My adaptive approach ensures novel research methods are applied towards specific challenges happening in waste and recycling RIGHT NOW. Using research methods, I have 

Overview

The group is named the “Circular Chemistry Group”, whose research interests involve the application of research methods to advance the Circular Economy in the waste management sector. We have established connections to several local and national SMEs, large waste management businesses, textiles recycling network, charities, and retailers. Our work is funded through consultancy-based work, Business Growth Hub funding, Manchester Metropolitan, Royal Society, British Council, Royal Society of Chemistry and Innovate UK. A selection of our research themes and projects are provided below.

Chemical Technology for Textiles - Email for MRes/PhD Opportunities

Textiles are polymers, just like plastics. So it follows that, just like plastics can be recycled, then so too can textiles. Technically. Yet they are not. Instead we landfill around 1 million tonnes of textiles every year in the UK, while other reuse markets are quickly being closed off by international trade barriers. We need technology to recycle these materials. My work in this area, funded by both the British Council and the Royal Society, are tackling challenges within the textiles industry. I work on depolymerising textile waste into value added products, a challenge with many unanswered questions especially to do it sustainably. I also work on cleaning wastewaters generated from the textiles industry, which is polluting several nations across Asia. I am seeking people to work in my laboratory on these challenges.  

Electrochemical Detection of Perfluorinated Chemicals - Email for MRes/PhD Opportunities

I am interested in pollution prevention, control and detection, especially using electrochemical methods. PFAS are a class of compound that exists everywhere, are toxic and persist in the environment for long periods of time. In 2022 the US Environmental Protection Agency established new laws to regulate the use of PFAS, and in the UK in 2024 PFAS regulations have become tighter - acceptable levels of PFAS are lowering - leaving some waste and recycling businesses in the dark over the future security of their products. Through engagement with recycling industries, I am interested in developing novel methods for PFAS detection using electrochemical technology. Electrochemical technology has advantages over current methods - it is portable, inexpensive, and can be used to establish whether PFAS is a problem at source. The major challenge is to design a suitable electrochemical detection philosophy that targets PFAS, to contribute towards this problem. 

UBU Environmental - Knowledge Transfer Partnership (Ongoing)

UBU own and operate 120 road sweepers, which keep the streets of Greater Manchester clean 365 days per year. UBU also process road sweepings waste in a range of waste-derived products, including aggregates, sand, and a soil amendment product. My work with UBU has been influential in establishing a route to market for UBU’s soil amendment. Over 26 months, we have established a temporal profile of the soil product, accounting for seasonal variations in petroleum-based hydrocarbons, written environmental and human health risk assessments by measuring the concentrations of 128 different chemical targets to demonstrate safety with respect to both organic and inorganic pollutants, written justifications for plant permitting regimes, aiding the company to save over £2million per year in landfill tax, while preventing the excavation of 20,000 tonnes of virgin soils per year from the UK landscape.  

CIRMAP (Ended)

CIRMAP is Circular Economy via customizable furniture with recycled materials for public places, funded by Interreg. I lead on the data gathering part of this project, which is using recycled fine aggregates to 3D print urban, garden and memorial furniture. Making mortar from fine aggregate is very tricky: The intrinsic properties of fine aggregates (small size, high surface area, increased water absorption etc.) make them a difficult material to recycle back into structural applications. Non-load-bearing objects on the other hand are possible, and using 3D printing we can design highly intricate objects (plant pots, benches, cap stones etc.) and manipulate those designs very easily. The project will print and display five artefacts across five locations within Greater Manchester by the end of 2023.

Why do I teach?

I teach because I believe that everyone deserves to have access to the tools to a fulfilling and successful career. Everyone who chooses to study at a university has access to the tools to improve their own abilities, whether it be in reading, writing, speaking, networking, problem-solving, organizing, time management, and many other things. I fundamentally believe that every person is intelligent, but many persons fail to recognise exactly what it is that they are good at. I also hold a belief that our minds are very powerful and that lack of belief in oneself can limit a person’s capabilities. My goal through my teaching is to help my students realise the extent of their own capabilities, and I hope that my students will use their capabilities to contribute towards a common good in the future.

How I’ll teach you

I am a very energetic and enthusiastic teacher who will demand high standards, but at the same time will provide the necessary support for you as an individual. I value the student/teacher partnership in improving your skills and furthering your understanding of any given topic and I develop meaningful relationships with my students during taught sessions. I predominantly teach inorganic chemistry to degree apprentices but I also teach inorganic and green chemistry full time students too.

Why study an apprenticeship

Studying with the Chemical Science Undergraduate Programme is a unique opportunity for our apprentices because they combine degree level study with their everyday on-the-job experiences. The Chemical Science industry requires high quality analysts, formulation chemists and chemical engineers that can help grow and maintain the high standards set within their particular area. Studying with the CSUP team allows our students to put into practice the teachings from our units, which are designed to compliment most chemical science organizations. This experiential model of learning enables the student to apply fundamental principles to real world situations.

