Dr Matthew Quesne

Profile

I undertook my PhD at the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology under the supervision of Dr Sam de Visser, in the fields of bio-mimetic and homogenous catalysis. Here I was focused on modelling the catalytic activity of synthetic complexes of transition metal dependent homogeneous catalysts. Over the four years spent at Manchester, I worked with dozens of different experimental groups and provided the in-silico components to many joint computational/experimental studies.

I then joined the research group headed by Dr Tomasz Borowski at the Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry Polish Academy of Science in Krakow (Poland) in 2014, where I spent two years using MD, QM/MM and cluster model techniques to model enzyme catalysed reaction mechanisms. Here, I implemented the above mentioned QM/MM protocols and initiated knowledge exchange with my new host institution.

In 2016, I moved to Cardiff to work in Prof. Catlow’s group where I studied CO₂ reduction on a variety of transition metal carbides. This work formed a small part of a much larger EPSRC project that aimed to bring together several groups from across the UK in a multi-disciplinary fashion in order to develop integrated techniques for utilising CO₂ as a feedstock for the production of fuels and fine chemicals. During this period, I joined the Materials Chemistry Continuum as well as CCP5 and interacted strongly with CoSec members.

I was then a UK Catalysis Hub researcher for the next  five years. My time at the Hub has provided the wide range of expertise and experience in many different theoretical applications, from classical molecular dynamics simulations to calculations based on multiscale Quantum Mechanics Molecular Dynamics (QM/MM). At the UK Catalysis Hub my research focus was on the intersections of the modelling of heterogeneously, homogenously and biocatalytically catalysed reaction mechanisms.

I moved to the University of Leeds, on the 1st of September where I have accepted a Lectureship in Computational Materials Chemistry for a Sustainable Future in the School of Chemistry. My new position will focus on using state-of-the-art computational techniques for the development of sustainably produced materials – as part of a collaborative and interdisciplinary team of scientists within the Functional Materials and Molecular Assemblies (FMMA) group.

Research interests

1. To develop novel polymer materials for the photocatalytic oxidation of methane, building on work recently published in the Journal Nature¹ – in collaboration with colleagues from University College London and Hong Kong University.
2. To utilise both ongoing collaborations as well as insights from our recently published paper in the Journal Nature Catalysis² to design microporous materials for thermo-catalytic conversion of methane.
3. To build upon an extensive network of collaborations to explore exciting material solutions towards catalytic carbon dioxide utilization.^3-7

^References

1) Xie, J., Fu, C., Quesne, M.G., Guo, J., Wang, C., Xiong, L., Windle, C.D., Gadipelli, S., Guo, Z.X., Huang, W., Catlow, C.R.A.,Tang, J., (2024) Nature, [in press].

2) Qi, G. et al. Au-ZSM-5 catalyses the selective oxidation of CH₄ to CH₃OH and CH₃COOH using O₂. (2022) Nat. Catal. 5, 45–54.

3) Quesne, M.G., Roldan, A., de Leeuw, N.H. and Catlow, C.R.A., (2018) Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 20, 6905-6916.

4) Silveri, F., Quesne, M.G., Roldan, A., De Leeuw, N.H. and Catlow, C.R.A., (2019) Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 21, 5335-5343.

5) Quesne, M.G., Roldan, A., de Leeuw, N.H. and Catlow, C.R.A., (2019) Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 21, 10750-10760.

6) Silveri, F., Quesne, M.G., Viñes, F., Illas, F., Catlow, C.R.A. and de Leeuw, N.H., (2022) The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 126, 5138-5150.

7) Quesne, M.G., Catlow, C.R.A. and de Leeuw, N.H., (2021) Faraday Discussions, 230, 87-99.