Stephen A. Moggach received his BSc degree in applied chemistry from The Robert Gordon University (2002) and his PhD in chemistry from the University of Edinburgh (2006).  Stephen did his PhD then a postdoc under the supervision of Professor Simon Parsons at the University of Edinburgh in the field of high-pressure crystallography.  Stephen went on to become a lecturer then senior lecturer in inorganic chemistry and Royal Society of Edinburgh Personal Research Fellow in Edinburgh before heading to the University of Western Australia, where he is now an Associate Professor in Structural Chemistry. 

From the essential vacuum of space, to the pressures found at the centre of a neutron star, there are many more orders of magnitudes of pressure available to us in the Universe than there is temperature, and as a consequence we can induce far greater structural changes in materials by applying pressure.

Application of pressure helps us understand the forces that hold molecules together to form solids, thereby enabling us to control and tune the properties of the solids themselves or the molecules they contain.

My current research is focussed on modifying the properties and selectivity of porous materials by applying pressure. Pore size determines the properties of these materials, and the aim of this research is to use pressure to modify properties though compression of pore size and shape.

I also have an interest in a number of different areas, including piezoresistive materials, carbon capture, and the development of in-situ X-ray and neutron diffraction facilities for both in-house sources, and at central facilities.