Sustainable Catalytic Engineering
University of Sheffield · Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering

Catalytic routes from CO2, biomass and waste to fuels, chemicals and materials

We design heterogeneous catalysts and the reactors around them, taking new chemistry from the bench to pilot scale. Our work spans CO2 conversion, hydrothermal processing, biomass valorisation and the upgrading of insect biomass.

Dr James McGregor Senior Lecturer and group lead · Chair, IChemE Catalysis & Reaction Engineering SIG
Research collaboration Hosting fellowships PhD supervision Consultancy
Schematic of a packed-bed catalytic reactor converting CO2 and hydrogen into liquid hydrocarbons and oxygenates CO₂ + H₂ feed gas catalyst bed Fe, Co, Ni, Cu 220–350 °C 10–30 bar C₅₊ hydrocarbons, alcohols + H₂O
Research

Areas of expertise

CO2 conversion, from bench to pilot plant

CO₂ + H₂ ⇌ CO + H₂O  →  n CO + 2n H₂ → (–CH₂–)ₙ + n H₂O

We turn captured CO2 into products that would otherwise come from fossil carbon. Much of this runs through thermocatalytic hydrogenation, where we study how catalyst structure sets the product slate, and we are now scaling the chemistry on a bespoke pilot-scale gas-to-liquid (Fischer–Tropsch-type) rig.

  • CO2 hydrogenation to hydrocarbons, fatty alcohols and other oxygenates
  • Structured macroporous and iron-based catalysts, including scale-up of catalyst production
  • Methanation kinetics and reaction networks
  • CO2 as a feedstock for polymers, surfactants and ureas
  • Pilot-scale gas-to-liquids and Power-to-X process development

Hydrothermal processing

H₂O · 180–250 °C carbonisation · 250–374 °C liquefaction · Tc = 374 °C, 22.1 MPa

Hot, pressurised water is a reactive solvent that handles wet feedstocks without drying. We use it to convert biomass and food waste into hydrochars and bio-crudes, and to couple biomass oxidation with the reduction of captured CO2.

  • Co-conversion of captured CO2 (as bicarbonate) and biomass to formate over Ni, Co and Cu catalysts
  • Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of lignocellulosic and proteinaceous biomass, and kinetic network modelling
  • Hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC) of food waste to functional carbons

Biomass and waste valorisation

glycerol + CO₂ → glycerol carbonate + H₂O  ·  biochar-supported catalysts

We treat residues and co-products as resources, both as feedstocks and as catalyst materials. Carbon from waste can be an active support, and carbon deposits on a catalyst are not always a problem: in some reactions they do the useful chemistry.

  • Biochars from agricultural residues as catalysts and catalyst supports
  • Upgrading of biorefinery co-products such as glycerol
  • Carbon in catalysis: coke formation, deactivation and its beneficial role in dehydrogenation

Black soldier fly larvae valorisation

Hermetia illucens → lipids → fuels and oleochemicals  ·  chitin → chitosan

Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) turn organic waste into protein, fat and chitin. We develop routes to extract and upgrade the lipid and chitin fractions so that insect farming yields higher-value products, working with partners across the world.

  • Lipid extraction and catalytic upgrading
  • Chitin extraction and conversion to chitosan
  • Applications of chitin and chitosan materials
Facilities

Lab and pilot capability

Pilot scale

Gas-to-liquid pilot rig

A bespoke Fischer–Tropsch-type rig for CO2/syngas-to-liquids testing at conditions relevant to industry.

Analysis

Product analysis and characterisation

GC-MS, GC-FID and mass spectrometry for identifying and quantifying gas- and liquid-phase products, alongside catalyst characterisation.

Bench scale

Batch and flow reactors

High-pressure batch autoclaves and continuous fixed-bed reactors covering gas/solid, gas/liquid/solid and liquid/solid catalysis, including hydrothermal conditions.

Characterisation

In situ spectroscopy and analysis

In situ DRIFTS and ATR FTIR to follow surface and liquid-phase species under reaction conditions.

Work with us

We are open to new partners, researchers and students

If your interests overlap with ours, please get in touch. A short email describing what you have in mind is the best first step.

Research collaboration

We have a long record of joint projects with industry and with academic groups in the UK and internationally, from short feasibility studies to multi-partner programmes. We are happy to join bids as partner or lead.

Hosting fellowships

We welcome postdoctoral researchers who want to apply for an independent fellowship with Sheffield as host, for example through UKRI, Royal Society, Royal Academy of Engineering, Leverhulme or Marie Skłodowska-Curie schemes. We can help shape the proposal.

PhD supervision

We supervise PhD students in all of the areas above. Applicants should hold, or expect, a first or 2:1 undergraduate degree or a good MSc in chemical engineering, chemistry or a related subject. Self-funded and scholarship-funded applicants, including government-sponsored and Commonwealth scholars, are welcome.

Consultancy

We take on one-off and recurring consultancy in catalysis and reaction engineering: catalyst selection and testing, process feasibility, reactor design, troubleshooting, and expert advice on CO2 utilisation and biomass conversion.

About

James McGregor

James is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering at the University of Sheffield, where he leads the Sustainable Catalytic Engineering group. He studied chemistry at the University of Edinburgh and completed a PhD in heterogeneous catalysis in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology at the University of Cambridge, where he was later appointed University Lecturer. He moved to Sheffield in 2012.

His research combines catalyst design, reaction kinetics and reactor engineering to make chemicals and fuels from CO2, biomass and waste. He chairs the IChemE Catalysis and Reaction Engineering Special Interest Group and has been a co-investigator in the UK Catalysis Hub.

MChem, EdinburghChemistry
PhD, CambridgeHeterogeneous catalysis
Sheffield since 2012Sustainable catalytic engineering
Publications

Selected papers

  1. 2022
    Synergistic hydrothermal conversion of aqueous solutions of CO2 and biomass waste liquefaction into formate
    ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 10(50), 16948–16957
  2. 2020
  3. 2020
  4. 2016
    The role of the Boudouard and water-gas shift reactions in the methanation of CO or CO2 over Ni/γ-Al2O3 catalyst
    Chemical Engineering Science, 152, 754–766
  5. 2016
    Kinetic studies of CO2 methanation over a Ni/γ-Al2O3 catalyst using a batch reactor
    Chemical Engineering Science, 141, 28–45
  6. 2016
    Things go better with coke: the beneficial role of carbonaceous deposits in heterogeneous catalysis
    Catalysis Science & Technology

Full publication list: University of Sheffield staff profile

Contact

Get in touch

For collaboration, fellowship, PhD or consultancy enquiries, email James directly. PhD applicants: please include your CV, degree transcripts and a few lines on which of our research areas interests you and how you plan to fund your studies.

Email
james.mcgregor@sheffield.ac.uk
Phone
+44 (0)114 222 4918
LinkedIn
James McGregor
Address
School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering
University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK