Dr Alexander (Sandy) Kilpatrick

Sandy obtained his MChem in 2009 from University of Oxford (UK), carrying out an MChem project with Prof. Philip Mountford. He was awarded his PhD in 2014 from the University of Sussex (UK), working with Prof. Geoff Cloke FRS on multinuclear complexes of transition metals and lanthanides.

He subsequently joined Prof. Dermot O’Hare’s group at Oxford as a Postdoctoral Research Associate, where his work explored inorganic materials for large-scale polymer manufacturing in collaboration with SCG Chemicals (Thailand). In 2015 he was awarded the R.J.P. Williams Junior Research Fellowship at Wadham College, supporting research into functional metal-based materials and surface-bound species.

From 2018–2020 Sandy held a Bayer–Humboldt Research Fellowship at the Humboldt University of Berlin in the group of Prof. Dr Christian Limberg, broadening his expertise in Earth-abundant transition metals and their reactivity with environmentally and industrially relevant small molecules.

In 2020 Sandy was appointed Lecturer in Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Leicester. His research group now focuses on sustainable materials chemistry, with growing emphasis on circularity of critical materials, battery-relevant redox mediators, metal recycling, and the development of molecular systems inspired by biological metal sites. Increasingly, the group aims to translate molecular-level understanding into practical solutions for a circular, resource-efficient chemical economy.

Sandy is currently Undergraduate Admissions Tutor and Study Abroad Coordinator for Chemistry. More about the Kilpatrick Group can be found at the group website: https://kilpatrickgroup.uk.

Outside work, Sandy enjoys cycling, languages and making music.

Research in the Kilpatrick Group centres on sustainable materials and resources, using molecular inorganic chemistry to address challenges in circularity, renewable technologies, and environmentally responsible chemical processes.

A major theme is the use of Earth-abundant metals (Ti, Fe, Ni, Zn) to create functional molecular systems with relevance to:

• critical-metal recycling and extraction technologies
• redox mediators for next-generation batteries
• debondable adhesives to enable component separation and recovery of technology-critical materials
• green chemical transformations using bio-inspired metal centres
• CO₂ utilisation and small-molecule activation in sustainable chemical processes 

Our approach combines inorganic, organometallic and bio-inspired chemistry with state-of-the-art spectroscopy, electrochemistry and X-ray methods. Increasingly, the group aims to bridge molecular mechanisms with materials-level impact, supporting the development of technologies needed for a circular and sustainable 21st-century economy.

More information is available at https://kilpatrickgroup.uk.

Sandy supervises research projects that span inorganic chemistry, sustainable materials, and circular-economy focused molecular design. Many projects are carried out in collaboration with partners across the UK and internationally.

Current research themes in the Kilpatrick Group include:

• Earth-abundant metal complexes for sustainable redox processes
• Molecular and hybrid redox mediators for lithium–sulfur battery technologies
• Coordination chemistry strategies for critical-material recycling and extraction
• Debondable adhesive systems for circular manufacturing
• Bio-inspired metal complexes for green chemical transformations
• Small-molecule utilisation (CO₂, N₂, H₂) within a circular chemical economy

Students in the group gain experience across molecular synthesis, spectroscopy, electrochemistry, X-ray methods, and mechanistic analysis, with growing opportunities to connect molecular research to materials-level applications.

Undergraduate and Masters opportunities

MChem research projects are available each year in the group. We can also support talented and committed undergraduate students for short research projects over summer funded by the RSC Undergraduate Research Bursaries.

PhD opportunities

Specific PhD positions will be advertised on the Kilpatrick Group website. Other sources of funding include: Commonwealth scholarships (non-UK applicants), John Monash scholarships (Austrialian applicants), Doctoral loans (UK applicants).

For more information about postgraduate studies at University of Leicester please see the School of Chemistry website, and get in touch here directly to discuss possible projects.

Postdoctoral opportunities

Enquiries from outstanding candidates who seek support for external fellowship applications are welcome at any time. Please include a CV and cover letter, detailing potential funding agencies. Applicants with experience in organometallics, electrochemistry and catalyst materials are particularly welcome.

Potential sources of funding include:

EPSRC Postdoctoral Fellowships
Newton International Fellowships (non-UK applicants)
Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (EU applicants)
Feodor Lynen Research Fellowships (German applicants)
Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships (Canadian applicants)
SNSF Postdoctoral Mobility (Swiss applicants)

Sandy is actively involved in teaching on all degrees offered by the School of Chemistry, undertaking a range of laboratory demonstration, tutorials, problem classes, and lectures. He also supervises undergraduate (BSc and MChem) and postgraduate research project students. Sandy is module convenor for CH4201 (Advanced Structure Determination) and lectures on CH3202 (Advanced Inorganic Chemistry). Sandy is actively involved in the DLI Teaching Faculty at the Leicester International Institute, Dalian University of Technology, China. Sandy is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA).

I am available for media, outreach and expert commentary relating to sustainable materials chemistry, circular economy technologies, and the future of critical materials. Topics include:

• Use of Earth-abundant metals in green chemical processes
• Carbon utilisation and small-molecule activation as part of a circular chemical economy
• Design of bio-inspired metal complexes with applications in sustainable chemical transformations
• Molecular and materials approaches for next-generation battery technologies
• Critical-material recycling, recovery and new extraction methods
• Debondable adhesives enabling circular manufacturing and improved recyclability

I frequently collaborate with interdisciplinary teams across chemistry, materials science and environmental technologies, and welcome opportunities to communicate how molecular-level research contributes to 21^st-century sustainability challenges.

Current roles in the School of Chemistry:

• Undergraduate Admissions Tutor 2024–present
• Study Abroad Coordinator 2021–present

Previous roles in the School of Chemistry:

• Chemistry Centenary Lead 2023–2025
• Deputy Departmental Safety Officer 2023–2024
• Environmental Action Coordinator 2022–2025

Public Engagement and Outreach:

• Host supervisor on In2ScienceUK programme 2022–present
• Talk at Pint of Science Festival on theme “Sustainability”, Leicester, UK 2022
• Stand explainer for Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften Berlin, Germany 2019
• Chemist for non-profit drugs, alcohol and sexual health NGO, The Loop 2016–2018
• Organising committee member for OMGSS seminar series, Oxford, UK 2016–2018

Other Academic and Scholarly Activities:

• Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry
• Member of the American Chemical Society
• Organiser of Meeting of Inorganic Chemists Recently Appointed (MICRA 2024) conference in Leicester

• Citizens Recognition Scheme Award for successfully organising Chemistry’s Centenary Celebrations (2025).
• Nominated for Superstar Award by Students Union for ‘Best Lecturer’ (2024)
• Recognition of commitment to professionalism in learning and teaching in higher education by Fellowship of the Higher Education Authority (2023)
• Invited Young Scientist at 71^st Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in Chemistry, Lindau, Germany (2021)
• Winner of Superstar Award by Students Union for ‘Best Personal Tutor’ (2021)
• Bayer-Humboldt Research Fellowship of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany (2018-2020)
• RJP Williams Junior Research Fellowship from Wadham College, University of Oxford, UK (2015-2018)
• Reaxys PhD Prize Finalist, Hong Kong, China (2015)
• Royal Society of Chemistry 1st Prizes: Early Career Energy Sector (2013), and Downland Prize for ‘Most Promising PhD student’ (2013)

• MChem (University of Oxford)
• PhD (University of Sussex)