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Biography

Professor Ifan E L Stephens MRSC is professor of electrochemistry at Imperial College London and research area lead for atoms to devices within the Henry Royce Institute. His research addresses a central challenge in chemistry: enabling the sustainable production of fuels and chemicals using renewable electricity.

Stephens first established an international reputation through fundamental contributions to aqueous electrocatalysis, combining surface science concepts with electrochemical measurements to uncover activity–structure relationships in fuel cell and electrolyser catalysts, and to discover highly active oxygen reduction materials.

Building on this foundation, he has made major advances in non-aqueous electrochemistry. He has played a central role in developing electrochemical nitrogen reduction as a promising sustainable alternative to the Haber–Bosch process. His work has focused on understanding why lithium-based systems function, revealing how electrolyte composition, solvation structure, and dynamic interfacial processes govern activity and selectivity. These insights establish design rules for nitrogen fixation under ambient conditions and guide the development of more efficient electrocatalytic systems.

Stephens has also pioneered electrochemistry mass spectrometry methods to quantify gas evolution and degradation processes with exceptional sensitivity, revealing previously inaccessible pathways in batteries and electrocatalytic systems. These approaches are now widely adopted across academia and industry.

He has co-authored over 160 publications with more than 33,000 citations. He co-founded HPNow ApS, which has commercialised electrochemical hydrogen peroxide production at scale. His work has been recognised by awards including the John Meurig Thomas Medal and the Geoffrey Barker Medal.

Breakthroughs rarely come from individuals working in isolation, but from communities that share ideas openly, challenge assumptions, and support one another.

Ifan Stephens

Q&A

Can you tell us more about your work?

Modern society depends on chemicals such as fertilisers, fuels and materials, yet their production relies heavily on fossil resources and complex global supply chains. Recent geopolitical tensions have highlighted how vulnerable these systems are to disruption, with rapid impacts on energy and food prices. At the same time, their production contributes significantly to global emissions. My research explores how renewable electricity can be used to make these chemicals more sustainably and locally.

A central focus of my work is ammonia, which underpins global food production. Today, ammonia is made using the Haber–Bosch process, an energy-intensive method responsible for around 1% of global carbon dioxide emissions. I study how ammonia can instead be produced electrochemically at ambient conditions, using electricity from renewable sources. In particular, my group has helped to understand how these reactions work in unusual liquid environments, revealing how local chemical conditions control performance. This knowledge provides design rules for developing more efficient and scalable systems.

More broadly, my research aims to understand and control chemical reactions at surfaces, where electricity drives transformations. To do this, we develop new experimental tools that allow us to observe reactions in real time, including detecting tiny amounts of gases produced during operation. These tools are now used to study batteries and other energy technologies, helping to identify why devices degrade and how to make them last longer.

The long-term goal is to enable cleaner, more resilient chemical manufacturing, reducing dependence on fossil fuels and improving energy security. By linking fundamental science to practical applications, my work aims to support the transition to a more sustainable and electrified chemical industry.

What has been the most rewarding or memorable highlight of your career so far? 

I am often most excited by our most recent work, particularly our efforts to identify overarching trends in electrochemical nitrogen reduction that provide design rules for future discoveries. I also find it very rewarding when our ideas and working practices influence our collaborators in industrial electrochemistry and catalysis. More broadly, the most satisfying moments are when fundamental insights translate into something useful; seeing our work on hydrogen peroxide lead to the spinout HPNow has been particularly exciting. I also take great satisfaction in seeing people I have worked with, particularly those I have mentored or taught, grow and succeed.

What have been the biggest challenges that you have faced over the course of your time in science, and what have you learned from those experiences? 

One of the biggest challenges I faced was during my PhD, when I worked on a very underexplored topic and struggled at times to find direction. That experience taught me resilience and the importance of strong scientific environments. Later, at the Technical University of Denmark and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, I experienced more supportive and collaborative cultures, and realised how much this enables people to thrive. This has strongly shaped how I mentor and support others in my own group.

