Staff Profile

Summary

I am Senior Lecturer and Head of Research in Chemical Engineering at Newcastle University. During 2020-2025, I was a Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow, and in 2025 I was the recipient of the IChemE Warner Medal and IChemE/Elsevier Carbon Capture Future Leader Award.

Currently, I am Research Lead in a ~£12M EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training, Work Package Lead in a ~£9M EPSRC Programme Grant, and CoI in a ~£2.5M EPSRC Standard Grant (see Research Tab for more details).

My main research interest is in gas separation processes (using sorbents and membranes), typically applied to carbon dioxide capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS), and direct air capture (DAC). I currently supervise 7 PhD students and 3 post-doctoral researchers in these areas, spanning materials and process development, to energy systems integration and life-cycle assessment.

My teaching responsibilities include modules related to chemistry, materials science, sustainability, and carbon dioxide capture (see Teaching Tab for more details).

More widely, I work across academia, industry, finance, politics, and the third sector on projects spanning research, education, technical consultancy, due diligence, policy development, and public engagement. If you are interested in working with me in any capacity please don't hesitate to get in touch using the email address above, or connect with me on LinkedIn.

Employment

• Senior Lecturer (Chemical Engineering), School of Engineering, Newcastle University, 2024 - current
• Head of Research (Chemical Engineering), School of Engineering, Newcastle University, 2023 - current.
• Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow, School of Engineering, Newcastle University, 2020 - 2025.
• Newcastle University Academic Track Fellow, School of Engineering, Newcastle University, 2019 - 2024.
• EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellow, School of Engineering, Newcastle University, 2016 - 2019.

Education

• PhD in Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Aberdeen, 2013 - 2016.
• MChem (1st Class) in Chemistry (elected Physics & Biology), Department of Chemistry, University of Aberdeen, 2008 - 2013.

Professional Memberships

• UK Carbon Capture & Storage Research Centre, Academic Member, 2020
• EPSRC Peer Review College, Member, 2019
• Higher Education Academy, Associate Fellow, 2019
• Royal Society of Chemistry, Member, 2017
• Institution of Chemical Engineers, Associate Member, 2017
• Society of Chemical Industry, Student Member, 2016
• Energy Institute, Graduate Member, 2015

Professional Activities

• Contributor & Chapter Reviewer for EPSRC Report, "Tomorrow's Engineering Research Challenges"
• Steering Group Member of UK Government, Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, CCUS Early Career Professional's Forum.
• Theme Leader in Newcastle University Centre of Research Excellence (NUCoRE) in Energy.
• Senate-Elected Member of Newcastle University INSIGHTS Public Lectures Committee.

Media Appearances

• New Scientist, "Light-sensitive molecules could make carbon capture more efficient"
• The Guardian, "Radical ways to fix the Earth: are they magic bullets or just band-aids?"
• Science Media Centre, "Expert reaction to The State of Carbon Dioxide Removal report"
• 'Energies' Art Exhibition in Blyth, with Headway Arts and RePUBlic Gallery
• Education in Chemistry, "What's behind the CO2 shortage?"
• From Newcastle Podcast, "COP26 Special: The future of energy with Prof. S Walker and Dr G. Mutch"
• Palace of Science, "Scrubbing the sky; reacting to the carbon dioxide problem"
• Knowledge Transfer Network, "Nature Inspired Solutions: Clean Energy and Resource Efficiency"
• Chemistry World, "Self-assembling silver dendrites boost flux of carbon capture membrane"

Research

My main research interest is gas separation processes (using sorbents and membranes), typically applied to carbon dioxide capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS), and direct air capture (DAC). I currently supervise 7 PhD students and 3 post-doctoral researchers in these areas, spanning materials and process development, to energy systems integration.

My publications can be found on Google Scholar.

My work is currently, or has been previously, supported by the following grants and awards:

• 2024 - 2032, EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training, "Process Industries: Net Zero", Co-Investigator, ~£12M.
• 2022 - 2026, EPSRC Standard Grant, EP/W03395X/1, "Design, Program, Evolve: Engineering efficient electrochemical devices for a net-zero world", Co-Investigator, ~£2.4M.
• 2022 - 2027, EPSRC Programme Grant, EP/V047078/1, "SynHiSel", WP Leader, ~£8.9M.
• 2021 - 2022, EPSRC UK Catalysis Hub, "CO₂ to MeOH: a supported molten-salt catalytic membrane reactor", Co-Investigator, ~£0.2M.
• 2020 - 2025, Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowship, "Advancing facilitated-transport membranes for disruptive carbon dioxide capture", Principal Investigator, ~£0.6M.
• 2019 - 2024, Newcastle University Academic Track Fellowship, "Realising direct air capture of CO₂ with facilitated-transport membranes", Principal Investigator, ~£0.6M.
• 2016 - 2019, EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellowship, "Pore to process: Membrane gas separation for clean energy generation", Principal Investigator, ~£0.1M.

