Dr. Cathy McCullagh BSc, GDip, MSc, MRSC
Email: c.mccullagh@rgu.ac.uk
CRE+E
Faculty of Design & Technology
Clarke Building
Schoolhill
Aberdeen
AB10 1FR
Tel: +44 (0)1224 262353
Fax: +44 (0)1224 262222
Position
Lecturer in Clean Technology (NRP)
Professional Body Membership
MRSC, CChem, CSci
Key Duties and Responsibilities
- Research responsibilities:
Supervising PhD students
Preparation of grant proposals and publications
PGCert Research Methods Course Management Team committee member.Departmental Research Committee member
Reviewer for: Environmental Science & Technology, Applied Catalysis A: General, Journal of Photoenergy, Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry, Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology, Photochemistry and Photobiology.
- Teaching responsibilities:
EN3590 Environmental Engineering
EN4571 Renewable Energy Systems
EN1700 Statics and Dynamics
Academic Background
BSc Science (Gen), National University of Ireland, Galway (1995)
Graduate Diploma Pure & Applied Chemistry, Queens University Belfast (1996)
MSc Environmental Chemistry, Queens Univeristy Belfast (1997)
PhD Chemistry Queens University Belfast (2001) “Removal of heavy metals from waster-water using polyelectrolyte chelates”.
Research Interests / Professional Background
My main research interests lie within the field of environmental chemistry specifically photochemistry and within this coatings and reactor development. Many of the projects for which I have been successfully funded are concerned with waste water treatment and improving current methods, photocatalytic reactor development is key to this research.
After my PhD I worked as a post doc at the University of Ulster, Jordanstown on an EU funded project. I was responsible for the preparation of solar active photoanodes which were integrated into a photo chemical cell for the photolysis of water into hydrogen and oxygen and conversion of CO2 into useful hydrocarbons.
I joined the centre in January 2003 and started work on BIODAM, an EU funded project. This was a cultural heritage project funded by the EU under the fifth framework for energy, environment and sustainable development. We collaborated with groups from Germany, Spain and Finland. We investigated the use of photodynamic therapy for the destruction of biofilm growth on buildings of historical importance.
I have been successful in gaining three KTP awards one with Dynamic Equipment Company which investigated environmental benign liquids for the dissolution of calcite deposits in well bores. The second and third KTP projects were awarded in conjunction with Sureclean. The first investigated an integrated waste treatment system capable of treating both solid and liquid wastes from various industries. This was a very successful project and we were awarded the highest grade ‘Outstanding’ by the KTP grading panel. The project was also short-listed for the KTP Scotland awards in 2010. The second project which is currently ongoing is looking into polymer based materials for the clean-up of oily waste water and sludge.
In May 2010 I was awarded an EPSRC collaborative grant. This project is in conjunction with academics from University of Aberdeen, University of St. Andrews and University of Strathclyde. The project focuses on using photochemistry for organic synthesis. For our part we are responsible for the development of a suitable photocatalytic reactor for this work.
Additional Information / Media work / Funding
September 2006 KTP project with Dynamic Equipment Company.
April 2007 KTP project with Sureclean Ltd.
July 2007 NRP PhD studentship with Dynamic Equipment Company and University of Aberdeen
April 2009 KTP project with Sureclean Ltd.
May 2010 EPSRC collaborative project funded with University of Aberdeen, University of St. Andrews and University of Strathclyde.
October 2010 One-year studentship funding with Atlantic Water Co. Ltd.
Key Publications
McCullagh Cathy; Skillen Nathan; Adams Morgan; Robertson Peter K.J. Photocatalytic reactors for environmental remediation: a review Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology 2011 (86) 1002-1017 DOI: 10.1002/jctb.2650
Salu Olumide Adegboyega; Adams Morgan; Robertson Peter K. J. McCullagh Cathy, Remediation of oily wastewater from an interceptor tank using a novel photocatalytic drum reactor. Desalination and Water Treatment 2011 (26) 87-91 DOI: 10.5004/dwt.2011.2114
Cathy McCullagh, Peter K.J. Robertson, Morgan Adams, Pat M. Pollard, Abdulrahman Mohammed, Development of a slurry continuous flow reactor for photocatalytic treatment of industrial waste water Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry, 2010(211), Pages 42-46
T.P. Tim Cushnie, Peter K.J. Robertson, Simon Officer, Pat M. Pollard, Radhakrishna Prabhu, Cathy McCullagh, Jeanette M.C. Robertson Photobactericidal effects of TiO2 thin films at low temperatures—A preliminary study Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry, 2010 (216) 290-294
