Dr. Peter Dunne

• Dunne, P.W., Munn, A.S., Starkey, C.L., Lester, E.H., The sequential continuous-flow hydrothermal synthesis of molybdenum disulphide, Chemical Communications, 51, (19), 2015, p4048-4050Journal Article, 2015
• Munn, A.S., Dunne, P.W., Tang, S.V.Y., Lester, E.H., Large-scale continuous hydrothermal production and activation of ZIF-8, Chemical Communications, 51, (64), 2015, p12811-12814Journal Article, 2015
• Fonseca De Lima, J., Harunsani, M.H., Martin, D.J., Kong, D., Dunne, P.W., Gianolio, D., Kashtiban, R.J., Sloan, J., Serra, O.A., Tang, J., Walton, R.I., Control of chemical state of cerium in doped anatase TiO2 by solvothermal synthesis and its application in photocatalytic water reduction, Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 3, (18), 2015, p9890-9898Journal Article, 2015
• Dunne, P.W., Munn, A.S., Starkey, C.L., Huddle, T.A., Lester, E.H., Continuous-flow hydrothermal synthesis for the production of inorganic nanomaterials, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 373, (2057), 2015Journal Article, 2015
• Gimeno-Fabra, M., Hild, F., Dunne, P.W., Walton, K., Grant, D.M., Irvine, D.J., Lester, E.H., Continuous synthesis of dispersant-coated hydroxyapatite plates, CrystEngComm, 17, (32), 2015, p6175-6182Journal Article, 2015
• Peter W. Dunne, Chris L. Starkey, Alexis S. Munn, Selina V.Y. Tang, Olaf Luebben, Igor Shvets, Alan G. Ryder, Yannick Casamayou-Boucau, Liam Morrison, Edward H. Lester, Bench- and Pilot-Scale Continuous-Flow Hydrothermal Production of Barium Strontium Titanate Nanopowders, Chemical Engineering Journal, 2015Journal Article, 2015
• Dunne, P.W., Starkey, C.L., Gimeno-Fabra, M., Lester, E.H., The rapid size- and shape-controlled continuous hydrothermal synthesis of metal sulphide nanomaterials, Nanoscale, 6, (4), 2014, p2406-2418Journal Article, 2014
• McManus, J.S., Cunningham, P.D., Regan, L.B., Smith, A., McGrath, D.W., Dunne, P.W., Highly soluble ligand stabilized tin oxide nanocrystals: Gel formation and thin film production, Crystal Growth and Design, 14, (9), 2014, p4819-4826Journal Article, 2014
• Jablonska, M., Chmielarz, L., Wegrzyn, A., Guzik, K., Piwowarska, Z., Witkowski, S., Walton, R.I., Dunne, P.W., Kovanda, F., Thermal transformations of Cu-Mg (Zn)-Al(Fe) hydrotalcite-like materials into metal oxide systems and their catalytic activity in selective oxidation of ammonia to dinitrogen, Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry, 114, (2), 2013, p731-747Journal Article, 2013
• Gimeno-Fabra, M., Dunne, P., Grant, D., Gooden, P., Lester, E., Continuous flow synthesis of tungsten oxide (WO3) nanoplates from tungsten (VI) ethoxide, Chemical Engineering Journal, 226, 2013, p22-29Journal Article, 2013
• McManus, J.S., Cunningham, P.D., Regan, L.B., Dunne, P.W., The synthesis of organo-soluble anatase nanocrystals from amorphous titania, Chemical Communications, 48, (60), 2012, p7453-7455Journal Article, 2012
• Dunne, P.W., Carnerup, A.M., Wegrzyn, A., Witkowski, S., Walton, R.I., Hierarchically structured ceria-silica: Synthesis and thermal properties, Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 116, (24), 2012, p13435-13445Journal Article, 2012
• Meally, S.T., Karotsis, G., Brechin, E.K., Papaefstathiou, G.S., Dunne, P.W., McArdle, P., Jones, L.F., Planar [Ni 7] discs as double-bowl, pseudo metallacalix[6]arene host cavities, CrystEngComm, 12, (1), 2010, p59-63Journal Article, 2010
• Meally, S.T., McDonald, C., Karotsis, G., Papaefstathiou, G.S., Brechin, E.K., Dunne, P.W., McArdle, P., Power, N.P., Jones, L.F., A family of double-bowl pseudo metallocalix[6]arene discs, Dalton Transactions, 39, (20), 2010, p4809-4816Journal Article, 2010
• Togashi, D.M., Ryder, A.G., McMahon, D., Dunne, P., McManus, J., Fluorescence study of bovine serum albumin and Ti and Sn oxide nanoparticles interactions, Optics InfoBase Conference Papers, 2007Journal Article, 2007
