Rate My Professor Simon Hall

Professor Simon Hall is Professor of Electrochemistry and Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic) for the College of Sciences at Massey University. He obtained his BSc in 1985, MSc (First Class Honours) in 1986, and PhD in 1988 from the University of Auckland. After completing his doctorate, Hall was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Wales College of Cardiff from 1988 to 1991, followed by positions as Lecturer and Senior Lecturer in Chemistry at Manchester Metropolitan University from 1991 to 1996. In 1996, he joined Massey University as Lecturer, progressing to Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor, and Professor of Electrochemistry in 2010. He led the Chemistry and Biophysics Group in the Institute of Fundamental Sciences from 2010 to 2012 and served as Head of the Institute from 2013 to 2017. Hall was appointed Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor in 2015. He also held a Visiting Scientist position at Los Alamos National Laboratory in 2002 and was Chief Science Officer for Anzode (NZ) Ltd and Anzode Inc. from 2003 to 2007.

Hall's research focuses on electrochemistry, including mechanisms and energy storage applications such as rechargeable batteries, with emphasis on zinc electrodes and new cathodes for aqueous rechargeable batteries. His work extends to colloid and surface chemistry, physical chemistry, and solar cells. Notable achievements include developing a rechargeable zinc electrode with PhD student Michael Liu, leading to the 2003 spin-out companies Anzode (NZ) Ltd and Anzode Inc., and initiating Synthodics Ltd in 2011 with colleagues for advanced energy storage materials. A founding Principal Investigator of the MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology from 2003 to 2015, he continues as an Emeritus Investigator. Awards include Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry (2008), Fonterra Prize for Industrial and Applied Chemistry (2008), Bayer Innovators Award for Research and Development (2010), and Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (2010). Key publications encompass 'Overstretching partially alkyne functionalized dsDNA using near infrared optical tweezers' (2018, Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications), 'A spectroelectrochemical investigation of nanoparticle and molecular resonances in surface enhanced Raman scattering from crystal violet and malachite green' (2017, Journal of Raman Spectroscopy), 'Electrochemical oxidation of hydrogen peroxide at platinum electrodes. Part V: Inhibition by chloride' (2000, Electrochimica Acta), and 'Potential and temperature dependence of hydrogen peroxide oxidation at nickel electrodes' (2001, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics).