DrChristopher Barnett

Dr Christopher Barnett is a chemist whose research focuses on catalysis for sustainable and chemical manufacturing. His work combines catalyst design, mechanistic investigation, reaction engineering, and automation to understand how catalyst structure, reaction conditions, and reactor design influence chemical reactivity and process performance. He is particularly interested in developing the knowledge and technologies required to translate catalytic discoveries into practical manufacturing processes.

His research spans organocatalysis, heterogeneous catalysis, electrochemistry, and flow chemistry, with particular expertise in N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalysts. He has developed quantitative approaches for understanding the steric and electronic properties of NHCs and their influence on catalytic behaviour, providing new tools for catalyst selection, design, and implementation. His broader contributions include mechanistic studies of catalytic reactions, development of open-source reactor technologies, and investigation of sustainable catalytic processes for chemical manufacturing, resource valorisation, and energy applications.

Dr Barnett is a Lecturer in the School of Chemistry and a member of the Laboratory of Advanced Catalysis for Sustainability, led by Professor Thomas Maschmeyer. He is also an active contributor to the ARC Centre of Excellence for Carbon Science & Innovation, where he works at the interface of catalysis, reaction engineering, and sustainable manufacturing.

Before returning to academia in 2019, Dr Barnett worked in industry in validation and quality assurance roles, where he developed digital workflows, automated data-processing systems, and process-improvement initiatives. This experience continues to influence his research through a strong emphasis on automation, reproducibility, and practical implementation.

His current research focuses on predictive catalyst design, catalyst immobilisation, continuous-flow processing, open-source reactor technologies, and the translation of catalytic discoveries into scalable manufacturing systems.