Personal profile
Biography
Alex receieved an MSci in Physics from Durham University in 2005. He went on to do a PhD in the School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds. After one postdoctoral position within the same group, in 2012 he took up a postdoctoral position within the Nanocatalysis group at Aarhus University, Denmark.
In 2015 he took his present post of Research Fellow within the school of Chemistry, University of Manchester.
Research interests
My research interests lie in using cutting-edge characterisation equipment to gain insight into understanding the surface chemistry of functional materials, with a particular emphasis on heterogeneous catalysis.
Surface chemistry is key to so many processes (catalysis, corrosion, electrochemistry) - however gaining insight into reactions occuring at surface is very challenging, so in general these processes are not well understood.
The key to the next generation of catalytic materials is relating atomic-scale surface structure and composition to function - allowing rational design of catalyst with maxmimum activity.
The main tool my group use to understand surface chemistry is the University of Manchester's Near-Ambient Pressire X-Ray Photoelectron Spectrosopy (NAP-XPS) facility (http://www.chemistry.manchester.ac.uk/our-research/facilities/nap-xps/). This is a cutting-edge instrument which allows us to follow surface chemistry in-situ during a chemical reaction.
Research Beacons, Institutes and Platforms
- Photon Science Institute
Keywords
- catalysis
- surface chemistry
- XPS
- STM
- AFM
- electrochemistry
- 2D materials
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being -
SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy -
SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure -
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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The photoluminescence degradation of InP/ZnSexS1-x/ZnS quantum dot films
Fu, M., Walton, A., Dwyer, L., Lan, X., Evans, S. D. & Critchley, K., 1 May 2026, In: Results in Chemistry. 23Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Characterization of Chemical Degradation in Lithium-Ion Batteries Using Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) and Hard X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (HAXPES)
Alsaedi, A., Spencer, B., Sheraz, S., Walton, A. & Lockyer, N., 19 Nov 2025, In: ACS Omega. 10, 47, p. 57607–57622Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
HAXPES reference spectra of Cu(I) and Cu(II) oxide generated with Ga Kα excitation
Spencer, B. F., Alsaedi, A. H., Walton, A. S., Lockyer, N. P. & Flavell, W. R., 8 Aug 2025, In: Surface Science Spectra. 32, 2Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile43 Downloads (Pure) -
Improving CO Oxidation Catalysis Over High Entropy Spinels by Increasing Disorder
Swindell, J., Tainton, G., Chansai, S., Hazeldine, K., Buckingham, M., Walton, A., Hardacre, C., Haigh, S. & Lewis, D., 20 Feb 2025, In: Advanced Science. 2413424.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Ionic liquid-modified perovskite films for enhanced solar cell stability
Tiwari, U., Cole, J., Li, Z., Walton, A., Dwyer, L. P., Spencer, B. F., Zlatogorsky, S. & Syres, K. L., 2025, In: RSC Applied Interfaces. 2, 6Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Hydrogen Research Corridor
Holmes, S. (Researcher), Azapagic, A. (Researcher), Atas, A. (Researcher), Walton, A. (Researcher), Smith, A. (Researcher), Larkin, A. (Researcher), Lea-Langton, A. (Researcher), Keshmiri, A. (Researcher), Geim, A. (Researcher), Forsyth, A. (Researcher), Mcmeekin, A. (Researcher), Welfle, A. (Researcher), Jivkov, A. (Researcher), Frankowska, A. (Researcher), Green, A. (Researcher), Garforth, A. (Researcher), Connolly, B. (Researcher), McLachlan, C. (Researcher), D'Agostino, C. (Researcher), Hollis, C. (Researcher), Abeykoon, C. (Researcher), Hardacre, C. (Researcher), De Leeuwe, C. (Researcher), Jones, C. (Researcher), Whitehead , C. (Researcher), Gough, C. (Researcher), Lewis, D. (Researcher), Clery, D. (Researcher), Engelberg, D. (Researcher), Martinez-Cesena, E. (Researcher), Rutter, E. (Researcher), Scenini, F. (Researcher), Siperstein, F. (Researcher), Livens, F. (Researcher), Currell, F. (Researcher), Holland, G. (Researcher), Butler, G. (Researcher), Ivan De Loureiro Pereira, G. (Researcher), Coe, H. (Researcher), Chernyavsky, I. (Researcher), Kuriakose, J. (Researcher), Evans, J. (Researcher), Lloyd, J. (Researcher), Apsley, J. (Researcher), Harou, J. (Researcher), Moore, K. (Researcher), Taylor, K. (Researcher), Li, K. (Researcher), Stamford, L. (Researcher), Sarkisov, L. (Researcher), Li, L. (Researcher), Ma, L. (Researcher), Huuse, M. (Researcher), Lozada Hidalgo, M. (Researcher), Perez-Page, M. (Researcher), Attfield, M. (Researcher), Schröder, M. (Researcher), Babaei, M. (Researcher), Iacchetti, M. (Researcher), Hodson, M. (Researcher), Freer, M. (Researcher), Bassil, N. (Researcher), Zhang, N. (Researcher), Bourne, N. (Researcher), Turner, N. (Researcher), Scrutton, N. (Researcher), Kaltsoyannis, N. (Researcher), Ejohwomu, O. (Researcher), Dewick, P. (Researcher), Jarman, P. (Researcher), Budd, P. (Researcher), Martin, P. (Researcher), Boya, R. (Researcher), Raveendran Nair, R. (Researcher), Bellamy, R. (Researcher), Dryfe, R. (Researcher), Smith, A. (Researcher), Haigh, S. (Researcher), Lindley, S. (Researcher), Chansai, S. (Researcher), MacGregor, S. (Researcher), Yang, S. (Researcher), Nixon, S. (Researcher), Bouzarovski, S. (Researcher), Abbas, S. Z. (Researcher), Joekar-Niasar, V. (Researcher), Spallina, V. (Researcher), Flavell, W. (Researcher), Bodel, W. (Researcher) & Fan, X. (Researcher)
Project: Research
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High Entropy Sulfides as Corrosion Resistant Electrocatalysts for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction
Walton, A. (PI), Dryfe, R. (CoI) & Lewis, D. (CoI)
1/07/22 → 31/12/23
Project: Research
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A Walton: In situ electrochemical XPS. Equipment grant Nov 16
Walton, A. (PI)
1/01/17 → 31/12/17
Project: Research
Equipment
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Near-Ambient Pressure X-ray Photoemission Spectroscopy (NAP-XPS)
Dwyer, L. (Technical Specialist) & Walton, A. (Academic lead)
Materials EngineeringFacility/equipment: Facility
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Surface Characterisation
Spencer, B. (Core Facility Lead), Nikiel, M. (Technical Specialist), Sheraz, S. (Technical Specialist), Li, K. (Technical Specialist), Dwyer, L. (Technical Specialist), Wall, S. (Technical Specialist), Williams, W. (Technical Specialist), Forrest, A. (Senior Technician), Fong, J. (Senior Technician), Filip, T. (Technician), Kundu, S. (Technical Specialist), Moore, K. (Academic lead), Walton, A. (Academic lead) & Lockyer, N. (Academic lead)
FSE ResearchFacility/equipment: Facility