Chloe Knox

Originally from Glasgow, Chloe studied at the University of Glasgow and obtained an MSci in Chemistry there. During her time there she spent a year abroad in France working on SOFC materials, specifically synthesising and characterising new cathode materials, and optimising the sintering conditions of CGO (the electrolyte used in preparation of an asymmetric button cell), as well as the design of a cell used for in-situ electrochemical measurements.

In her final year she used the technique of single molecule spectroscopy to study quantum dots and their interactions with organic dyes during the FRET process using a 532nm continuous wave laser. Throughout her degree she took an interest in green energy and its importance in the modern world. She then decided to join the electrochemical innovation lab in late 2014

Research project

Title: Development of a pyrochemical process for the conversion of PuO2 to Pu.

As energy consumption of non-renewables increases, it is becoming more apparent and crucial that renewables are looked into as potential replacements, and that their associated challenges are resolved.
Nuclear energy is a viable green source of energy in the world today, as it has near-zero emissions and produces a low level of waste. Its main issue is in the release of highly radioactive waste into the environment. This can be solved through electrochemical reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel into its constituents of U, Pu and fission products.
This is a part of the nuclear fuel cycle which has provided a lot of interest, as it recovers valuable fissile material, exhibits proliferation resistance (unlike the liquid-liquid extraction technique, also known as the PUREX process), and reduces the radioactivity of nuclear waste to be stored in deep geological repositories. This reprocessing step is therefore environmentally and economically advantageous, and increases nuclear energy’s viability as a future fuel.