Dr Muhammad Sohail
Dr Muhammad Sohail
Senior Lecturer
Senior lecturer of chemistry and material science (Material chemist working on a Net-Zero energy transition)
My profile
Biography
Dr Sohail is a Material Chemist working in the field of Photo/Electrocatalysis and Photovoltaics. His research is focus on energy harvesting, conversion, and chemical storage technologies. The primary objective of his research is to develop fundamental understanding of novel materials, thin-films, and devices to develop renewable photon and electron driven chemical technologies for sustainable net zero energy transition.
Beyond research, Sohail is member of the Joint Education Institute (JEI) with Hubei University where he is dedicated to educating the future generation in the fields of energy materials and advanced instrumental techniques for characterisation. He is fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing among diverse scientific communities and cultures to enhance education, research exchange, and training.
We innovate energy materials and devices through collaboration and sharing knowledge for sustainable Net-Zero energy transition.
Interests and expertise
- Photon and electron induced chemical transformations
- Photo and Electrocatalysis (water splitting and carbon dioxide reduction and associated reaction mechanisms)
- Thin-film and interface engineering (Electrode, Photovoltaics and Sensors)
- Energy storage and conversion technologies
- Recycling technologies for circular economy
Teaching
Undergraduate & MSc Teaching
Energy Materials (MSc Advanced Materials)
The Energy Materials for Net Zero Energy Transition course is designed to provide MSc students with a comprehensive understanding of advanced materials that are critical to achieving global carbon neutrality. As the world transitions towards sustainable and renewable energy sources, the role of energy materials becomes increasingly vital in developing technologies such as batteries, fuel cells, solar cells, and energy storage systems.
This course covers the fundamental principles of energy materials, focusing on their design, properties, and applications in technologies that enable clean energy production, efficient storage, and reduced carbon emissions. Students will explore cutting-edge materials like lithium-ion batteries, solid-state electrolytes, hydrogen storage materials, and thermoelectric devices, all of which are pivotal in driving the shift towards a net-zero energy future.
Through a combination of theoretical knowledge and practical case studies, students will gain insights into how these materials are developed, optimized, and integrated into energy systems. The course aims to equip students with the skills to contribute to innovations in sustainable energy, playing a key role in the global effort to combat climate change.
Advanced Instrumental Analysis (Undergraduate Level)
The Advanced Instrumental Analysis course introduces undergraduate students to modern analytical techniques used in the identification, characterization, and quantification of chemical compounds. This course builds on basic principles of analytical chemistry, focusing on advanced instrumentation such as spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, electrochemical techniques, chromatographic techniques, and surface characterization techniques.
Students will learn how these powerful tools are applied in real-world scenarios, from pharmaceutical development to environmental monitoring and materials science. The course emphasizes the theory behind each technique, practical applications, and data interpretation, preparing students for both academic research and industrial settings where analytical accuracy and precision are critical. Through first-hand lab experiences and problem-solving exercises, students will gain the skills needed to effectively use advanced instrumentation in complex chemical analyses.
Structure and Spectroscopy (Undergraduate Level)
The Structure and Spectroscopy course is designed to give undergraduate students a foundational understanding of how molecular structures are determined using various spectroscopic techniques. The course explores the relationship between molecular structure and the corresponding spectral data, introducing key methods such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), infrared (IR) spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry (MS).
Students will learn how to interpret spectral data to deduce the structures of organic and inorganic compounds, gaining insights into both theoretical principles and practical applications. This course emphasizes the role of spectroscopy in chemical research and industry, from identifying unknown compounds to characterizing materials. With hands-on lab work and real-world examples, students will develop critical analytical skills that are essential for careers in chemistry and related fields.
Supervision
MRes and PhD Project Supervision
If you are interested in cutting edge research that will contribute to Net-Zero energy transition, our research group is always seeking highly motivated and enthusiastic students interested in MRes or PhD programmes. From water splitting (hydrogen production) to carbon dioxide reduction, and recycling technologies, our work is focused primarily on the synthesis and characterisation of photo and electrocatalysts for both lab-scale and commercially relevant device testing. Please get in contact if you are interested in collaboration or working with us!
Research outputs
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Chapters in books
Sinopoli, A., La Porte, N.T., Wasielewski, M.R., Sohail, M. (2019) 'Photosensitisers for CO2 photoreduction: from metal complexes to rylenes, an overview.' Organometallic Chemistry. Cambridge: Royal Society of Chemistry, pp. 80-124.
