Dr Alfonso Martinez-Felipe

Biography

When I first set foot outside the old Dyce terminal, one cold night of the winter of 2003, I never imagined my life and career would be entangled with this fantastic University, city and country. I was then an Erasmus student, who found in Aberdeen a place where to discover and grow.

Some months after that night, I graduated as a Chemical Engineer at the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV, 2003), and then pursued a double PhD degree in Chemical Engineering (UPV) and Chemistry (University of Aberdeen) (2010). I also completed the Erasmus Mundus MSc International Master in Materials and Sensors Systems for Environmental Technologies, awarded by both UPV and the University of Bologna (2010).

In 2014 I joined the Department of Chemistry at the University of Aberdeen as a teaching fellow, and in 2015 I became lecturer in Chemical Engineering at the School of Engineering.

As a member of the Chemical and Materials Engineering research group, I am committed to lead Aberdeen in becoming a main player in the energy transition in the UK and overseas.  My aim is to integrate research and teaching excellence, through different development areas.

Whether you are a student, colleague, industrialist or an individual with motivation to challenge the state of the art in science and enginering, and from any part of the world, my door will always be open to join forces in this fantastic adventure. Together we thrive.

External Memberships

2023 – Member of the Steering Group of the ETZ Ltd green hydrogen test & demonstration facilities.

2022 -   Director at the board of the Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group.

2022 – Member of the Steering Committee of the Energy Task Force (European Space Energy, Business Applications and Space Solutions)

2022 - Impact Champion at the School of Engineering for the REF 2029 exercise.

2021 - Coordinator of the Chemical Engineering Diagnostics and Teaching Labs.

2020 - Coordinator of the MSc(s) in Decommissioning and Energy Transitions Systems and Technologies.

2020 – Co-champion of the Hydrogen Economies theme, Centre for Energy Transition.

2018-    Board member and secretary since 2022 of the British Liquid Crystal Society.

2018-    Member of the Scottish Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Association.

Collaborations

I work with colleagues from different countries, including the University of Malaya, MARA University of Technology. University of Zaragoza (via research projects and PhD co-supervision), Tokyo University of Science (via the RSC Research Exchange Grant in 2020-2021), Georgian State Teaching University of Physical Education and Sport, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Kent State University, University of Genoa and University of Bologna, among others.

Funding and Grants

• New Materials and methods for hydrogen transportation and storage: repurposing the economy future of the North Sea – MHYSTIC, 2025-2027,UK-HyRES Flexible Fund Award, £232,479.
• Building European green hydrogen network, Pump Priming Collaboration between UK and EU Partners 2024, The British Academy, £6,653.
• Novel nanoparticle-embedded membranes for long-term bioactive SARS-CoV-2 prevention, Endowment Research Grants, 2021-2024, National Health Service – Institute of Medical Sciences, £11,602.
• Accelerating the energy/environment/water nexus in Malaysia by triggering hydrogen economies,  Global Challenges Research Funding internal pump priming, 2021, University of Aberdeen,  £17,500.
• Multifunctional liquid crystals stabilised by hydrogen-bonding and their integration in new devices for energy harvesting, conversion and storage, SAPHIRE: Funding for Scottish research partnerships with India, Japan and Pakistan, 2020-2021,The Royal Society of Edinburgh and Scottish Government, £6,000.
• Ferroelectric liquid crystals stabilised by hydrogen-bonding: towards new energy harvesters, Royal Society Research Grants, 2020-2021, The Royal Society, £12,507.
• Light-responsive ferroelectric liquid crystals stabilised by hydrogen bonding as energy harvesters, International travel grants, 2020-2021, Royal Society of Chemistry, £2,100.
• Add your value, Erasmus+ Key Action 2, Strategical Alliances, 2019-2021, European Commission, £47,179.
• Light-responsive liquid crystalline polymeric electrolytes with high ionic conductivity for energy conversion devices, Research Incentive Grants, 2019-2020, The Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland, £13,963.
• Production of bioenergy and smart materials from palm tree waste in Malaysia, Global Challenges - Internal Pump Research Grant, 2018, University of Aberdeen, £9,850.
• Enhanced Ionic Transport of New Liquid Crystal Materials with Application in Direct Methanol Fuel Cells, Vacation Scholarship Application, 2018, £1,000.
• Performance of polymeric electrolytes in low temperature fuel cells, Chevron development trust, School of Engineering, University of Aberdeen, 2016, £10,000.
• New Candidates for Targeted Drug Carriers based on Palm oil-based Glycosides and Polymeric Complexes. Towards tuneable natural-based controlled release systems, Newton Research Collaboration Programme, 2016-2017, Royal Academy of Engineering, £12,000.