• Dunne P.W, Starkey C.L, Munn A.S, Sikder M, Luebben O, Shvets I, Lester E.H, Transition metal doped anatase nanocrystals: Continuous-flow hydrothermal synthesis and photocatalytic activity, Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 4, (3), 2016, p2665 - 2670Journal Article, 2016, DOI , URL
• P. W. Dunne, E. Lester and R. I. Walton, Towards scalable and controlled synthesis of metal-organic framework materials using continuous flow reactors, React. Chem. Eng., 2016Journal Article, 2016
• Donnelly F. C., Purcell-Milton F., Framont V., Cleary O., Dunne P. W., Gun'ko Y. K., Synthesis of CaCO3 nano- and micro-particles by dry ice carbonation , Chem. Commun. , 53 , (49 ), 2017, p6657 - 6660Journal Article, 2017, DOI , URL
• Caramazana-Gonzalez P., Dunne P. W., Gimeno-Fabra M., Zilka M., Ticha M., Stieberova B., Freiberg F., McKechnie J., Lester E. H., Assessing the life cycle environmental impacts of titania nanoparticle production by continuous flow solvo/hydrothermal syntheses , Green Chem. , 19 , (6 ), 2017, p1536 - 1547Journal Article, 2017, DOI , URL
• Caramazana, P., Dunne, P., Gimeno-Fabra, M., McKechnie, J., Lester, E., A review of the environmental impact of nanomaterial synthesis using continuous flow hydrothermal synthesis, Current Opinion in Green and Sustainable Chemistry, 12, 2018, p57-62Journal Article, 2018
• Vitova, T., Pidchenko, I., Biswas, S., Beridze, G., Dunne, P.W., Schild, D., Wang, Z., Kowalski, P.M., Baker, R.J., Dehydration of the Uranyl Peroxide Studtite, [UO2(n²-O2)(H2O)2]·2H2O, Affords a Drastic Change in the Electronic Structure: A Combined X-ray Spectroscopic and Theoretical Analysis, Inorganic Chemistry, 57, (4), 2018, p1735-1743Journal Article, 2018
• Clark, I., Dunne, P.W., Gomes, R.L., Lester, E., Continuous hydrothermal synthesis of Ca2Al-NO3layered double hydroxides: The impact of reactor temperature, pressure and NaOH concentration on crystal characteristics, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 504, 2017, p492-499Journal Article, 2017
• Donnelly Fearghal C, Purcell-Milton Fin, Dunne Peter W, Rulikowska Aleksandr, Alguacil Victo, Gun'ko Yurii K, Luminescent calcium carbonate micro "bow ties", Materials Today Communications, 20, 2019, p100590-Journal Article, 2019, DOI , URL
• Doménech, N.G. and Coogan, I. and Purcell-Milton, F. and Casasín García, M.L. and Arjona, A.S. and Cabré, M.B. and Rafferty, A. and McKelvey, K. and Dunne, P. and Gun'ko, Y.K., Partially oxidised boron nitride as a 2D nanomaterial for nanofiltration applications, Nanoscale Advances, 4, (22), 2022, p4895-4904Journal Article, 2022, DOI , URL , TARA - Full Text
• Bathe A.S, Sanz Arjona A, Regan A, Wallace C, Nerney C.R, O'Donoghue N, Crosland J.M, Simonian T, Walton R.I, Dunne P.W, Solvothermal synthesis of soluble, surface modified anatase and transition metal doped anatase hybrid nanocrystals, Nanoscale Advances, 4, (24), 2022, p5343 - 5354Journal Article, 2022, DOI , URL
• García Doménech N, Purcell-Milton F, Sanz Arjona A, Casasín García M.-L, Ward M, Cabré M.B, Rafferty A, McKelvey K, Dunne P, Gun†ko Y.K, High-Performance Boron Nitride Based Membranes for Water Purification, Nanomaterials, 12, (3), 2022Journal Article, 2022, DOI , URL
• Regan, Annie, O'Donoghue, John, Poree, Carl, Dunne, Peter W., Introducing Materials Science: Experimenting with Magnetic Nanomaterials in the Undergraduate Chemistry Laboratory, Journal of Chemical Education, 100, (6), 2023, p2387-2393Journal Article, 2023, DOI
• Martin I.L.; Anderson L.B.; McAdams D.A.; Molloy C.; Dunne P.W.; Connon S.J., Neutral hydrolysis of poly(ethylene terephthalate) catalysed by highly active terephthalate-based ionic liquids at low loadings, Chemical Communications, 61, (13), 2025, p2750 - 2753Journal Article, 2025

