has also made significant contributions in the field of materials science by developing new and important nanomaterial processing methods, tuning materials’ functional properties, and moving novel materials to industry-relevant devices. Tom has previously held an EPSRC Fellowship.
Teaching Summary
CENG0044 Research Skills (module lead)
A course for Chemical Process Engineering MSc students aimed at preparing them for their research projects by providing them with all of the ‘research skills’ they will need. Topics covered include research ethics, how to undertake a literature review, academic writing, project management, how to handle and store data and oral presentation skills.
CENG0026 Energy Systems & Sustainability (module lead)
A course for 4th year MEng students and MSc level students from across UCL, Energy Systems & Sustainability provides a broad knowledge of the requirements of both conventional and renewable energy systems and an advanced understanding of the fundamental principles that underpin key stationary and portable energy conversion and storage technologies.
Research Summary
Tom’s core research focus is the development of electrochemical energy storage and conversion technologies, including batteries, supercapacitors, fuel cells and electrolysers. To date his research in these areas has spanned from, for example, the fundamental discovery of new catalyst materials to the advanced characterisation of industry-relevant energy storage and ion-transport materials as they operate (i.e. operando measurements). In particular, Tom specialises in the application of Electrochemical Atomic Force Microscopy (EC-AFM) for the characterisation of energy materials, with current projects including studies of lithium ion and lithium sulfur batteries.
Awards
2020 - 2021
Nominated: UCL Provost’s Teaching Award (Assessment & Feedback category)
2020 - 202
Won: UCL Engineering Faculty Teaching Award (Assessment & Feedback category)
Education
2014
PhD, Chemistry, University of Warwick, UK
2009
MChem, Chemistry, University of Warwick, UK
Professional Affiliations
- FHEA – member of HEA
- MRSC
Publications
- Ultrasmall, Coating-Free, Pyramidal Platinum Nanoparticles for High Stability Fuel Cell Oxygen Reduction. Valentina Mastronardi, Emanuele Magliocca, José Solla Gullon, Rosaria Brescia, Pier Paolo Pompa, Thomas S. Miller*, Mauro Moglianetti* (2022), ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 14, 32, 36570–36581.
- Lithium-Sulfur Battery Diagnostics Through Distribution of Relaxation Times Analysis. Roby Soni, James B. Robinson, Paul R. Shearing, Dan J.L. Brett, Alexander J.E. Rettie*, Thomas S. Miller* (2022), Energy Storage Materials, 51, 97-107.
- Characterizing Batteries by In Situ Electrochemical Atomic Force Microscopy: A Critical Review. Zhenyu Zhang, Samia Said, Keenan Smith, Rhodri Jervis, Christopher A. Howard, Paul R. Shearing, Dan J.L. Brett*, Thomas S. Miller* (2021), Advanced Energy Materials, 11, 38, 2101518.
- Dendrite Suppression By Anode Polishing In Zinc-Ion Batteries. Zhenyu Zhang, Samia Said, Keenan Smith, Ye Shui Zhang, Guanjie He, Rhodri Jervis, Paul R. Shearing, Thomas S. Miller*, Dan J.L. Brett* (2021), The Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 9, 15355-15362.
- Operando Electrochemical Atomic Force Microscopy of Solid–Electrolyte Interphase Formation on Graphite Anodes: The Evolution of SEI Morphology and Mechanical Properties. Zhenyu Zhang, Keenan Smith, Rhodri Jervis, Paul R. Shearing, Thomas S. Miller*, Dan J.L. Brett* (2020), ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 12, 31, 35132–35141.