Thinking back to earlier in your career, are there any words of wisdom that you wish someone had told you? 

Early in my career, I sometimes lacked confidence in my own direction and changed environments and research topics to find the right fit. Through this, I learned the importance of strong mentors, collaborators and a supportive team. I have always been motivated to align fundamental curiosity with important societal challenges, and over time this has become a central focus of my work. I focus on meaningful outcomes rather than prioritising personal recognition, and I recognise and give credit to those who support the work.

What impact would you say that your work is having on your field and/or the wider world? 

My work has helped to shape non-aqueous electrochemistry by establishing how electrolyte properties and interfacial processes govern reactivity. In electrochemical nitrogen reduction, this has contributed to a shift from isolated demonstrations towards general design rules. Earlier in my career, particularly in oxygen electrochemistry, I helped establish links between molecular-scale modelling and experimental electrochemistry. As an experimentalist, I use experiments to hone our theoretical understanding so we can generalise findings across systems. More broadly, my research supports the use of renewable electricity to produce chemicals more sustainably, with potential impact on emissions reduction, energy security, and the resilience of global supply chains.

What future directions or opportunities do you see for your work? 

A key direction for my work is to build on the fascinating phenomena that we discovered studying electrochemical nitrogen reduction in non-aqueous media to apply these principles to carbon dioxide reduction and waste remediation.

What do you wish more people understood about your field or the chemical sciences in general? 

I wish more people understood that chemistry is fundamentally a collective endeavour. Breakthroughs rarely come from individuals working in isolation, but from communities that share ideas openly, challenge assumptions, and support one another. This is something I have seen first-hand throughout my career, and it has strongly shaped how I approach my own work and mentoring.

In what ways does creativity influence how you think about or carry out your work? 

Creativity in my work often comes from challenging assumptions. Some of our most important insights have emerged when experimental observations did not fit our expectations, and we were forced to rethink how the system operates. For example, we initially treated electrochemical nitrogen reduction as a static process, whereas it is in fact highly dynamic. Embracing such discrepancies can lead to new ideas and directions. Creativity is also important in designing experiments and in connecting concepts across disciplines.

Are there any scientific developments, either recent or on the horizon, that you are excited about? 

Given the innate complexity of some of the systems, I increasingly see the need to combine detailed experimental characterisation with advances in AI and data-driven approaches to establish predictive design rules for catalysts and electrolytes.

What does good research culture mean to you, and why does it matter? 

Good research culture means creating an environment where everyone feels valued, supported and able to contribute fully. This is something I care about deeply; as a gay man, I feel valued in my current environment, and I believe it is essential that everyone experiences the same. In my role as EDI Co-Chair of the Henry Royce Institute, I am working to help build such inclusive cultures. This matters because the environment directly shapes both the quality of the science and the people within it.

How can scientists try to improve the environmental sustainability of research? Can you give us any examples from your own experience or context? 

More broadly, our work on electrochemical routes to chemical production aims to support more sustainable industrial processes. Improving the sustainability of research itself also requires designing experiments more efficiently and reducing unnecessary use of materials and energy. In my group, we engage with initiatives such as LEAF (Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework) to improve laboratory practices.

How important would you say collaboration is for producing high quality science? How has collaboration influenced your work? 

Collaboration is central to high quality science. People sometimes remark on the number of authors on our papers, but when tackling complex mechanistic problems involving multiple techniques, this breadth of expertise is essential. Many of our most important advances have come from combining different perspectives, particularly experiment, theory and advanced characterisation. These collaborations allow us to move beyond individual observations to develop robust, general insights.

If you had unlimited resources, what research question would you most want to explore? 

Making electrochemical ammonia synthesis work efficiently at high rates and for long durations. This would have a transformative effect on science and society but also lead to lots of fascinating science.

What is your favourite element and why? 

Platinum – a somewhat controversial choice given its cost and scarcity, but it is central to electrocatalysis. Studying it showed me how small changes at the atomic scale can have a profound impact on reactivity, and that insight has influenced much of my later work.