Staff Profile

Expertise & Current Funding

I am a Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow in the Materials, Concepts & Reaction Engineering Group in the School of Engineering at Newcastle University. My broad research interests include gas separation using membranes and sorbents, typically applied to carbon dioxide capture and storage, including direct air capture. I am also interested in catalysis, surface chemistry, vibrational spectroscopy, tomography and micro-fabrication (see Research Tab for more details).

My publications can be found on Google Scholar, and you can find me on Twitter and LinkedIn.

If you are interested in working with me (e.g., PhD, PDRA, or consultancy work) please don't hesitate to get in touch using the email address above.

Biography

• Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow, School of Engineering, Newcastle University, 2020 - current.
• Newcastle University Academic Track Fellow, School of Engineering, Newcastle University, 2019 - current.
• EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellow, School of Engineering, Newcastle University, 2016 - 2019.
• 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.

Research

I develop clean energy generation and catalytic processes across length scales and disciplines. My broad research interests include gas separation using membranes and sorbents, typically applied to carbon capture and storage. I am also interested in catalysis, surface chemistry, vibrational spectroscopy, tomography and micro-fabrication.

At the nanoscale I interrogate surfaces with an aim to control interfacial processes, and investigate molecular structure using vibrational spectroscopy. At the microscale I employ micro-fabrication and tomographic techniques (X-ray micro-CT) to fabricate and understand devices. At the macroscale I develop apparatus for in-situ studies of materials under reaction conditions and test their potential in bench-scale reactors. My work is underpinned by a first degree in Chemistry and a second in Chemical Engineering.

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

• 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 awards from 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).

Outreach

I am passionate about public communication and outreach. Examples of my work include:

• 'Energies' Art Exhibition in Blyth, with Headway Arts and RePUBlic Gallery
• Royal Society of Chemistry Education in Chemistry Magazine, "What's behind the CO₂ shortage?"
• From Newcastle Podcast, "COP26 Special: The future of energy with Prof. S Walker and Dr G. Mutch"
• Pint of Science Public Talk, "Iron lungs for Earth; carbon dioxide removal to reverse climate change?"
• Science Media Centre Commentary, "Expert reaction to the government's 'ten point plan for a Green Industrial Revolution'"
• Palace of Science Public Talk, "Scrubbing the sky; reacting to the carbon dioxide problem"
• Science Media Centre Commentary, "Expert reaction to study looking at carbon capture and storage and climate targets"
• Knowledge Transfer Network Industry Talk, "Nature Inspired Solutions: Clean Energy and Resource Efficiency"
• Royal Society of Chemistry Chemistry World Magazine, "Self-assembling silver dendrites boost flux of carbon capture membrane"
• Leading Britain's Conversation (LBC Radio), "Membranes for emerging global challenges"
• Royal Society of Chemistry International year of the Period Table Invited Public Lecture, "Separation of carbon dioxide for climate change mitigation"
• Society of Chemical Industry Chemistry & Industry Magazine, "Carbon capture and storage - can we change the way science and business work for us?"

Lectures

Current

• Principles of Chemical Engineering, CME1025, Stage 1 BEng/MEng (NU)
• Plant Design, CME3039, Stage 3 BEng/MEng (NU)
• MEng Research Project, CME8128, Stage 4 MEng (NU)

Past

• Chemical Engineering Laboratory I, CME2030, Stage 2 BEng/MEng (NU)

Prior to joining Newcastle University, I was a tutor 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.

Supervision

Current

• 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)

• R. Dunn, MEng Candidate (Co-Supervisor, with Dr Wenting Hu)
• G. Dury, MEng Candidate (Co-Supervisor, with Dr Evangelos Papaioannou)

• V. Win, MEng
• A. Kazi, MEng
• M. Kazakli, PhD
• L. McNeil, PhD
• M. Purdy, MEng
• S. Tsochataridou, PhD
• Y, Ji, PhD
• R. Walker, MChem*
• T. Heinze, BSc*
• D. Ulrich, BSc*

*University of Aberdeen.

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.