I have also received funding from the Manchester University Near-Ambient Pressure XPS Service (2021), Newcastle University OnePlanet Research Fund (2020), British Council Newton Fund Travel Grant (2018), Royal Society of Chemistry Travel Grant (2015), British & Irish Association of the Properties of Water and Steam (2015), EPSRC Doctoral Training Grant (2013), and Erasmus Support Bursary (2013).

Research Supervision

Current

• S. Russell, MEng
• D. Gonzalez-Varela, PDRA
• J. Fabian, PDRA
• P. Sanchez-Camacho, PDRA
• R. Johnson, PhD Candidate (Co-Supervisor, with Dr David Greenwood)
• J. Gray, PhD Candidate (Lead Supervisor, with Prof. Ian Metcalfe)
• T. Shivakumar, PhD Candidate (Lead Supervisor, with Prof. Ian Metcalfe)
• A. Mahdi, PhD Candidate (Co-Supervisor, with Dr Vladimir Zivkovic and Dr Jonathan McDonough)
• I. Ahmed, PhD Candidate (Lead Supervisor, with Prof. Ian Metcalfe)
• J. Penn, PhD Candidate (Lead Supervisor, with Prof. Ian Metcalfe)
• J. Huang, PhD Candidate (Co-Supervisor, with Dr Mohammed Mamlouk and Dr Stevin Pramana)

Past

• N. Hall, MEng
• J. Lines, MEng
• G. Chen, PDRA
• S. Chan, MSc
• R. Dunn, MEng
• G. Dury, MEng
• S. Tsochataridou, PhD
• V. Win, MEng
• A. Kazi, MEng
• M. Kazakli, PhD
• Y, Ji, PhD
• L. McNeil, PhD
• M. Purdy, MEng
• R. Walker, MChem
• T. Heinze, BSc
• D. Ulrich, BSc

My teaching responsibilities include modules related to chemistry, materials science, sustainability, and carbon dioxide capture. I am currently Module Leader for CME1029 - Chemistry.

Lecturing

Current

• Chemistry, CME1029, Stage 1 BEng/MEng
• MEng Research Project, CME8128, Stage 4 MEng

Past

• Principles of Chemical Engineering, CME1025, Stage 1 BEng/MEng
• Chemical Engineering Laboratory I, CME2030, Stage 2 BEng/MEng

Prior to joining Newcastle University, I was a tutor and/or demonstrator on the following modules at the University of Aberdeen, in the Chemical Engineering and Chemistry programmes: Process Engineering, Chemistry for Life Sciences, Chemistry for Physical Sciences, Energetics of Change in Chemical & Biological Systems, and Molecular Structure & Reactivity.

