Staff Profile

Summary

I am a Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow and Discipline Lead for Research (Chemical Engineering) in the School of Engineering at Newcastle University.

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. I have received funding for my work from the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council, and the UK Catalysis Hub (see Research Tab for more details).

My teaching responsibilities include, or have included, 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 way please don't hesitate to get in touch using the email address above, or connect with me on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Employment

• Discipline Lead for Research (Chemical Engineering), School of Engineering, Newcastle University, 2023 - current.
• 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.

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.

Prizes

• William Rudolph Center Medal, University of Aberdeen.
• David Christie Memorial Prize, University of Aberdeen.
• Prize in Analytical Chemistry, Royal Society of Chemistry.

Professional Memberships

• EPSRC Peer Review College Member
• Academic Member of UK Carbon Capture and Storage Research Centre (UKCCSRC)
• Associate Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy, AFHEA
• Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry, MRSC
• Associate Member of the Institution of Chemical Engineers, AMIChemE
• Prize Member of the Society of Chemical Industry, SCI
• Graduate Member of the Energy Institute, GradEI

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.
• Northumberland County Council Emissions Capture & Land Management Thematic Group, CCUS Expert.
• Theme Leader in Newcastle University Centre of Research Excellence (NUCoRE) in Energy.
• Senate-Elected Member of Newcastle University INSIGHTS Public Lectures Committee.
• Reviewer for a wide variety of funders and journals spanning engineering, science, economics, and policy.

Media Appearances

• The Observer, "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
• Royal Society of Chemistry, 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"
• Pint of Science, "Iron lungs for Earth; carbon dioxide removal to reverse climate change?"
• Science Media Centre, "Expert reaction to the government's 'ten point plan for a Green Industrial Revolution'"
• Palace of Science, "Scrubbing the sky; reacting to the carbon dioxide problem"
• Science Media Centre, "Expert reaction to study looking at carbon capture and storage and climate targets"
• Knowledge Transfer Network, "Nature Inspired Solutions: Clean Energy and Resource Efficiency"
• Royal Society of Chemistry, Chemistry World, "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 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?"

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:

• 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

• 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

• R. Dunn, MEng
• G. Dury, MEng
• G. Chen, PDRA
• 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

My teaching responsibilities include, or have included, modules related to chemistry, materials science, sustainability, and carbon dioxide capture.

Lecturing

Current

• Principles of Chemical Engineering, CME1025, Stage 1 BEng/MEng
• MEng Research Project, CME8128, Stage 4 MEng

Past

• Plant Design, CME3039, Stage 3 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

  • 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.