Professor Chris Rhodes
Faculties, departments and locations
- Faculty of Health, Science, Social Care and Education
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences
- School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Chemistry
- Penrhyn Road
Visiting Professor
- Email:
- [email protected]
About
I began my career in industry, and then attended the University of Sussex, obtaining both my BSc and DPhil there, followed by a two-year period as a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Leicester with Professor M.C.R.Symons, FRS.
Subsequently, I worked for 2 years as a lecturer in Physical Chemistry at Thames Polytechnic, before moving to Queen Mary and Westfield College (University of London) as a lecturer in Organic Chemistry, where I remained for 5 years, until being appointed as Research Professor (Full) in Chemistry at Liverpool John Moores University, in my early 30s.
I was awarded a Higher Doctorate (DSc) by the University of Sussex, and I have been elected to Fellowships of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC), the Linnean Society of London (FLS), and the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA).
I am currently director of the independent consultancy (Fresh-lands Environmental Actions), which deals with environmental and energy topics. I was an advisor to the European Commission "Biofuel Cities" initiative and on competitive low-carbon energy technologies, including advanced biofuels.
I have published over 250 peer-reviewed academic papers, which have received around 20,000 citations.
I am Corresponding Author of the "World Scientists' Warnings into Action, Local to Global" framework paper, published during the COP26 climate change conference; to date, this has been signed by over 3,000 scientists from 110+ nations around the world.
I have given invited lectures at numerous international conferences and universities around the world, and at diverse popular science venues, e.g. Cafe Scientifique, along with radio and televised interviews. I have published collections of poetry, a black comedy novel, and an award-winning children's picture book, "Hippy the Happy Hippopotamus", which has been described as a modern-day eco-parable. I am a Board Member of Scientists Warning Europe and Chair of Transition Town Reading
Qualifications
- BSc
- DPhil
- DSc
- FRSC
- FRSA
- FLS
Domains
Research Highlights.
- Use of molecular probes in studies of pesticide and radioactive waste absorption by soils.
- Studies of electron transfer agents in environmental remediation.
- Nuclear magnetic relaxometry measurements of pore-confined fluids.
- Screening "antioxidants" in their effectiveness to ameliorate biological and environmental free-radical damage.
- Development of potential drugs for the treatment of diseases related to oxidative-stress: Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Menke's, Wilson's.
- Role of antioxidants in ameliorating damage to DNA by Reactive Oxygen Species: using EPR and electrophoresis methods.
- Activation of natural clinoptilolite zeolite for cleaning liquid nuclear waste.
- Monitoring of the gel-sol-xerogel formation process with various spin-probes.
- Study of free radical molecular diffusion in zeolite catalysts, under high-pressure/high-temperature conditions.
- Monitoring toxic, atmospheric particulate matter.
- Reaction of atmospheric pollutants on reactive surfaces, as present in the atmosphere.
- Identification of radical cation intermediates in zeolite mediated reactions
- Determination of the reactivity of hydrogen atoms (relevant to radiation biology) toward fundamental biological molecules.
- Study of the structure and reaction kinetics of free radicals, in relation to cellular membrane damage.
- Sorption and diffusion of pollutant-derived radicals on the surfaces of atmospheric particulate matter.
- Hydrocarbon activation in zeolites: formation and diffusion of reactive free radical intermediates.
- Sorption of pollutants by clays, zeolites and porous carbon in regard to catalysis and environmental remediation.
- Study of radiation damage in polypeptides.
- Activation of pollutants in atmospheric aerosols by solar radiation.
- Investigation of the early stages of UV light induced DNA and membrane damage.
- Determination of the geometry and electronic structure of matrix isolated organic, organometallic and bridgehead free radicals, and radical ions.
- Development of a spin-probe technique for the study of polymer curing processes.
- Identification of a human behavioural crisis being at the root of ecological overshoot, and as a potential point of intervention.
- Identification of six key areas where human ecological overshoot may be tackled.
Qualifications
- BSc, DPhil, DSc
Specialisms
- Energy
- Magnetic resonance
- Environmental remediation
- Chemistry
- Biomedical sciences
Scholarly affiliations
- Royal Society of Chemistry
- Slovak University of Technology
- Linnean Society of London
- Royal Society of Arts