Dr James Paterson CSci CChem MRSC

I have always been fascinated by chemistry and the periodic table. As a youngster I grew up interested in the groupings of elements in the table with properties and how the sequences changed the properties – how some groups exhibited high reactivity while other were less so, and linking this back to the chemistry of the atoms and their electronic configurations.

To use chemistry to make a real difference. The need for real and applied chemistry is only going to increase, and this also provides a really exciting opportunity for scientists to make a difference and deliver something new to support the acceleration towards Net Zero.

It’s a great time to be starting out in the chemical industry, with the energy transition happening at such a pace there will be huge opportunities across chemistry to innovate and get involved with new processes that can make a real difference to sustainability across the sector.

There are so many to choose. Applied industrial chemistry for energy will have an exciting role to drive and deliver a NetZero society. There are so many areas across the energy transition which will be vital to meet the sustainability targets – the use of green hydrogen from electrolysis, new low carbon fuels from waste streams, the capture and conversion of CO₂ to join up the carbon cycle ... a very exciting time to be in science!

For me, visiting and spending time on the Sierra waste-to-fuels plant was the culmination of many years of research. I have been very fortunate to work on a programme that has developed from a few grams of catalyst and screening, all the way through to pilot and commercial scale. This has been hugely satisfying and has made me immensely proud of my contribution.

A good culture is where anyone at any level can ask, challenge and question the results. There must be a friendly and inclusive way of working so that everyone is comfortable and not worried about what people will think or say.

For me, living the bp ambitions is vital for making the world a better place. Moving to low carbon fuels, sustainable fuels and bioenergy is a really exciting opportunity for scientists to make a real impact on the way to live. These will include a range of solutions, from green hydrogen, biomass, CO₂ conversion and waste management, and my work plays a small part across many of these areas which are becoming ever more critical.

Manganese. Throughout my career it’s been an element that keeps popping up in projects or catalysts, from my PhD through to chemistry programmes in bp. It has such a broad range of chemistry, species, and oxidation states that it’s always interesting and continually surprising.