Rate My Professor Jason Hallett

Jason Hallett is Professor of Sustainable Chemical Technology in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London, holding a Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Emerging Technologies. He obtained his BS from the University of Maine and PhD from the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he also conducted postdoctoral research. In 2006, he joined Imperial College London as a Marshall-Sherfield Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Chemistry, progressing through the ranks to his current professorial position. As co-Director of the UKRI Supergen Bioenergy Hub, he leads the Hallett Research Group, an interdisciplinary team of chemists and engineers focused on sustainable technologies. The group has successfully launched nine spin-out companies translating their research into commercial applications, including Lixea for fractionating waste biomass using low-cost ionic liquids, Nanomox for advanced materials from metallic waste via Oxidative Ionothermal Synthesis, Bioataraxis for bio-derived surfactants, Dye Recycle for textile dye extraction, Vanadion for vanadium redox flow batteries from waste, CO2Co for direct air capture, Ionic Recovery for critical minerals recycling, and Oorja for solar electricity in rural India.

His research interests center on ionic liquids as solvents for synthesis, catalysis, biomass deconstruction, biofuels and biomaterials production, carbon capture and storage, green and sustainable solvents, and waste valorization. Notable contributions include pioneering low-cost ionic liquids for lignocellulosic pretreatment and integrated biorefineries combining biofuels and pulp production. Key publications encompass 'The path forward for biofuels and biomaterials' (Science, 2006), 'Room-temperature ionic liquids: solvents for synthesis and catalysis. 2' (Chemical Reviews, 2011), 'Carbon capture and storage (CCS): the way forward' (Energy & Environmental Science, 2018), 'Green and sustainable solvents in chemical processes' (Chemical Reviews, 2018), 'Deconstruction of lignocellulosic biomass with ionic liquids' (Green Chemistry, 2013), and a recent collaboration with KU Leuven researchers on 'Pectin Extracted by a Recyclable Molecular Mixture: A Promising Material for Porous Membranes in Quasi-Solid-State Na-Ion Batteries' (ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 2025). His work has significantly impacted sustainable chemical engineering and the transition to a circular bioeconomy.