• CHAPTER 14: The Engineering of Continuous Hydrothermal/Solvothermal Synthesis of Nanomaterials in, editor(s)Andrew J Hunt Thomas M Attard , Supercritical and Other High-pressure Solvent Systems: For Extraction, Reaction and Material Processing, 2018, pp416-448 , [Lester, E., Dunne, P., Chen, Y., Al-Atta, A.]Book Chapter
• CHAPTER 15: The Chemistry of Continuous Hydrothermal/Solvothermal Synthesis of Nanomaterials in, editor(s)Andrew J Hunt Thomas M Attard , Supercritical and Other High-pressure Solvent Systems: For Extraction, Reaction and Material Processing, 2018, pp449-475 , [Dunne, P.W., Lester, E., Starkey, C., Clark, I., Chen, Y., Munn, A.S.]Book Chapter
• Heinekamp, C. Nerney, C.R., Kavanagh, A., Bathe, A.S., Sanz Arjona, A., Regan, A., Dunne, P.W., Solvothermal synthesis of soluble, surface modified metal oxide nanocrystals, International Solvothermal and Hydrothermal Association Conference, Valladolid, Spain, 10/9/2023-13/9/202, 2023Oral Presentation
• Bathe, A.S., Sanz Arjona, A., Regan, A., Dunne, P.W., Hydrothermal Injection: Synthetic Control by Reaction Engineering, International Solvothermal and Hydrothermal Association Conference, Valladolid, Spain, 10/9/2023-13/9/2023, 2023Oral Presentation
• Bathe, A.S., Sanz Arjona, A., Regan, A., Flandrin, C., Dunne, P.W., Mapping the Controlled Hydrothermal Synthesis of Materials with Principal Component Analysis, International Solvothermal and Hydrothermal Association Conference, Valladolid, Spain, 10/9/2023-13/9/2023, 2023Oral Presentation
• Christian Heinekamp, Clodagh R. Nerney, Aoife Kavanagh, Andrew S. Bathe, Adrián Sanz Arjona, Annie Regan, Peter W. Dunne, Solvothermal synthesis of soluble, surface modified metal oxide nanocrystals, 16th International Conference on Materials Chemistry (MC16), University College Dublin, 3/7/2023-6/7/2023, 2023Oral Presentation
• Christian Heinekamp, Adrián Sanz Arjona, Aoife Kavanagh, Andrew S. Bathe, Annie Regan, Peter W. Dunne, Solvothermal synthesis of soluble, surface modified metal oxide nanocrystals, ACS Fall Meeting 2023, San Francisco, United States, 13/8/2023-17/8/2023, 2023Oral Presentation
• Peter W. Dunne, Andrew S. Bathe, Teagan F. Sweet, Annie Regan, Matthew Priestly, Rachel Bothwell, Hollow and Plant-like Copper Sulfide Microstructures Grown from Colloidal Sulfur Seeds, Inorganic Ireland Symposium, TCD, 19/5/2023, 2023Oral Presentation
• Andrew Bathe, Adrián Sanz Arjona, Chloé Flandrin, James Ryan, Annie Regan, Peter Dunne, Mapping the controlled hydrothermal synthesis of materials with Principal Component Analysis, 9th EuChemS Chemistry Congress (ECC-9), Dublin, Ireland, 07/07/2024-11/07/202, 2024Oral Presentation
• Peter W. Dunne, Andrew S. Bathe, Teagan F. Sweet, Annie Regan, Matthew Priestly, and Rachel Bothwell, Hollow and Plant-like Copper Sulfide Microstructures Grown from Colloidal Sulfur Seeds, Early Career Colloid Network Meeting ECCo 2024, London, England, 20/06/2024, 2024Oral Presentation
• Andrew Bathe, Adrián Sanz Arjona, Chloé Flandrin, James Ryan, Annie Regan, Peter Dunne, Mapping the controlled hydrothermal synthesis of materials with Principal Component Analysis, 17th International conference on materials chemistry (MC17), Edinburgh, 7-10 July 2025, 2025Oral Presentation
• Peter W. Dunne, DESIGN: Deep Eutectic Solvents for Inorganic Green Nanomaterials, International Solvothermal and Hydrothermal Association Meeting, Bali, Indonesia, 15-20 June 2025, 2025Oral Presentation
• Peter William Dunne , Christian Heinekamp , Clodagh R. Nerney , Aoife Kavanagh , Andrew S. Bathe , Adrián Sanz Arjona , Annie Regan, The solvothermal synthesis of soluble, surface modified metal oxide nanoparticles, MRS Fall 2024, Boston, US, 1-6 Dec 2024, 2024Oral Presentation
• James L. Ryan, Chloé Flandrin, Andrew S. Bathe, Adrián Sanz Arjona, Annie Regan, Peter W. Dunne, Mapping the Controlled Hydrothermal Synthesis of Materials with Principal Component Analysis, European Materials Research Society Spring Meeting, Strasbourg, France, 25-29 May 2026, 2026Oral Presentation
• Eleanor Cripwell, David McCloskey, Peter William Dunne, Synthesis and Processing of Solution Processable Surface Modified Doped Tin Oxide Nanocrystals into Thin Films for Electro/Thermo-chromic Applications, European Materials Research Society Spring Meeting, Strasbourg, France, 25-29 May 2026, 2026Oral Presentation