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Journal articles
Chen, W., Sohail, M., Veeranna, Y., Yang, Y., Bengali, A.A., Zhou, H.C., Madrahimov, S.T. (2024) 'N-Alkylation through the Borrowing Hydrogen Pathway Catalyzed by the Metal-Organic Framework-Supported Iridium-Monophosphine Complex.' ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces,
Wang, S., Hu, H., Tan, T., Li, X., Zhou, W., Tian, Z., Bao, Y., Homewood, K.P., Sohail, M., Xia, X., Gao, Y. (2025) 'Enhancing NO2 sensing performance through interface engineering in Cs2AgBiBr6/SnO2/ZnO-NRs sensor.' Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 422
Li, X., Hu, H., Tan, T., Sun, M., Bao, Y., Huang, Z., Sohail, M., Xia, X., Gao, Y. (2024) 'Enhancing Methane Gas Sensing through Defect Engineering in Ag–Ru Co-doped ZnO Nanorods.' ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 16(20) pp. 26395-26405.
Xia, J., Sohail, M., Nazeeruddin, M.K. (2023) 'Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells by Tailoring of Interfaces.' Advanced Materials, 35(31)
Chen, W., Fan, W.Y., Sohail, M., Madrahimov, S.T., Bengali, A.A. (2023) 'Solubilizing Metal–Organic Frameworks for an In Situ IR-SEC Study of a CO2 Reduction Catalyst.' ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 15(13) pp. 16593-16597.
Loke, W.L.J., Guo, W., Sohail, M., Bengali, A.A., Fan, W.Y. (2022) 'Manganese Tricarbonyl Diimine Bromide Complexes as Electrocatalysts for Proton Reduction.' Inorganic Chemistry, 61(50) pp. 20699-20708.
Kim, H., Lim, J., Sohail, M., Nazeeruddin, M.K. (2022) 'Superhalogen Passivation for Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells.' Solar RRL, 6(7)
Abuhelaiqa, M., Gao, X.X., Ding, Y., Ding, B., Yi, Z., Sohail, M., Kanda, H., Dyson, P.J., Nazeeruddin, M.K. (2022) 'Mixed cation 2D perovskite: a novel approach for enhanced perovskite solar cell stability.' Sustainable Energy and Fuels, 6(10) pp. 2471-2477.
Joseph, V., Xia, J., Sutanto, A.A., Jankauskas, V., Momblona, C., Ding, B., Rakstys, K., Balasaravanan, R., Pan, C.H., Ni, J.S., Yau, S.L., Sohail, M., Chen, M.C., Dyson, P.J., Nazeeruddin, M.K. (2022) 'Triarylamine-Functionalized Imidazolyl-Capped Bithiophene Hole Transporting Material for Cost-Effective Perovskite Solar Cells.' ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 14(19) pp. 22053-22060.
Ali, F., Roldán-Carmona, C., Sohail, M., Nazeeruddin, M.K. (2020) 'Applications of Self-Assembled Monolayers for Perovskite Solar Cells Interface Engineering to Address Efficiency and Stability.' Advanced Energy Materials, 10(48)
Drigo, N., Roldan-Carmona, C., Franckevičius, M., Lin, K.H., Gegevičius, R., Kim, H., Schouwink, P.A., Sutanto, A.A., Olthof, S., Sohail, M., Meerholz, K., Gulbinas, V., Corminboeuf, C., Paek, S., Nazeeruddin, M.K. (2020) 'Doped but Stable: Spirobisacridine Hole Transporting Materials for Hysteresis-Free and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells.' Journal of the American Chemical Society, 142(4) pp. 1792-1800.
Gandra, U.R., Sinopoli, A., Moncho, S., Nandakumar, M., Ninković, D.B., Zarić, S.D., Sohail, M., Al-Meer, S., Brothers, E.N., Mazloum, N.A., Al-Hashimi, M., Bazzi, H.S. (2019) 'Green Light-Responsive CO-Releasing Polymeric Materials Derived from Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization.' ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 11(37) pp. 34376-34384.
Martinez, J.F., La Porte, N.T., Chaudhuri, S., Sinopoli, A., Bae, Y.J., Sohail, M., Batista, V.S., Wasielewski, M.R. (2019) 'Effect of Electronic Coupling on Electron Transfer Rates from Photoexcited Naphthalenediimide Radical Anion to Re(bpy)(CO)3X.' The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 123(16) pp. 10178-10190.
Martinez, J.F., La Porte, N.T., Young, R.M., Sinopoli, A., Sohail, M., Wasielewski, M.R. (2019) 'Direct Observation of the Photoreduction Products of Mn(NDI-bpy)(CO)3XCO 2 Reduction Catalysts Using Femtosecond Transient IR Spectroscopy.' Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 123(11) pp. 6416-6426.
Sinopoli, A., La Porte, N.T., Martinez, J.F., Wasielewski, M.R., Sohail, M. (2018) 'Manganese carbonyl complexes for CO2 reduction.' Coordination Chemistry Reviews, 365pp. 60-74.
Rakstys, K., Paek, S., Sohail, M., Gao, P., Cho, K.T., Gratia, P., Lee, Y., Dahmen, K.H., Nazeeruddin, M.K. (2016) 'A highly hindered bithiophene-functionalized dispiro-oxepine derivative as an efficient hole transporting material for perovskite solar cells.' Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 4(47) pp. 18259-18264.
