Royal Society of Chemistry prize success for Liverpool researchers
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Researchers from the University’s School of Physical Sciences have been recognised with three prestigious prizes from the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC).
Researchers from the Department of Chemistry were awarded two Horizon Prizes which celebrate groups, teams and collaborations that push the boundaries of science.
In addition, Dr Jon Major, from the Department of Physics and the Stephenson Institute for Renewable Energy, received the 2025 RSC's Environment, Sustainability and Energy mid-career Prize for contribution to scientific progress.
Horizon Prize for Environment, Sustainability and Energy
The UKRI Circular Chemical Economy Centre has been awarded the Horizon Prize for Environment, Sustainability and Energy for pioneering research into circular economy solutions for the UK chemical industry. Their work focuses on chemical recycling, biomass conversion, and direct CO₂ reduction. University of Liverpool researchers recognised as part of this collaborative team include Professor Alexander Cowan, Professor Matthew Rosseinsky, Dr Bhavin Siritanaratkul, Dr Alexandros Katsoulidis, Dr Ajay Tomer, and Dr Donald Inns.
Professor Alexander Cowan, from the University’s Stephenson Institute for Renewable Energy, said: “We are delighted that the Circular Economy Centre team has been recognised in this way. Over the last four years, we’ve developed new devices for the electrocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide into valuable chemical feedstocks. It’s exciting to see the journey from fundamental science to real-world industrial applications, and this award highlights the collective achievements of the entire team.”
Professor Matthew Rosseinsky, based in the Materials Innovation Factory, added: “It’s an honour to be part of the Circular Chemical Economy Centre. Our contribution focused on designing new catalytic materials to convert waste plastics into useful chemicals. This award underscores the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration in creating sustainable technologies for the future of the chemical sector.”
Dalton Horizon Prize
The Dalton Horizon Prize has been awarded for the discovery and development of hybrid glasses—a new class of materials that combine the properties of inorganic, organic, and metallic glasses. These materials exhibit a wide range of multifunctional capabilities, including thermoelectric performance, gas separation, and ion conduction, while retaining the desirable transparency found in traditional glasses.
The University of Liverpool made a significant contribution to this work through the development and application of advanced characterisation methods that provide atomic-scale insight into the structure and chemical interactions within these hybrid glasses. Professor Frédéric Blanc, from the Stephenson Institute for Renewable Energy and the University’s High-Field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Facility, is one of the researchers recognised by this prize.
Professor Blanc said: “I’m honoured to be part of the team receiving this award. Our NMR-based approaches have significantly advanced the understanding of hybrid glass structures. NMR is uniquely suited to studying amorphous solids because it reveals detailed short-range chemical environments, even in complex, non-crystalline materials.”
An example of this contribution is demonstrated in the paper Interfacial Bonding between a Crystalline Metal-Organic Framework and an Inorganic Glass, which explores the chemical interface between a zeolitic imidazolate framework and a phosphate glass matrix. The study illustrates how NMR enables researchers to understand the interfacial chemistry that underpins the properties and performance of hybrid glasses.
The University of Liverpool is a national leader in NMR spectroscopy, with strategic capabilities supporting both the physical and life sciences. Through cutting-edge infrastructure and interdisciplinary expertise, the University continues to shape the evolving landscape of UK research in this field.
RSC Environment, Sustainability and Energy mid-career Prize for contribution to scientific progress
Dr Jon Major, a Reader in the Department of Physics and the Stephenson Institute for Renewable Energy, is the winner of the 2025 Royal Society of Chemistry Environment, Sustainability and Energy mid-career Prize in recognition of brilliance in research and innovation.
Dr Major won the prize for pioneering work into the development, characterisation, and optimisation of inorganic thin-film solar cells and developing antimony selenide photovoltaic materials and he receives £3,000 and an RSC medal.
Dr Major leads a research group focused on developing next-generation thin-film photovoltaic technologies, with an emphasis on scalable processing, grain boundary engineering, and inorganic absorber materials such as cadmium telluride (CdTe) and antimony chalcogenides.
Their goal is to develop new types of solar cell materials that are cheaper, more sustainable and easier to manufacture than existing technologies. Traditional solar panels rely on silicon wafers that require complex, high temperature processes to manufacture. Jon’s research focuses on materials which absorb light much more effectively, meaning lower purity, thinner layers can be deposited directly on to glass or flexible surfaces at lower cost.
His group studies small scale test devices made in their laboratory. They fabricate hundreds of solar cells and track performance changes then reverse engineer them to understand the chemical and materials changes that have occurred. The group is interested in how tiny imperfections in these materials affect how well they convert sunlight into electricity. By understanding and controlling these factors, they aim to make solar cells that are more efficient, more reliable and better suited for large-scale deployment. Their goal is to help make solar power more accessible, contributing to global efforts in tackling climate change and building a sustainable energy future.
On receiving this prestigious prize, Dr Major said: “I was completely surprised and shocked to win this award but it's a massive honour.”
Dr Helen Pain, Chief Executive of the Royal Society of Chemistry, said: “The chemical sciences cover a rich and diverse collection of disciplines, from fundamental understanding of materials and the living world, to applications in medicine, sustainability, technology and more. By working together across borders and disciplines, chemists are finding solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges.
“Our prize winners come from a vast array of backgrounds, all contributing in different ways to our knowledge-base, and bringing fresh ideas and innovations. We recognise chemical scientists from every career stage and every role type, including those who contribute to the RSC’s work as volunteers. We celebrate winners from both industry and academia, as well as individuals, teams, and the science itself.
“Their passion, dedication and brilliance are an inspiration. I extend my warmest congratulations to them all.”
The RSC prizes and awards celebrate exceptional achievements and groundbreaking contributions across the chemical sciences.