UCL Electrochemical Innovation Lab

Based in the Department of Chemical Engineering, the Electrochemical Innovation Lab (EIL) is a centre for accelerating impact, innovation, enterprise and research in electrochemical engineering.

The EIL is a world-class facility for the development of electrochemical energy systems, with activities ranging from materials discovery to understanding electrochemical processes and analytical diagnostics, device design, development, modelling, systems development and demonstration.

Our Work

Research in the EIL spans fundamental investigations through to commercial demonstrations and whole-systems design.

Throughout the EIL, scientific, engineering and commercial thinking is embodied in the research phase. In this way the EIL identifies commercial opportunities early, considers the engineering and commercial implications of the science and builds new research programmes to accelerate the science into commercial products.

The scope of activities in the EIL encompasses:

• Mechanistic understanding of fundamental processes.
• Materials discovery.
• Analytical diagnostics and advanced manufacture.
• Device design and development.
• Modelling, optimisation and life cycle assessment.
• Systems development and demonstration.

Research Areas:

Batteries

EIL research activities target improved understanding of the degradation processes of Li-ion batteries, developing next generation battery technology, and improving the understanding of battery safety.

Our research has a focus on improving the understanding of manufacturing and recycling techniques for batteries, developing next-generation electrode materials for Li-ion and solid-state battery technologies, and expanding on the modelling methods deployed in battery systems. Funding has been secured to investigate quasi-solid state lithium- sulphur batteries and advanced characterisation techniques.

Projects

• Faraday Institution Battery Degradation
• Faraday Institution LiSTAR
• Faraday Institution SAFEBATT

Researchers:

• Abdus Ali
• Isabel Antony
• Miraslau Barabash
• Kofi Coke
• Will Dawson

• Yiming (Bill) Guo
• Hongzhen He
• Matthew Jones
• Alice Llewellyn
• Adam Lovett

• Huw Parks
• Hamish Reid
• Roby Soni
• Matt Tudball

Recent Publications

1. Huw C. W. Parks, Matthew P. Jones, Aaron Wade,  Alice V. Llewellyn, Chun Tan, Hamish T. Reid, Ralf Ziesche,   Thomas M. M. Heenan, Shashidhara Marathe,  Christoph Rau,  Paul R. Shearing and  Rhodri Jervis Non-linear cracking response to voltage revealed by operando X-ray tomography in polycrystalline NMC811, EES Batteries, 2025, Advance Article
2. Adam J. Lovett, Máté Füredi, Liam Bird, Samia Said, Brandon Frost, Paul R. Shearing, Stefan Guldin, Thomas S. Miller, Structural Evolution of Silicon Nitride Anodes during Electrochemical Lithiation, ACS Electrochem. 2025

3. Matt P. Tudball, Will J. Dawson, Joshua H. Cruddos, Francesco Iacoviello, Andrew R. T. Morrison, Alexander J. E. Rettie and  Thomas S. Miller, Enhancing solid-state battery performance with spray-deposited gradient composite cathodes Sustainable, Energy Fuels, 2025,9, 1379-1386
4. Narugopal Manna, Roby Soni, R. S. Young, Rhodri Jervis, Thomas S. Miller A High-Performance Polysulfide-Trapping Lithium Sulfur Battery Cathode: Cubic Co3O4 Catalyst within a Nitrogen-Doped Entangled Graphene Framework, ChemElectroChem Volume12, Issue 4, 2025

Fuel Cells

A fuel cell converts hydrogen and oxygen into water to generate electricity unlike a battery which is an energy storage device, fuel cells are energy conversion devices so the chemical energy that's stored in the bonds of the hydrogen or oxygen is converted into electrical energy that can be used in a wide range of applications. At the EIL we conduct research into two main types of fuel cells, low temperature polymer electrolyte fuel cells and higher temperature solid oxide fuel cells.  Low-temperature fuel cells that operate in the region of about 60 to 100 degrees C can be used for applications such as vehicles, buses and trains.  Higher temperature fuel cells, solid oxide fuel cells, that run at 600 to a thousand degrees C are more suitable for use in combined heat and power within the home.  We carry out our research using a range of characterization techniques using x-rays in the EIL x-ray Suite as well as national and international facilities. 

Fuel cells that electrocatalytically convert hydrogen to produce electricity, are a key device in transitioning to sustainable energy.  Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells are devices converting chemicals into electrical energy continuously, and are attractive in sustainable energy efforts, as they can use hydrogen potentially produced from renewable resources. 

Projects

• Heteromea
• DesProEvo

Researchers

• Jianuo (Nate) Chen
• Bochen Li
• Adam Morris
• Lara Rasha
• Shangwei Zhou
• Adam Zucconi

Recent Publications

1. Shangwei Zhou, Yunsong Wu1, Linlin Xu1, Winfried Kockelmann, Lara Rasha, Wenjia Du, Rhodri Owen, Jiadi Yang, Bochen Li, Paul R. Shearing, Marc-Olivier Coppens, Dan J.L. Brett1, Rhodri Jervis, Water content estimation in polymer electrolyte fuel cells using synchronous electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and neutron imaging, Cell Reports Physical Science, Volume 5, Issue 9, 102208
2. Jianuo Chen, Xuekun Lu, Lingtao Wang, Wenjia Du, Hengyi Guo, Max Rimmer, Heng Zhai, Yuhan Liu, Paul R. Shearing, Sarah J. Haigh, Stuart M. Holmes, Thomas S. Miller, Laser scribed proton exchange membranes for enhanced fuel cell performance and stability, Nature Communications volume 15, Article number: 10811 (2024) 
3. Adam Zucconi, Jennifer Hack, Richard Stocker, Theo A. M. Suter, Alexander J. E. Rettie, Dan J. L. Brett, Challenges and opportunities for characterisation of high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells: a review, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2024,12, 8014-8064

