Dr Alan McCue

Biography

I recieved both my undergraduate and postgraduate degrees from the University of Aberdeen.  I am heavily involved in the Department of Chemistry's undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and am the programme director our MSc in 'Chemistry for Sustainable Energy'.  

My research interests lie in the field of heterogeneous catalysis, with a particular emphasis on how activity and selectivity of hydrogenation catalysts can be manipulated by careful design.  Catalytic materials of interest include supported metal catalysts, metal sulfides and metal phosphides.  I am also broadly interested in carbon capture, storage and utilisation.  I am also passionate about outreach work and enjoy working with schools.

Research Overview

My principle research interests lie in the field of heterogeneous catalysis, with a particular emphasis on how activity and selectivity of hydrogenation catalysts (typically supported metals) can be manipulated by careful design.  This can be achieved by a number of methods which include:

• Alloy formation and controlling surface composition
• Modifying surface properties by adsorption of organic ligands
• Incorporation of an inorganic element to change the structure (i.e., Pd + S)

Prepared catalysts can be characterised by a number of different techniques which range from routine (i.e., XRD, microscopy, physisorption or chemisorption) to more specialised (i.e., in-situ FTIR, temperature programmed methods and XAS).  Catalyst performance is then evaluated by testing in either the liquid or gas phase at either ambient or elevated pressure/temperature.  The most common reaction of interest is the selective hydrogenation of an alkyne to an alkene without over-hydrogenation to the alkane.  This is a process of importance with regards to polymer production (i.e., polyethylene or polypropylene) and commodity chemicals in a number of areas. 

Other reactions of interest include CO₂ hydrogenation and biomass utilisation. This interest therefore includes the general theme of carbon capture, utilisation and storage.  Within this area I am interested in the preparation of materials for carbon capture (i.e., gas separation) as well as the catalytic conversion of CO₂. 

Current Research

• Selective alkyne hydrogenation
• Development of CO₂ hydrogenation catalysts
• Catalysts for biomass upgrading
• New and improved materials for gas separation

Funding and Grants

Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre - Separation of Organic Platform Chemicals from Spent Lees

UKRI New Horizons - New route to zero carbon hydrogen (with Lancaster University as PI)

UK Catalysis Hub - Plasma-catalytic upgrading of biogas (with Dr Panos Kechagiopoulos as PI)

ScotChem - ATR for FTIR

UK Catalysis Hub - A supported molten-salt membrane reactor (with Newcastle University as PI & Glasgow University as CI)

Royal Society of Chemistry - Combining pulse chemisorption and FTIR into a single low-cost measurement

Carnegie Trust - Palladium sulphide as a hydrogenation catalyst

Teaching Responsibilities

I currently coordinate our Chemistry for Sustainable Energy MSc.  This programme gives students a high level understanding in the areas of electrochemical conversion devices (such as battery and fuel cell technology), carbon capture technologies and the hydrogen economy, amongst other topics.