Abbie Mclaughlin is a Professor at the Department of Chemistry, University of Aberdeen. She received her PhD from the University of Cambridge in 2002 and moved to the University of Aberdeen in 2003 where she was awarded a Royal Society of Edinburgh personal Fellowship. She followed this up with a Leverhulme Trust Early Career fellowship and secured a lectureship at the University of Aberdeen in 2009. 
She is interested in the synthesis and design of new ceramic electrolytes. She is currently investigating hexagonal perovskite derivatives that exhibit both high oxide and proton conductivity. She uses a combination of electrical measurements, neutron diffraction and advanced modelling techniques to develop structure property relationships which can then facilitate the design of new materials.

Dual ion conductivity in hexagonal perovskite derivatives

Solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and proton ceramic fuel cells (PCFCs) offer a viable option to produce clean energy from sustainable resources, with low emission of pollutants, fuel flexibility and high energy conversion rates. New materials, which exhibit high ionic conductivity (≥ 10 mS cm-1) at intermediate temperatures (< 600 °C), are sought for the next generation of ceramic fuel cells. Such fuel cells will be more cost-effective and have greater longevity. We have recently discovered significant oxide ion conductivity in the hexagonal perovskite derivative Ba3NbMoO8.5 and high oxide ion and proton conductivity at 500 °C in the hexagonal perovskite derivative Ba7Nb4MoO20. In particular, Ba7Nb4MoO20 exhibits proton conductivity of 4.0 mS cm-1 at 500 °C, comparable to doped cubic barium cerate and zirconate perovskites, alongside excellent chemical and electrical stability making it attractive for practical applications. The structural features that enable high oxide ion and/or proton conductivity in hexagonal perovskite derivatives will be revealed.