ProfessorMartyn McLachlan

Summary

I am Professor of Thin Films, Interfaces and Electronic Devices in the Department of Materials at Imperial College London. I currently serve as Consul for the Faculty of Engineering and Imperial Business School and as Imperial Director of the Centre for Doctoral Training in the Advanced Characterisation of Materials. I am also Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Materials Chemistry C and joint Editor-in-Chief of Materials Advances. 

Background

Originally from Paisley in the West of Scotland, I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Paisley, now the University of the West of Scotland, before undertaking a PhD at the University of Glasgow. I joined Imperial’s Department of Materials in late 2004 as a postdoctoral researcher, working with Professor David McComb on an industry-funded research project supported by Shell. In 2007, I was awarded a Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowship, which gave me the opportunity to establish an independent research direction in functional thin films and nanostructured materials.

I was appointed Lecturer in 2013, promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2015 and Reader in 2017, and became a full Professor in 2020. Although this progression can appear straightforward when reduced to a series of dates, it reflects a career shaped by changes in research direction, collaboration and the many students and colleagues with whom I have had the opportunity to work.

  Education, leadership and service

Alongside my research, I have always been strongly committed to education, academic leadership and supporting the wider university community. During my time at Imperial, I have held roles including Course Director of the MSc in Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, Director of Undergraduate Studies, Associate Head of Department for Research, Deputy Faculty Senior Tutor and Faculty Senior Tutor.

I also served as a College Warden for almost a decade. This was a particularly rewarding part of my time at Imperial and gave me the opportunity to support students beyond the laboratory and classroom, particularly as they adjusted to university life and navigated its challenges.

In 2021, I became Imperial Director of the Centre for Doctoral Training in the Advanced Characterisation of Materials, a partnership between Imperial College London, University College London and Trinity College Dublin. The Centre provides interdisciplinary doctoral training that brings together advanced experimental methods, data analysis and materials science, while connecting students with academic and industrial research communities.

Since September 2025, I have served as one of the Consuls representing the Faculty of Engineering and Imperial Business School. In this elected role, I contribute to academic governance, represent the interests of colleagues and support constructive engagement between the academic community and the College’s leadership. 

My editorial work provides another way to support the wider research community. After several years as an Associate Editor, I became Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Materials Chemistry C and joint Editor-in-Chief of Materials Advances in 2025. These roles allow me to help shape the direction of the journals, support authors and reviewers, and promote rigorous, inclusive and high-quality materials research. 

Research

My research sits at the interface of materials chemistry, physics and engineering. My group develops and studies functional thin films and nanomaterials for energy conversion and optoelectronic applications, with particular interests in metal-halide perovskites, metal-oxide semiconductors and hybrid materials.

A central theme of our work is understanding how processing influences composition, structure, defects, interfaces and, ultimately, device performance. Increasingly, we are also exploring more sustainable approaches to materials synthesis and processing, including aqueous preparation, recovery, recycling and reuse.

Further information about our current research, publications, facilities, collaborative opportunities and vacancies can be found on the research group website www.mclachlanresearchgroup.org.

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