Dr Hugh Geaney is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical Sciences and Bernal Institute in the University of Limerick (UL) and co-director of the AMPEiRE research centre. The overarching aims of his research are to understand charge storage and fade mechanisms from a chemistry/materials science perspective, to enable to development of better battery chemistries. Within Li-ion battery development, his main interest is on Si containing anode materials, related to generating understanding and mitigations for capacity fade mechanisms. He has also been involved in the development of earth-abundant materials for Na-ion applications. Recent research has focussed on high-energy density anode preparation, related to novel Li metal and dual-cation systems. His research was recognized with the UL President’s Consolidator level Early Career Research award in 2022.

Timeline: Hugh finished a degree in Industrial Chemistry in 2008 and a PhD in Chemistry in 2012 (both from UL). He subsequently moved to UCC as a postdoctoral researcher on the EU FP7 project STABLE, working on Li-O2 batteries. Following that, he was a senior postdoctoral researcher in UCC, investigating porous materials for Li-ion battery applications. In 2016 he returned to UL as a postdoctoral researcher on an Enterprise Ireland commercialization project. In 2019, he received a starting investigator research grant and has been a faculty member in the Department of Chemical Sciences since 2020. His teaching includes inorganic, analytical and physical chemistry.