Staff profile

Research Grants

• 2020 (PI) “Safety and Fire reaction of structural power storage devices” (EPSRC: EP/T013044/1)
• 2017 – 2021 (Co-I) “ISCF Wave 1: North East Centre for Energy Materials” (EP/R021503/1) (formed between the universities of Newcastle, Durham and Northumbria) 
• 2016 – 2020 (PI) “Beyond structural: multifunctional composites that store electrical energy” (EPSRC: EP/P007546/1) (in collaboration with Imperial College London).
• 2014 (PI) “Autonomous smart sensors for structural health monitoring of wind turbine blades”, DEI Small grant, Durham University.

Research Interests

• Functional polymeric materials for energy applications, e.g. separators for batteries, electrolytes for supercapacitors;
• Porous polymers, synthesis, including emulsion templating, precipitation polymerisation, reaction-induced phase separation, and characterisation;
• Epoxy based materials, e.g. foams, electrolytes for structural supercapacitors;
• Fibre/matrix composites, e.g. carbon fibres/epoxy; their manufacturing and characterisation;
• Use of environmentally friendly and sustainable resources for polymer synthesis/manufacture, e.g. vegetable oils, and processes, e.g. printing.

Journal Article

• Greenhalgh, E. S., Nguyen, S., Valkova, M., Shirshova, N., Shaffer, M. S., & Kucernak, A. (2023). A critical review of structural supercapacitors and outlook on future research challenges. Composites Science and Technology, 235, Article 109968. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compscitech.2023.109968
• Williams, C., Michaels, H., Crossland, A. F., Zhang, Z., Shirshova, N., MacKenzie, R. C. I., Sun, H., Kettle, J., Freitag, M., & Groves, C. (2023). Decarbonising electrical grids using photovoltaics with enhanced capacity factors. Energy & Environmental Science, 16(10), 4650-4659. https://doi.org/10.1039/d3ee00633f
• Shirshova, N., Rogaume, T., Najmi, H., & Poisson, M. (2022). The combustion behavior of epoxy‐based multifunctional electrolytes. Fire and Materials, 46(1), 192-204. https://doi.org/10.1002/fam.2967
• Wendong, Q., Dent, J., Arrighi, V., Cavalcanti, L., Shaffer, M. S., & Shirshova, N. (2021). Biphasic epoxy-ionic liquid structural electrolytes: minimising feature size through cure cycle and multifunctional block-copolymer addition. Multifunctional materials, 4(3), Article 035003. https://doi.org/10.1088/2399-7532/ac1ea7
• Tu, V., Asp, L. E., Shirshova, N., Larsson, F., Runesson, K., & Jänicke, R. (2020). Performance of Bicontinuous Structural Electrolytes. Multifunctional materials, 3(2), Article 025001. https://doi.org/10.1088/2399-7532/ab8d9b
• Le Calvez, C., Zouboulaki, M., Petit, C., Peeva, L., & Shirshova, N. (2016). One step synthesis of MOF-polymer composites. RSC Advances, 6(21), 17314-17317. https://doi.org/10.1039/c5ra25238e
• Greenhalgh, E., Ankersen, J., Asp, L., Bismarck, A., Fontana, Q., Houlle, M., Kalinka, G., Kucernak, A., Mistry, M., Nguyen, S., Qian, H., Shaffer, M., Shirshova, N., Steinke, J., & Wienrich, M. (2015). Mechanical, electrical and microstructural characterisation of multifunctional structural power composites. Journal of Composite Materials, 49(15), 1823-1834. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021998314554125
• Shirshova, N., Qian, H., Houlle, M., Steinke, J., Kucernak, A., Fontana, Q., Greenhalgh, E., Bismarck, A., & Shaffer, M. (2014). Multifunctional structural energy storage composite supercapacitors. Faraday Discussions, 172, 81-103. https://doi.org/10.1039/c4fd00055b
• Shirshova, N., Bismarck, A., Greenhalgh, E. S., Johansson, P., Kalinka, G., Marczewski, M. J., Shaffer, M. S., & Wienrich, M. (2014). Composition as a Means to Control Morphology and Properties of Epoxy Based Dual-Phase Structural Electrolytes. Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 118(49), 28377-28387. https://doi.org/10.1021/jp507952b
