Cosmin Mudure
Theme
Low Carbon FuelsProject
Simply the best? Rapid AI-driven screening of porous materials for hydrogen purification and low carbon fuelsSupervisor(s)
Prof Tina Düren, Dr Matthew Lennox, Prof Semali PereraBio
Cosmin graduated from the University of Nottingham in 2023 with an integrated MSc (Hons) in Biochemistry. Before starting his degree, he worked with Johnathan Todd's group to explore osmolyte synthesis in diatoms as part of a Nuffield Research Placement at UEA. During his Masters year, he studied novel ferroelectric materials in Kathrine Inzani's group using Density Functional Theory, a computational method used in solid state chemistry research. His project gave him insights into alternative approaches to practical laboratory research; he aims to use his experience in computational modelling to solve sustainability challenges within the automotive sector.
Fun Facts
- On my bucket list? Witnessing the Northern Lights, publishing a novel, mastering the art of Italian cooking, going on a silent retreat, and, oddly enough, learning to yodel in the Swiss Alps.
Simply the best? Rapid AI-driven screening of porous materials for hydrogen purification and low carbon fuels
With no natural sources of pure hydrogen, The UK must resort to manufacture using steam-methane reformation which also produces carbon dioxide.
For hydrogen to play a part in our journey to net zero transport, all current and future production will need to be low carbon. This requires a separation process such as pressure swing adsorption. Hydrogen purity is required at 99.95% for combustion and 99.99% for fuel cell applications. Porous materials can use the adsorption phenomena to exclude gases passing through a column to get pure hydrogen. These include silica, zeolites, and more recently, research has turned to the high-surface area and customisable family of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). With 100,000s MOFs currently stored in databases, a computational study can expedite the discovery of next-generation materials for the decarbonisation of hydrogen manufacture. The overall aim is to optimise a new method of materials screening to find promising materials, quickly. These will be tested using a mix of computational and experimental studies for application of gaseous separation in pressure swing adsorption.