As co-investigator, Co-I (live):

• Data For Net Zero (D4NZ), Lead in Decarbonising decommissioning and Reuse Repurposing, 2022-2025, Net Zero Technology Centre Ltd, £992,000
• Development and characterization of porous materials for energy storage in batteries, Internal Pump Research Grant, 2023, University of Aberdeen, £9,850.
• Light Responsive Elastomers: A Fusion of Light and Smart Materials for Soft Robotics, Internal Pump Research Grant, 2023, University of Aberdeen, £9,470

As an external researcher:

• Effect of sulfonated side-chain liquid crystal polymer electrolyte on charge transport and photo-response for energy devices Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS, MARA University of Technology), 2023 – 2025, Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia, £28,528.61.
• Supramolecular glycosides for energy conversion applications, Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS, MARA University of Technology), 2019-2022, Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia, £22,000.
• Versatile Block Copolymers Platforms to Approach Supramolecular Stimuli Responsive Nanocarriers, Spanish National Funding Scheme (University of Zaragoza), 2018/2020, Spanish Ministry of Education, £70000. 

As reviewer/assessor for external bodies.

• 2024 -  Evaluator for the International Science Partnerships Fund, Research Collaboration Grant, British Council.
• 2023 – Evaluator for the Research Incentive Grants of the Carnegie Trust of the Universities of Scotland.
• 2023 – External examiner for the MSc in Sustainable Chemical Engineering (University of Newcastle)
• 2022 – Evaluator for the European Commission (Consolider ERC grant scheme)
• 2019 – Editorial board member for the journal Molecules (MPDI, Switzerland)
• 2018 –2023       PhD assessor, University of Genoa (Italy), University of Leeds (UK)
• 2013 –  Reviewer for over 20 scientific journals, including: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, Applied Sciences, Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Journal of Molecular Liquids, Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology: A Chemistry; Liquid Crystals; Macromolecular Materials and Engineering; Materials Advances; Molecular Systems Design & Engineering; Polymer; Polymers; Reactive and Functional Polymers; RSC Advances; Sensors; Soft Matter; Vibrational Spectroscopy.

Teaching Responsibilities

Coordinator of the MSc in Decommissioning (since 2020). https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-taught/degree-programmes/1015/decommissioning/

Senior advisor of the PrototAU team of students from different disciplines, whose aim is to build and optimise a car using hydrogen-powered fuel cells.  The students combine elements of chemical, electrical/electronic and mechanical engineering, and I integrate their activities within UG project dissertations and laboratories for MSc courses.  The team won the Best Newcomer Award in the European Shell Eco-Marathon held in London in 2019. https://www.facebook.com/ProtoTAU/

Introduction to Energy Transition: Demand, Technologies and Economics (EG504H/J) (MSc in Energy Transition Systems and Technologies, 15 credits). Course coordinator (since 2022)

Chemical reaction engineering – EX3501 (3^rd year MEng and BEng Chemical Engineering, 15 credits).  Course coordinator and sole contributor (since 2015).

Energy conversion and storage – EG551J/EG55M3 (MSc in Renewable Energies, 15 credits).  Course coordinator and sole contributor.  Campus + Online course (since 2016).

Separation and purification processes - EG50Y2 (MSc in Advanced Chemical Engineering, 15 credits).  Co-contributor (50%) (2018 - 2023).

Process Shut Down, Structural Decommissioning and Disposal - EG55R1/EG55T1. Course coordinator and contributor (since 2020)

MEng Group Design – EG5565” (5^th year MEng Chemical Engineering, 15 credits).  Course contributor (2018 - 2020).