Current Chemistry Investigators (CCI)

Current Chemistry Investigators (CCI) will provide students, teachers and the public with new activities based on area of electrochemistry. Electrochemistry is an important part of our modern lives with many life changing applications e.g. hydrogen production, batteries, touchscreen, cardiac deliberators, glucose sensors, alcohol breath testers and gel electrophoresis for COVID19 testing.
The 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded for the “development of lithium-ion batteries”, a breakthrough that has revolutionised society. The Irish Government and the European Union have committed to a carbon neutral climate no later than 2030. To meet this, while increasing the use of renewables, the next decade will see a generational change in how we create, store and use energy. Recently, the illumination of the Eiffel Tour in France was powered by a hydrogen electrolysis system and new hydrogen buses have started in Dublin. Battery storage facilities are also under construction in Ireland and the Government plan to have 1 million electric vehicles on Irish roads by 2030.
Electrochemistry features on the Irish secondary school curriculum. However, from student research and feedback from teachers, electrochemistry has been identified as one of the most difficult topics for to grasp without context and equipment. CCI will provide hands-on activities, equipment, resources and co-creation opportunities to demonstrate the real-world applications for electrochemistry. Using an Irish context, this will create an appreciation for the role of electrochemistry and similar research in everyday life, increasing interest in this vital area of STEM.