• Title

  C-Weed: Carbon Dots from Seaweed and Seaweed Derivatives
  Summary

  Due to the increase in global renewable energy generation and the need for reduction in greenhouse gas emissions we find ourselves in the energy transition of the century wherein the demand for green, sustainable energy materials is rising. Carbon dots are considered a new and green nanomaterial, applicable for energy generation technologies. In this research the potential of seaweed and seaweed derivatives as feedstocks for the hydrothermal formation of carbon dots will be explored. Kelp and Irish moss seaweeds and their derivatives glucose, galactose, alginic acid and carrageenan will be assessed for the generation of carbon dots by hydrothermal methods. The efficacy of the synthetic and purification protocols examined with varying conditions of temperature, time and pH will be assessed by detailed structural and photophysical characterisation methods. Photophysical analysis by UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopies will be particularly relevant in establishing the suitability of processes and products for their subsequent incorporation into optoelectronic devices, such as LEDs and photovoltaic cells. Structural characterisation by XRD, IR, Raman and TEM will help identify the obtained products to inform rational design choices in feedstock and synthesis choices for scale-up. It is anticipated that this project will establish the viability of Irish seaweeds as precursors to added value products of functional carbon nanomaterials. The focus here will be on carbon dots for optoelectronic devices, but the scope extends to a range of other applications within the energy sector including photocatalysis for hydrogen generation and materials for carbon capture and conversion.
  Funding Agency

  SEAI
  Date From

  01/04/2023
  Date To

  31/03/2026

Nanotechnology, Condensed matter physics, Chemical Sciences,

• Member of the American Chemical Society Current
• Member (and Irish Representative) of the International Solvothermal and Hydrothermal Association Current

• External PhD Examiner (UCC) December 2023
• Publishing Ethics External Expert for the Royal Society of Chemistry 2023-Current
• External PhD Examiner (NUIG) March 2018
• External MSc by Research Examiner (NUIG) November 2019
• External PhD Examiner (University of Warwick) December 2025
• External PhD Examiner (University of Copenhagen) March 2025
• External PhD Examiner (University of Nottingham) March 2026