معرفی
Dr David Watson is a Senior Lecturer in Physical and Materials Chemistry at the University of Surrey, where he has worked since 2011. Previously, he held a Fixed-Term Lecturer position at the University of Reading (2008-2011). His research focuses on surface and interface processes in heterogeneous catalysis, particularly chemoselective and enantioselective reactions relevant to pharmaceutical synthesis. He collaborates across departments and internationally, utilizing techniques like scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations.
His work on asymmetric catalysis explores molecular-level chiral modification of metal surfaces, with applications in producing enantiopure compounds for the $200B+ pharmaceutical market. Research into oxygen's role in silver-catalyzed coupling reactions revealed critical mechanistic insights with practical implications for catalytic design. Other projects involve nanoporous material synthesis via electrochemical templating and CO2 recycling through dry reforming of methane.
Dr Watson's teaching portfolio includes modules on transferable skills, physical chemistry, and advanced topics in the field. His publications span journals like ACS Catalysis, Journal of the American Chemical Society, and Surface Science, covering areas such as metal surface activation, reaction selectivity control, and nanostructure characterization techniques.
Research collaborations include
- Prof Richard Lambert (University of Cambridge)
- Prof Agustin R. Gonzalez-Elipe (Institute of Materials Science, Spain)
- Dr Georgios Kyriakou (University of Surrey)
