Tom Chamberlain

Prof Tom Chamberlain is a Professor of Digital and Materials Chemistry at the School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, within the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences. He joined Leeds in 2015 after completing his PhD at the University of Nottingham, leading an interdisciplinary research group focused on nanomaterials science and sustainable catalysis.

His educational background includes:

• MSci in Chemistry from the University of Nottingham (2005)
• PhD in novel functional fullerene molecules and carbon nanotube hybrid structures from the University of Nottingham (2009)

Chamberlain's research centers on carbon nanomaterials for sustainable heterogeneous catalysis, combining fullerene synthesis, coordination chemistry, and supramolecular assembly to create nanocomposites. His group pioneers atomic-level studies of catalytic processes using electron microscopy and electrochemistry, with emphasis on carbon nanoreactors that provide sterically confined environments (1-50 nm) for controlled reactions and electrochemically driven transformations. Key innovations include real-time observation of catalyst formation and function through in situ AC-HRTEM and X-ray techniques.

He supervises postgraduate researchers Xiangyi Chen and Bence Solymosi, with work supported by the Institute for Process Research and Development and Crystallisation and Directed Assembly research group. His team bridges atomic-scale structure analysis with industrial application, reducing barriers for nanomaterial translation from lab to commercial use.

The Chamberlain Research Group operates within Leeds' Institute of Process Research and Development, integrating molecular synthesis, nanomaterial fabrication, and advanced characterization to develop functional composites for fine chemical production and industrial catalysis.