Professor Laurence Hardwick
Professor in Electrochemistry
Laurence received a MChem in Chemistry in 2003 from the University of Southampton and a PhD in Chemistry from ETH-Zurich in 2006. Before joining the Stephenson Institute for Renewable Energy at the University of Liverpool he spent his postdoctoral time working at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and at the University of St Andrews investigating Li-ion battery electrode degradation mechanisms, lithium diffusion pathways through carbon and the chemical and electrochemical processes in Li-air cells. Since 2011 Laurence has led research activity on the development of advanced in situ Raman and infrared spectroscopic techniques to monitor the electrochemistry of battery electrodes in operando and the development of metal-air battery technology. In particular he has pioneered the use of operando spectroscopic techniques to monitor battery electrode electrochemistry and solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation. Techniques include shell isolated nanoparticles for enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SHINERS), Kerr-gated Raman and surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRAS). Laurence is the Director of the Stephenson Institute for Renewable Energy, having taken on this role in 2017 and has been an Editor for the journal Electrochimica Acta since 2016.