• Kot, E., Shirshova, N., Bismarck, A., & Steinke, J. (2014). Non-aqueous high internal phase emulsion templates for synthesis of macroporous polymers in situ filled with cyclic carbonate electrolytes. RSC Advances, 4(22), 11512-11519. https://doi.org/10.1039/c4ra00118d
• Qian, H., Diao, H., Shirshova, N., Greenhalgh, E., Steinke, J., Shaffer, M., & Bismarck, A. (2013). Activation of structural carbon fibres for potential applications in multifunctional structural supercapacitors. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 395, 241-248. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2012.12.015
• Shirshova, N., Qian, H., Shaffer, M., Steinke, J., Greenhalgh, E., Curtis, P., Kucernak, A., & Bismarck, A. (2013). Structural composite supercapacitors. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 46, 96-107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesa.2012.10.007
• Shirshova, N., Johansson, P., Marczewski, M., Kot, E., Ensling, D., Bismarck, A., & Steinke, J. (2013). Polymerised high internal phase ionic liquid-in-oil emulsions as potential separators for lithium ion batteries. Journal of Materials Chemistry A: materials for energy and sustainability, 1(34), 9612-9619. https://doi.org/10.1039/c3ta10856b
• Shirshova, N., Bismarck, A., Carreyette, S., Fontana, Q., Greenhalgh, E., Jacobsson, P., Johansson, P., Marczewski, M., Kalinka, G., Kucernak, A., Scheers, J., Shaffer, M., Steinke, J., & Wienrich, M. (2013). Structural supercapacitor electrolytes based on bicontinuous ionic liquid-epoxy resin systems. Journal of Materials Chemistry A: materials for energy and sustainability, 1(48), 15300-15309. https://doi.org/10.1039/c3ta13163g
• Shirshova, N., & Bismarck, A. (2012). In-situ preparation of polymer scaffolds in retarded cement slurries: An emulsion templating approach for rapid, on-demand strength development. Cement and Concrete Composites, 34(3), 337-341. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2011.11.007
• Krebs, H., Yang, L., Shirshova, N., & Steinke, J. (2012). A new series of cross-linked (meth)acrylate polymer electrolytes for energy storage. Reactive and Functional Polymers, 72(12), 931-938. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2012.08.011
• Shirshova, N., Menner, A., Funkhouser, G., & Bismarck, A. (2011). Polymerised high internal phase emulsion cement hybrids: Macroporous polymer scaffolds for setting cements. Cement and Concrete Research, 41(4), 443-450. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2011.01.017
• Shirshova, N., Bismarck, A., & Steinke, J. (2011). Ionic Liquids as Internal Phase for Non-Aqueous PolyHIPEs. Macromolecular Rapid Communications, 32(23), 1899-1904. https://doi.org/10.1002/marc.201100472
• Cormack, P., Shirshova, N., & Steinke, J. (2005). Hyperbranched (Co)polymers via free radical polymerization of polymerizable Barton esters. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 44(23), 8699-8706. https://doi.org/10.1021/ie048770x
• Nassif, N., Gehrke, N., Pinna, N., Shirshova, N., Tauer, K., Antonietti, M., & Colfen, H. (2005). Synthesis of stable aragonite superstructures by a biomimetic crystallization pathway. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 44(37), 6004-6009. https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.200500081
• Tauer, K., Khrenov, V., Shirshova, N., & Nassif, N. (2005). Preparation and application of double hydrophilic block copolymer particles. Macromolecular Symposia, 226, 187-201. https://doi.org/10.1002/masy.200550818