Subject areas

Electrochemistry, Green and Inorganic Chemistry, Occupational Safety and Health, Waste Management

PhD completions: 3

Current group:

1 PhD student

2 KTP Associates

2 Research assistants

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7252-8494

Scopus: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=55256215600

Publications: 30

H-Index: 18

Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy

I have studied EIS for many years and have written a book chapter, a critical review, and several academic publications using the technique. EIS is a complex electrochemical technique that uses physical manipulations of electrical waves to determine individual physicochemical processes occurring at a liquid|solid boundary. The technique is used to determine information on many characteristics of materials, such as porosity, conductivity, surface oxidation, coating failure, corrosion, double layer charging, antibody-antigen binding, and many other recognisable events. EIS finds uses not just for my own research interest, but for strategic research areas such as fuel cell research and 3D printed materials. It was for my expertise in this area that I was invited to be an external PhD examiner in December 2019 for Dr Christopher Rinaldi at the University of Strathclyde. I have written a book chapter for the RSC on EIS and a critical review for the RSC that is cited over 350 times. Additionally I have written peer-reviewed research papers challenging the determination of the rate constant (Randviir, Electrochimica Acta, 2018, 286, 179 – 186), and an applied sensory approach for EIS (Randviir et al., Analyst, 2013, 138, 2970 – 2981). Both listed works are well cited by the field (in excess of 50 cites).

• E. P. Randviir, The application of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy to electrochemical sensor devices, SPR Electrochemistry, Royal Society of Chemistry, 2019, 15, 186 – 205;
• E. P. Randviir, C. E. Banks, Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy: An overview of bioanalytical applications, Analytical Methods, 2013, 5, 1098 – 1115;
• E. P. Randviir, J. P. Metters, J. Stainton, C. E. Banks, Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy versus cyclic voltammetry for the electroanalytical sensing of capsaicin utilising screen printed electrodes, Analyst, 2013, 138, 2970 – 2981;
• E. P. Randviir, A cross examination of electron transfer rate constants for carbon screen-printed electrodes using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry, Electrochimica Acta, 2018, 286, 179 – 186.

Science Communication

I can reasonably claim that I am a champion of science communication and have specialist knowledge in the use of social media platforms to communicate research. I am a co-founder and former lead organizer of the annual #RSCPoster conference. This is an innovation in scientific communication that has captured the imagination of the chemical science community since conception. I delivered an invited presentation to the Association of Association Executives (a UK membership body for events management) on the #RSCPoster conference, and the event has since been entered into an awards ceremony for the Association, and was runner up for its use of digital media.

• M.J. Baker, K. L. Gempf, H. McDonald, H. E. Kerr, C. Hodges, A. Anastasaki, T. Noel, E. P. Randviir, Five years of the #RSCPoster Twitter conference, Chemical Communications, 2020, 56, 13681 – 13688;
• E. P. Randviir, S. M. Illingworth, M. J. Baker, M. Cude, C. E. Banks, Twittering about research: A case study of the world’s first Twitter poster competition, F1000 Research, 2016, 4, 798.

Electrochemical Methods

I am established in the field of electrochemical methods, having worked with many established researchers in this field, such as Prof. Craig Banks, Prof. Richard Compton, Prof. Jay Wadhawan, Prof. Frank Marken, Dr Trevor Davies, Dr Dale Brownson and Dr Sam Rowley-Neale. My interest in electrochemical methods is the fundamental aspects of electrochemistry, from the conductivity of materials through to Marcus Theory, thermodynamics and interrelationships between these concepts. I have used my specialist knowledge to build teaching resources for masters level students for the Frontiers in Chemical and Environmental Science unit. 

I have co-written nine research papers in this thematic area, encompassing subjects such as graphene, medical sensors and oxygen reduction for fuel cells.

