Paul Alexander Connor

Dr. Paul Alexander Connor is a Senior Research and Teaching Fellow at the University of St Andrews, affiliated with the School of Chemistry and the Centre for Clean Energy Research EaSTCHEM. His work focuses on advanced materials for energy conversion, including oxide compounds, nanoparticles, and proton-conducting perovskites. He has contributed to Sustainable Development Goals related to affordable and clean energy.

Connor’s research emphasizes electrochemical systems, such as solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and CO₂ electrolysis, addressing challenges like sulfur poisoning in anodes and enhancing material performance. His projects, funded by EPSRC and Innovate UK, include developing direct ammonia fuel cells for maritime propulsion and methods for recycling lithium-ion battery materials.

His key contributions include high-impact publications in journals like Advanced Materials and Nature Materials, with a focus on nanomaterial synthesis, electrochemical processes, and energy-efficient systems. He co-lead major initiatives like the ENSIGN Prosperity Partnership and the LIBerate project, fostering industry-academia collaboration. Connor received the 2023 Industry-Academia Collaboration Prize for advancing maritime energy technologies.

• Grants/Projects: ENSIGN (EPSRC), LIBerate (Innovate UK), Direct Ammonia Fuel Cells (Innovate UK), Critical Mass: Emergent Nanomaterials (UK Research Partnership Investment Fund).
• Supervised Work: Thesis supervision for Mr. G. Tsimekas on optimizing cathode-supported SOFCs.

His lab focuses on clean energy nanomaterials, with ongoing work on novel proton-conducting oxides and scalable fuel cell technologies.