Sustainable chemistry of electrofuels and electrochemicals Faraday Discussion

Welcome

Join us in Manchester in September 2026 for this edition of the Faraday Discussion series focused on sustainable chemistry of electrofuels and electrochemicals. The Faraday Discussions are unique international discussion meetings that address current and emerging topics at the forefront of the physical sciences. This meeting is for established and early-career scientists, postgraduate students and industrial researchers working on various aspects of power-to-X technologies. We look forward to welcoming you to Manchester. On behalf of the organizing committee, Mercedes Maroto-Valer (Chair)

Why attend?

Find out more about Faraday Discussions in the video and FAQs – see Useful links on the right. 

A unique conference format that prioritises discussion 

At a Faraday Discussion, the primary research papers written by the speakers are distributed to all participants before the meeting – ensuring that most of the meeting is devoted to discussing the latest research. 

This provides a genuinely collaborative environment, where discussion and debate are at the foreground. All delegates, not just speakers, are invited to make comments, ask questions, or present complementary or contradictory measurements and calculations. 

An exciting programme of talks – and more 

Take part in a well-balanced mix of talks, discussion, poster sessions and informal networking, delivered by our expert events team. You can explore the full programme in the downloadable files on the right – whether you’re attending in-person or online, every minute provides an opportunity. 

The conference dinner, included in the registration fee, contains the Marlow Cup ceremony: a unique commemoration of past Faraday Discussion organisers that is sure to encourage further discussions over dinner. 

In-depth discussion with leaders in the field 

World-leading and established researchers connect with each other and early-career scientists and postgraduate students to discuss the latest research and drive science forwards. It’s a unique atmosphere – and challenging others to get to the heart of the problem is encouraged! 

Your contributions, published and citable 

A citable record of the discussion is published in the Faraday Discussions journal, alongside the research papers. Questions, comments and remarks become a valuable part of the published scientific conversation, and every delegate can make a major contribution.

Discover Manchester

The Discussion will take place in Manchester. Step out to explore the city while you’re here – or stay a few extra days to explore the city further and the surrounding area. 

Themes

The chemicals sector is facing a trilemma of mounting energy costs, net zero mandates, and growing global demand for sustainable products, while maintaining competitiveness, socio-economic growth and security of supply. Power-to-X (PtX) technologies can decouple manufacturing from fossil fuels, and moreover, electrochemical processes can yield a number of different products that can also be used for grid balancing. Electrofuels and electrochemicals (e-fuels and e-chemicals) require electrolytically produced hydrogen, where the electricity sources are renewables. This in turn requires co-electrolysers with high conversion and selectivity, long lifetimes and low cost, as well as sustainable sources of carbon and nitrogen for the production of a wider range of e-chemicals and e-fuels, such as aviation fuels, methanol or ammonia. This Faraday Discussion will provide a forum to discuss the latest scientific research geared at unlocking PtX solutions and challenges that remain in the quest to achieve net-zero chemical manufacturing.

The Faraday Discussion will be organised into the following themes:

Power to hydrogen

Transitioning to a hydrogen-based energy system is a key pathway to achieve industrial decarbonisation. However, there is a grown consensus amongst hard-to-decarbonise sectors, such as the chemical industry, that prior to investment, they need to be able to test and validate hydrogen and PtX technologies. This session will focus on:

• Overcoming overpotentials, energy losses and mass transfer limitations for electrolysers
• Understanding catalyst stability (HER and OER reactions) for improving performance and reliability of electrolysers
• Development of novel water electrolysis components: membranes, electrodes, gas diffusion layers
• Improving solar-to-hydrogen energy conversion efficiencies, e.g. high-efficiency photoelectrodes integrating light absorption with catalysis
• Optimisation of electronic and ionic conductivity with catalytic activity, considering thermodynamic limitations and operating conditions (temperature and pressure) 

Power to hydrocarbons

Power-to-X-based e-fuels is a key strategy for defossilise the transport sector while using existing infrastructure, e.g. e-methane, e-methanol and sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). The traditional synthesis processes for these hydrocarbons are well established for syngas generated from fossil fuels. Alternatively, processes based on using CO₂ require the conversion of CO₂ to CO in a separate process or the development of direct conversion technologies using hydrogen and CO₂. This session will focus on:

• Understanding the chemistry of the electrolysis cells, e.g. solid oxide electrolysis cells for CO₂/H₂O conversion to CO/H₂ (cathode) and O₂ (anode) to prevent degradation in order to extend the life of cells
• Improving transmembrane electron transfer to promote high Faradaic efficiencies
• Increasing efficiency and selectivity of CO₂ conversion:
• Intensifying reactive chemistry (e.g. high-power plasmas) for higher conversions to hydrocarbons
• Development of novel multifunction catalyst for e-SAF production
• Mechanistic insights of new catalysts (e.g. multi-step reactions, plasma catalysis, etc) for key reactions, such as dry methane reforming and the reverse water gas shift reaction
• Structural dynamics of catalysts to identify their mechanism and optimise temperature and pressure operation conditions 

Power to ammonia

Green ammonia can be produced via the Haber-Bosch process using sustainable electricity, N₂ separated from the air and H₂ from water electrolysis. This can then open opportunities as a net-zero fuel for the maritime industry, green fertilisers and energy storage. However, there are challenges around ammonia production, fuel flexibility (combustion chemistry), emissions and energy use that need to be addressed. This session will focus on:

• Identification of catalysts operating at milder temperature and pressure conditions, to overcome thermodynamic limitations and kinetic challenges, e.g. utilising density functional theory (DFT) to substitute iron-based catalysts.
• Reducing energy losses for power-to-ammonia
• Reducing transient changes of catalyst activity in electrolysis coupled Haber-Bosch process, e.g. dynamic thermal measures to achieve higher conversions and avoid hotspots
• Combustion properties of ammonia and hydrocarbon blends (e.g. flame characterization, soot formation, emissions, etc.), including instrumentation for combustion analysis. 

Sustainability challenges of e-fuels and e-chemicals

There are a number of environmental challenges associated with the transition to e-fuels and e-chemicals, including availability of water resources, and supply and utilisation of critical materials, as well as potential environmental impacts of new technologies, such as hydrogen leaks and safety implications. Here, we will explore the role of chemistry in addressing these challenges.  This session will explore:

• Understanding reaction kinetics impacts on Life cycle assessment (LCA) results
• Physical chemistry to guide sustainable processes, including design of more efficient and environmentally friendly catalysts
• Understanding chemical reactions in the atmosphere associated with emissions from e-fuels
• Chemical degradation routes of e-chemicals.