Dr. David Payne

Biography

David Payne is a Professor of Materials Chemistry at Imperial College London, leading the Solid State Electronic Structure Group and heading the Advanced Photoelectron Spectroscopy Laboratory. His research focuses on the synthesis and characterization of novel oxide-based materials for energy applications, including fuel cells, catalysis, photovoltaics, and solar water splitting materials. He specializes in using photoelectron spectroscopy to probe the surface chemistry and physics of materials with unprecedented energy resolution and chemical sensitivity through state-of-the-art instrumentation. David joined the Department of Materials as a Lecturer in 2011 after serving as a Junior Research Fellow at Christ Church Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford, from 2007. He obtained his DPhil in 2008, focusing on the electronic structure of post-transition metal oxides. He has held a Royal Society University Research Fellowship from 2011 to 2019 and is currently the Director of the Research Complex at Harwell, a position he will hold jointly with Imperial College until 2024. He will also be taking on an additional role as Director of the Research Ecosystem Infrastructure at NEOM, Saudi Arabia, while continuing his research activities at Imperial. Over his career, he has presented work at numerous international conferences and has published nearly 120 research articles in leading international journals. David has been awarded £15m in research funding as Principal Co-Investigator and has actively engaged with the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), serving on various advisory teams and committees.

Research Interests