Lunsford, A.M., Blank, J.H., Moncho, S., Haas, S.C., Sohail, M., Brothers, E.N., Darensbourg, M.Y., Bengali, A.A. (2016) 'Catalysis and Mechanism of H2 Release from Amine-Boranes by Diiron Complexes.' Inorganic Chemistry, 55(2) pp. 964-973.
Yempally, V., Moncho, S., Sohail, M., Brothers, E.N., Arndtsen, B.A., Bengali, A.A. (2014) 'Oxidative addition of haloalkanes to metal centers: a mechanistic investigation.' Organometallics, 33(13) pp. 3591-3595.
Sohail, M., Moncho, S., Brothers, E.N., Bengali, A.A. (2014) 'Dehydrogenation of a tertiary amine-borane by a rhenium complex.' Chemical Communications, 50(44) pp. 5874-5877.
Muhammad, S., Moncho, S., Li, B., Kyran, S.J., Brothers, E.N., Darensbourg, D.J., Bengali, A.A. (2013) 'Light-enhanced displacement of methyl acrylate from iron carbonyl: Investigation of the reactive intermediate via rapid-scan fourier transform infrared and computational studies.' Inorganic Chemistry, 52(21) pp. 12655-12660.
Sohail, M., Panisch, R., Bowden, A., Bassindale, A.R., Taylor, P.G., Korlyukov, A.A., Arkhipov, D.E., Male, L., Callear, S., Coles, S.J., Hursthouse, M.B., Harrington, R.W., Clegg, W. (2013) 'Pentacoordinate silicon complexes with dynamic motion resembling a pendulum on the S
N 2 reaction pathway.' Journal of the Chemical Society. Dalton Transactions, 42(30) pp. 10971-10981.Sohail, M., Bassindale, A.R., Taylor, P.G., Korlyukov, A.A., Arkhipov, D.E., Male, L., Coles, S.J., Hursthouse, M.B., Harrington, R.W., Clegg, W. (2013) 'Erratum: Synthesis and hydrolysis-condensation study of water-soluble self-assembled pentacoordinate polysilylamides (Organometallics (2013) 32:6 (1721-1731) DOI: 10.1021/om301137b).' Organometallics, 32(9)
Sohail, M., Moncho, S., Brothers, E.N., Darensbourg, D.J., Bengali, A.A. (2013) 'Estimating the strength of the M-H-B interaction: A kinetic approach.' Dalton Transactions, 42(19) pp. 6720-6723.
Sohail, M., Bassindale, A.R., Taylor, P.G., Korlyukov, A.A., Arkhipov, D.E., Male, L., Coles, S.J., Hursthouse, M.B. (2013) 'Synthesis and hydrolysis-condensation study of water-soluble self-assembled pentacoordinate polysilylamides.' Organometallics, 32(6) pp. 1721-1731.
Muhammad, S., Yempally, V., Anas, M., Moncho, S., Kyran, S.J., Brothers, E.N., Darensbourg, D.J., Bengali, A.A. (2012) 'Mechanism of CO displacement from an unusually labile rhenium complex: An experimental and theoretical investigation.' Inorganic Chemistry, 51(23) pp. 13041-13049.
Muhammad, S., Moncho, S., Brothers, E.N., Darensbourg, M.Y., Darensbourg, D.J., Bengali, A.A. (2012) 'Time resolved infrared spectroscopy: Kinetic studies of weakly binding ligands in an iron-iron hydrogenase model compound.' Inorganic Chemistry, 51(13) pp. 7362-7369.
Muhammad, S., Kyran, S.J., Raju, R.K., Brothers, E.N., Darensbourg, D.J., Bengali, A.A. (2012) 'Time-resolved infrared spectroscopy studies of olefin binding in photogenerated CpRu(CO)X (X = Cl, I) transients.' Organometallics, 31(10) pp. 3972-3979.
Kyran, S.J., Muhammad, S., Knestrick, M., Bengali, A.A., Darensbourg, D.J. (2012) 'Photochemically generated transients from κ 2- and κ 3-Triphos derivatives of group 6 metal carbonyls and their reactivity with olefins.' Organometallics, 31(8) pp. 3163-3170.
Muhammad, S., Bassindale, A.R., Taylor, P.G., Male, L., Coles, S.J., Hursthouse, M.B. (2011) 'Study of binuclear silicon complexes of diketopiperazine at S
N 2 reaction profile.' Organometallics, 30(3) pp. 564-571.Bassindale, A.R., Sohail, M., Taylor, P.G., Korlyukov, A.A., Arkhipov, D.E. (2010) 'Four independent structures of a pentacoordinate silicon species at different points on the Berry pseudorotation pathway.' Chemical Communications, 46(19) pp. 3274-3276.
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Patents
Sohail, M. Dispiro-oxepine derivatives for optoelectronic semiconductors.