The RSC Materials journals (Materials Horizons, Journal of Materials Chemistry A, Journal of Materials Chemistry B, Journal of Materials Chemistry C, and Materials Advances) were proud to sponsor two oral prizes at Chem4Energy held from 23-26 March 2026 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Congratulations to Thomas Hill, Cardiff University, UK and Bongeka Ndwandwe, Rhodes University, South Africa for winning the oral prizes at the conference.
Thomas Hill, Cardiff University, UK
Presentation title: Exploring Structure-Reactivity Relationship on Plasmonically Active MOx Supported Clusters
Thomas Hill is a PhD student in chemistry at Cardiff University, where his research focuses on catalytic materials and sustainable energy processes. He is supervised by Richard Catlow and Graham Hutchings, and is affiliated with the UK Catalysis Hub and the CPLAS programme, a multidisciplinary initiative exploring light-driven energy conversion and plasmon-assisted catalysis.
Thomas completed his undergraduate degree in Chemistry at King’s College London, where he developed an interest in catalysis and materials chemistry. His current research uses computational approaches to explore the fundamentals of plasmonically enhanced catalytic systems.
Bongeka Ndwandwe, Rhodes University, South Africa
Presentation title: Tailoring photoresponsive azobenzene-perylene bisimide assemblies for efficient solar energy harvesting
Bongeka Ndwandwe is a PhD candidate in the Department of Chemistry at Rhodes University and the recent recipient of the Oral Presentation Award at the Chem4Energy Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa. Sponsored by the Royal Society of Chemistry, this award recognizes her excellence in communicating complex experimental research.
Under the supervision of Dr. NF Molefe, Bongeka’s current research focuses on the fabrication of azobenzene-perylene bisimide assemblies designed to revolutionize solar energy harvesting. Her presentation highlighted her work in developing materials capable of broad-spectrum absorption, and efficient energy storage and on-demand release.
A Rhodes University alumna, she also holds an MSc in Chemistry from the same institution. Her work continues to push the boundaries of sustainable energy solutions and optoelectronic materials.