Supercapacitors

Supercapacitors are electrochemical energy storage devices that serve as a bridge between batteries and conventional capacitors. Renowned for their ability to undergo rapid charge and discharge cycles, they offer significantly higher energy densities than traditional capacitors, while also delivering far greater power densities than batteries. Their exceptional lifetimes and reliability make them an ideal choice for applications requiring fast energy delivery and sustained cycling performance, positioning them as a critical technology in fields ranging from handheld electronics and automotive systems to large scale integration of renewable energy sources into the electrical grid.  

At the EIL, our research on supercapacitors encompasses both materials and full-cell analysis, aiming to enhance their performance and safety. By investigating and characterising new, more sustainable, materials we work to improve the efficiency, longevity and energy density of these devices. Our safety and degradation studies focus on understanding how supercapacitors perform over time, as well as under extreme conditions, allowing us to examine material deterioration and identify potential failure mechanisms. This knowledge is crucial for addressing design limitations and ensuring the safer, more reliable use of supercapacitors in a wide range of applications.

Researchers

• Thomas Dore
• David Noriega Perez

Electrolysers

Electrolysers use an electrical current to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.  Hydrogen produced in this sustainable way can be the basis for a decarbonised economy. At the EIL we work with industrial partners to ensure that research and development is focused on issues that are relevant to industry.  Our research projects focus on the degradation of electrolyser components as well as  diagnostics on the system to explore performance at different operating conditions and orientations.

Projects

DesProEvo

Researchers

• Anuradha Patabandi Mudiyanselage
• Iain Malone
• Adam Zucconi

Recent Publications

Katrina Mazloomian, Thomas R. Dore, Mark Buckwell, Liam Bird, Paul R. Shearing, Thomas S. Miller, Supercapacitor safety: Temperature driven instability and failure of electrochemical double layer capacitors Energy, Storage Materials Volume 76, March 2025, 104115

Our Facilities

UCL Centre for Correlative X-ray Microscopy

The UCL Centre for Correlative X-ray Microscopy at the Electrochemical Innovation Lab provides microscopy services including training and access to 3-D imaging. We are experts in computed tomography providing complete support for 3D imaging science.

EIL Laboratory Equipment

Our state of the art facilities are equipped to harness and optimise valuable electrochemical reactions for practical applications.  Please contact us if you would like to discuss access.

Our Experts

Dr Rhodri Jervis

Associate Professor in Electrochemistry and Materials Science (EIL Academic Lead)

Dr Tom Miller

Associate Professor in Electrochemical Engineering (EIL Academic Lead)

 

Dr Alex Kibler

Lecturer in Electrochemical Systems

Dr Alex Rettie

Associate Professor in Chemical Engineering 

Dr James Robinson

Lecturer in Advanced Propulsion

Professional Services Staff (Administrative and Technical)

Dr Joanna Borowiec
EIL Lab Manager
j.borowiec@ucl.ac.uk

Paul Carter-Bowman
Research Finance Officer
p.carter-bowman@ucl.ac.uk

John Hooper
LiSTAR Research Project Manager
john.hooper@ucl.ac.uk

Dr. Francesco Iacoviello
Experimental Manager
f.iacoviello@ucl.ac.uk

Robin Ramphal
Project Integrator (Hydrogen) / STFC Batteries Network Project Manager
r.ramphal@ucl.ac.uk

Claire Saunders
Centre Manager
claire.saunders@ucl.ac.uk

Research Fellows

Miraslau Barabash
Jianuo (Nate) Chen 
Xiaoxia Guo
Matthew Jones
Huanxin Li 
Yuhan Liu

Alice Llewellyn
Adam Lovett
Andrew Morrison
Huw Parks
Lara Rasha 
Hamish Reid

Gaurav Singh 
Yaoguang Song 
Roby Soni
Julia Weaving
Shangwei Zhou

PhD Students

Isabel Antony
Augusto Bartoleme Diaz
Joshusa Cruddos
Will Dawson
Thomas Dore
Nicholas Frangoulis
Arthur Fordham
Brandon Frost
Mate Firedi
Elias Galiounas
Thomas Gill
Jialin Guo
Yiming (Bill) Guo

Seyed Saeed Hashemi
Hongzhen He
Shunli He
Ji Hu
Yuxiao Jin
Charlie Kirchner-Burles
Sion Lewis
Bochen Li
Yuanze Li
Mingqiang Liu
Yiyang Liu
Iain Malone

Elan Mistry
Phil Morris
David Noriega Perez
Boyi Pang
Anuradha Patabandi Mudiyanselage
Ruslan Shayakhynuly
Matt Tudball
Jiadi (Ed) Yang
Robert (Scott) Young
Jiexin Zhu
Adam Zucconi
Zifa Zuhair

Selected Publications

A full list of publications can be found here.

Related Programmes 

Funding and Partnerships

We work across the EIL and the Advanced Propulsion Lab (APL) to collaborate with a wide range of industry partners exploring fundamental research challenges, testing using our state-of-the-art facilities and knowledge exchange between institutions. Contact us to start a conversation.

Funders

Commerical Partners