Dr Julia L. Payne

Julia is a Research Fellow in Energy Materials, in the School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews.

Our research spans a wide range of energy materials.  We are particularly interested in understanding how the structure of materials changes during device operation (e.g. charging/discharging a battery).   To do this, we regularly carry out experiments at the UK synchrotron (Diamond Light Source) or the UK neutron facility (ISIS Neutron and Muon Source) in Oxfordshire.   We use a variety of techniques to probe energy materials, including powder diffraction (X-ray and neutron), single crystal diffraction and X-ray Absorption spectroscopy, in addition to a wide range of complementary techniques available in St Andrews.  We are also currently interested in the synthesis, characterisation and properties of new materials for batteries and photovoltaics.

From 2014-2018, Julia worked in the group of  Professor John T.S. Irvine at the University of St Andrews.  During this time Julia worked on a range of different projects including photovoltaics and high temperature batteries.

From 2012-2014 Julia worked as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate in the group of Professor Matthew Rosseinsky at the University of Liverpool. Here her work focussed primarily on the synthesis, characterisation and properties of materials for lithium ion conductors. Julia was also involved in projects on a range of different materials such as oxide ion conductors and materials for SOFC cathode applications.

Julia completed her PhD (2011) and initial post-doctoral studies at Durham University under the supervision of Dr Ivana Evans. Her work focussed on the synthesis, characterisation and properties of oxides, with particular emphasis on their applications as oxide ion conductors. Her work involved a using a range of different synthetic and crystallographic techniques (powder X-ray and powder neutron diffraction, single crystal X-ray diffraction and neutron total scattering) and impedance spectroscopy.  During her PhD Julia spent some time at the Institut-Laue-Langevin in Grenoble, France carrying out molecular dynamics simulations.

Julia completed her MChem at the University of Warwick (2007)

Invited talks

  1. Diamond Light Source, February 2016,
  2. UK Neutron and Muon Science and User Meeting, University of Warwick, July 2016.
  3. BCA-PCG/SCMP-IOP/ ISIS Crystallography group ‘Winter Crystallography Meeting’, Didcot, November 2018.
  4. School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, ‘Structural Chemistry at Central Facilities Mini-symposium’ January 2019
  5. Energy Innovation Emporium 2019, Glasgow, June 2019
  6. Scottish Dalton Meeting, Heriot Watt University, June 2019
  7. China-UK Workshop on Solid Oxide Fuel Cells and Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, China, October 2019.
  8. Departmental Seminar, Guilin University of Technology, China, October 2019.
  9. ‘Energy Materials at the Edge’ meeting, University of Bath, October 2019.
  10.  RSC-IOP Neutron Scattering Group Early Career Researcher Meeting, August 2020