• A. F. Khan, E. P. Randviir, D. A. C. Brownson, X. Ji, G. C. Smith, C. E. Banks, 2D hexagonal boron nitride (2D-hBN) explored as a potential electrocatalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction, Electroanalysis, 2017, 29, 622 – 634;
• A. F. Khan, D. A. C. Brownson, E. P. Randviir, G. C. Smith, C. E. Banks, 2D hexagonal boron nitride (2D-hBN) explored for the electrochemical sensing of dopamine, Analytical Chemistry, 2016, 88, 9729 – 9737;
• T. Wang, E. P. Randviir, C. E. Banks, Detection of theophylline utilising portable electrochemical sensors, Analyst, 2014, 139, 2000 – 2003;
• E. P. Randviir, D. A. C. Brownson, J. P. Metters, R. O. Kadara, C. E. Banks, The fabrication, characterisation and electrochemical investigation of screen-printed graphene electrodes, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 2014, 16, 4598 – 4611;
• E. P. Randviir, C. E. Banks, The oxygen reduction reaction at graphene modified electrodes, Electroanalysis, 2014, 26, 76 – 83;
• J. P. Metters, E. P. Randviir, C. E. Banks, Screen-printed back-to-back electroanalytical sensors, Analyst, 2014, 139, 5339 – 5349;
• E. P. Randviir, D. K. Kampouris, C. E. Banks, An improved electrochemical creatinine detection method via a Jaffe-based procedure, Analyst, 2013, 138, 6565 – 6572;
• E. P. Randviir, D. A. C. Brownson, M. Gómez-Mingot, D. K. Kampouris, J. Iniesta, C. E. Banks, Nanoscale, 2012, 4, 6470 – 6480;
• E. P. Randviir, C. E. Banks, Electrochemical measurement of the DNA bases adenine and guanine at surfactant-free graphene modified electrodes, RSC Advances, 2012, 2, 5800 – 5805.

Waste and Recycling

My three years’ experience consulting on the largest waste management contract in Europe (worth £3.8billion over 25 years) opened my eyes to both the scale of the waste management problem in the UK, and the chemical technology that is used to try extract the highest possible value from the wastes we make as a society. During my time I consulted on technological failures for anaerobic digestion plants, in-vessel composting plants, odour control systems, dewatering technologies, and many other projects. Much of this shapes my research today. I now use this knowledge and experience in two teaching units, too. I deliver a guest lecture for the Environmental Risk Management unit, where I take students on a whistle stop tour of waste legislation, the scale of the waste problem and the types of wastes needing to be tackled, challenges, technological advances, and the risks associated with modern waste management systems. I have also supplanted this lecture into the Green Chemistry unit for our second year chemists, but with a more detailed examination of anaerobic digestion of wastes, discussing the important factors in successful reactor design, such as pH control, alkalinity and retention time. I have also published four papers underpinned by the theme of Circular Economy:

• E. Bernalte, J. Kamieniak, E. P. Randviir, C. E. Banks, The preparation of hydroxyapatite from unrefined calcite residues and its application for lead removal from aqueous solutions, RSC Advances, 2019, 9, 4954 – 4062;
• E. P. Randviir, O. Kanou, C. M. Liauw, G. J. Miller, H. G. Andrews, G. C. Smith, The physicochemical investigation of hydrothermally reduced textile waste application within carbon-based electrodes, RSC Advances, 2019, 9, 11239 – 11252;
• E. P. Randviir, Novel research methods supporting advanced waste treatment technologies within a circular economy, Environmental Scientist, 2017, 26, 82 – 87.
• S. Tedesco, G. Hurst, E. P. Randviir, M. Francavilla, A comparative investigation of non-catalysed versus catalysed microwave-assisted hydrolysis of common North and South European seaweeds to produce biochemicals, Algal Research, 2021, 60, 102489.

Other Published Works:

• S. J. Rowley-Neale, E. P. Randviir, A. S. Abo Dena, C. E. Banks, An overview of recent applications of graphene oxide as a basis of electroanalytical sensing platforms, Applied Materials Today, 2018, 10, 218 – 226;
• J. P. Smith, E. P Randviir, C. E. Banks, An introduction to forensic electrochemistry, Forensic Science: A Multidisciplinary Approach, Wiley-VCH, 2016, 89 – 102;
• E. P. Randviir, C. E. Banks, Incorporating graphene into fuel cell design, Nanoscience and Technology, Springer International, 2016, 293 – 312;
• J. Kamieniak, E. P. Randviir, C. E. Banks, The latest developments in the analytical sensing of methane, Trends in Analytical Chemistry, 2015, 73, 146 – 157;
• E. P. Randviir, C. E. Banks, Electrode substance innovation for electrochemical detection in microchip electrophoresis, Electrophoresis, 2015, 36, 1845 – 1853;
• E. P. Randviir, C. E. Banks, The latest developments in quantifying cyanide and hydrogen cyanide, Trends in Analytical Chemistry, 2015, 64, 75 – 85;
• D. K. Kampouris, X. Ji, E. P. Randviir, C. E. Banks, A new approach for the improved interpretation of capacitance measurements for materials utilised in energy storage, RSC Advances, 2015, 5, 12782 – 12791;
• E. P. Randviir, D. A. C. Brownson, C. E. Banks, A decade of graphene research: Production, applications and outlook, Materials Today, 2014, 17, 426 – 432;
• E. P. Randviir, C. E. Banks, Analytical methods for quantifying creatinine within biological media, Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 2013, 183, 239 – 252.