ProfessorSalvador Eslava

For his group website, please visit: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/eslava-group/

Prof. Eslava leads a cutting-edge research group focused on the development of novel synthesis approaches for (photo)electrochemical and (photo)catalytic materials. His team's work involves exploring a wide range of materials, including transition metal oxides, halide perovskites, organic bulk heterojunctions, oxide perovskites, and graphene derivatives. By conducting comprehensive physicochemical and electrochemical characterizations, they aim to link material properties to practical applications, particularly in the field of energy conversion. Their research has significant interdisciplinary reach, spanning chemical engineering, chemistry, physics, and materials science. Dr Eslava's research contributions have been widely recognized, with over 95 publications in leading journals like Nature Energy, Advanced Materials, Energy & Environmental Science, and Nature Communications. He has been awarded prestigious funding from organizations such as The Royal Society, the Royal Society of Chemistry, EPSRC, and Innovate UK. His innovative contributions to the field earned him the Warner Medal from the Institution of Chemical Engineers for his impactful research and dissemination efforts. He is a Fellow of the IChemE (FIChemE), Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC), and Higher Education Academy (FHEA).

Among Prof. Eslava's most notable achievements are the development of integrated photovoltaics into non-conventional photoanodes for oxygen evolution in aqueous electrolytes, as well as halide perovskite composites for photocatalytic CO₂ conversion with water vapor. His team has also made significant advances in understanding oxygen evolution catalysts on semiconductors such as Fe₂O₃, BiVO₄, and LaFeO₃ leading to breakthroughs in the field of photoanodes and photocathodes. In addition, they have pioneered greener and more efficient methods for preparing haematite and TiO₂ photoanodes for solar water oxidation. Other key contributions include the use of graphene oxide to replicate its 2D structure in TiO₂ photocatalysts for hydrogen production, the upscaling of chemically modified graphene for 3D printing, and the discovery of the insulating properties of metal-organic framework ZIF-8 films and zeolite-like materials for microelectronics. Dr Eslava's work continues to push the boundaries of material science and energy conversion technologies.

Link to CV Salvador Eslava (September 26)