Salome Usakuhyel Raymond

Biography

I am a first-year PhD student at the Wolfson Atmospheric Chemistry Laboratory (WACL) and the Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence (GCCE), both at the University of York. I am also part of the Process Industries Net Zero (PINZ) Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT), funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). My PhD research focuses on ethyl lactate, a bio-derived solvent, and I am investigating its processes, performance, and impact on air quality.

I am supervised by Dr Terry Dillon and Professor Helen Sneddon, and I serve as the departmental student representative for Year 1 postgraduate researchers. I earned my Bachelor of Science degree in Petroleum Chemistry from Nigeria, where my research centred on the degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in water. I completed my MSc in Green Chemistry and Sustainable Industrial Technology at the University of York, with a thesis on gels for environmental remediation. Between my studies, I worked in community development and social impact consulting. I am from Nigeria, and I enjoy cooking in my spare time.

Qualifications

BSc in Petroleum Chemistry, MSc in Green Chemistry and Sustainable Industrial Technology.

Research interests

Green chemistry, atmospheric chemistry and climate change communication.

Teaching interests

Green chemistry and climate change education.

Project title

Ethyl lactate as a green solvent - processes, performance and air quality impacts.

Supervisors

Funding

Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (PINZ CDT) and the York Development Fund.

Project outline

This project focuses on ethyl lactate, a bio-derived solvent with several promising features. The research will involve benchmarking the performance of ethyl lactate against problematic solvents, such as DMSO, using metrics like product yield, cost, carbon footprint, and air quality.

Additionally, the study will identify and quantify the most efficient gas-phase breakdown pathways for ethyl lactate, determining its impact on air quality through methods like Pulsed Laser Photolysis–Laser Induced Fluorescence, UV-Vis Spectroscopy, and measuring relative rate kinetics using an Atmospheric Simulation Chamber. The project will also involve predicting and testing the solvent properties and air quality impacts of related compounds.

Awards and prizes

GREAT Scholarship Award (23/24), MSc Green Chemistry Award (23/24).