Anthony Kucernak

Anthony Kucernak (AK), Professor of Chemical Physics, Imperial College London is known internationally as an innovator in the electrochemistry field where his group develops new techniques and methods to probe and understand the electrochemical interface and apply that knowledge to the development of improved electrocatalysts and electrode structures in fuel cells, electrolysers, electrochemical hydrogen pumps and redox flow batteries. His work straddles not only fundamental science but covers the application of that science to real-world systems. He has more than 20 patent applications with twelve patents currently licensed to companies. He is co-founder of four start-up companies in the area of his research. He has acted as a consultant extensively in the field of electrocatalytic systems and engaged in strategic, high-level discussions with the UK govt. and learned bodies on the science and engineering of electrochemical production of fuels and chemicals. Anthony acted as Deputy Director of ICL Energy Futures Lab (EFL) between 2014 and 2019. The EFL is focused around six broad and interconnected research themes which reflect Imperial College London’s strengths in tackling major challenges in the energy sector - Low Carbon Cities and Transport, Sustainable fuels, Energy Infrastructure. Materials for Energy, Policy and Innovation and Sustainable Power. He currently leads the polymer electrolyte fuel cell and electrolyser theme in the £4M Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Supergen Hub, and has been involved in a number of recent multi-university networks including £1.8M ISCF Wave 1: Materials research hub for energy conversion, capture, and storage, and the £4M Multi-scale ANalysis for Facilities for Energy STorage (Manifest). He has been principal investigator (PI) on a number of international collaborative research programmes (<£3M in UKRI funding), including UK-South Africa, UK-China, UK-India, UK- South Korea collaborative partnerships, each involving multiple UK universities. Additionally, AK has been a PI on 12 other Engineering and Physical Sciences grants, one on-going on water electrolysis; Co-I on 8 EPSRC grants, 2 ongoing. As well as his involvement with EPSRC research, he has taken part in seven EU FP7/H2020 multi-country consortia based around electrochemical reactor systems, Further-FC, Crescendo, Memphys, Sorcerer, Symbiotic, Pemican, five TSB/InnovateUK grants, Faraday and Carbon Trust grants totalling £11.0 M over the last ten years.

• Faculty of Natural Sciences