• Articles

  • McNeil L, Chen G, Hu W, Papaioannou E, Metcalfe IS, Mutch GA. Metallic sealants increase flux and change selectivity in supported molten-salt membranes. Reaction Chemistry & Engineering 2025, 10(2), 294-299.
  • Bruce LA, Desmond L, Seddon AA, Bowen L, Mutch GA, Phan AN, Gibson EA. Investigating the effect of hydrothermal carbonisation reaction times on the photoluminescence of bio-oil-derived carbon polymer dots. Journal of Materials Chemistry C 2025, 13(5), 2172-2182.
  • Rahmawati Z, Sanchez-Camacho P, Mutch GA, Widati AA, Gunawan T, Fansuri H. Geopolymer membrane - photocatalyst coupling for textile wastewater treatment. Applied Clay Science 2025, 275, 107886.
  • Tsochataridou S, Papaioannou EI, Mutch GA, Gaudillere C, Serra JM, Metcalfe IS. Enhanced CO₂ separation via molten-carbonate membranes with freeze-cast, porous ceramic supports. Separation and Purification Technology 2025, 370, 133238.
  • Phan HH, Bell JG, Mutch GA, McCue AJ, Phan AN, Thomas KM. Spectroelectrochemical study of carbon structural and functionality characteristics on vanadium redox reactions for flow batteries. Materials Advances 2024, 18(5), 7170-7198.
  • Metcalfe IS, Mutch GA, Papaioannou EI, Tsochataridou S, Neagu D, Brett DJL, Iacoviello F, Miller TS, Shearing PR, Hunt PA. Separation and concentration of CO₂ from air using a humidity-driven molten-carbonate membrane. Nature Energy 2024, 9, 1074-1083.
  • Penn J, Hu W, Metcalfe IS, Mutch GA. Controlling CO₂ flux in a CO₂-permeable membrane with a H₂O driving force. Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2024, 12(44), 30821-30830.
  • Mutch GA. Electrochemical separation processes for future societal challenges. Cell Reports Physical Science 2022, 3(4), 100844.
  • Erans M, Sanz-Perez ES, Hanak DP, Clulow Z, Reiner DM, Mutch GA. Direct air capture: process technology, techno-economic and socio-political challenges. Energy & Environmental Science 2022, 15, 1360-1405.
  • Grima L, Mutch GA, Oliete PB, Bucheli W, Merino RI, Papaioannou EI, Bailey JJ, Kok MD, Brett DJL, Shearing PR, Metcalfe IS, Sanjuan ML. High CO₂ permeability in supported molten-salt membranes with highly dense and aligned pores produced by directional solidification. Journal of Membrane Science 2021, 630, 119057.
  • Kazakli K, Mutch GA, Triantafyllou G, Gouveia Gil A, Li T, Wang B, Bailey JJ, Brett DJL, Shearing PR, Li K, Metcalfe I. Controlling molten carbonate distribution in dual-phase molten salt-ceramic membranes to increase carbon dioxide permeation rates. Journal of Membrane Science 2021, 617, 118640.
  • Tsochataridou S, Mutch GA, Neagu DN, Papaioannou EI, Sanjuan ML, Ray B, Merino RI, Orera VM, Metcalfe IS. Measuring Membrane Permeation Rates through the Optical Visualization of a Single Pore. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2020, 12(14), 16436-16441.
  • McNeil LA, Mutch GA, Iacoviello F, Bailey JJ, Triantafyllou G, Neagu D, Miller TS, Papaioannou EI, Hu W, Brett DJL, Shearing PR, Metcalfe IS. Dendritic silver self-assembly in molten-carbonate membranes for efficient carbon dioxide capture. Energy & Environmental Science 2020, 13(6), 1766-1775.
  • Kazakli M, Mutch GA, Qu L, Triantafyllou G, Metcalfe IS. Autonomous and intrinsic self-healing Al₂O₃ membrane employing highly-wetting and CO₂-selective molten salts. Journal of Membrane Science 2020, 600, 117855.
  • Mutch GA, Qu L, Triantafyllou G, Xing W, Fontaine M-L, Metcalfe IS. Supported molten-salt membranes for carbon dioxide permeation. Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2019, 7(21), 12951-12973.
  • Mutch GA, Shulda S, McCue AJ, Menart MJ, Ciobanu CV, Ngo C, Anderson JA, Richards RM, Vega-Maza D. Carbon Capture by Metal Oxides: Unleashing the Potential of the (111) Facet. Journal of the American Chemical Society 2018, 140(13), 4736-4742.
  • Mutch GA, Anderson JA, Vega-Maza D. Surface and bulk carbonate formation in calcium oxide during CO₂ capture. Applied Energy 2017, 202, 365-376.
  • McCue AJ, Mutch GA, McNab AI, Campbell S, Anderson JA. Quantitative determination of surface species and adsorption sites using Infrared spectroscopy. Catalysis Today 2016, 259(Part 1), 19-26.
  • Mutch GA, Morandi S, Walker R, Anderson JA, Vega-Maza D, Operti L, Cerrato G. Cation Dependent Carbonate Speciation and the Effect of Water. Journal of Physical Chemistry C 2016, 120(31), 17570-17578.
  • Mutch GA, Anderson JA, Walker R, Cerrato G, Morandi S, Operti L, Vega-Maza D. In-situ infrared spectroscopy as a non-invasive technique to study carbon sequestration at high pressure and high temperature. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control 2016, 51, 126-135.