Clean energy can make difference in Nigeria’s power, energy sector —Amarachi Nnachor, chemist, doctoral researcher

Amarachi Clare Nnachor is a United States-based Nigerian chemist and PhD researcher at the Missouri University of Science and Technology. A graduate research assistant, her work focuses on materials chemistry and electrochemistry. In this interview by KINGSLEY ALUMONA, she speaks about her work, clean energy, among other issues.

What was your idea of chemistry and its relevance to society before you decided to study it? And, what was your experience studying it at Nnamdi Azikiwe University?

Before studying chemistry at the university level, I already understood it as a discipline with direct societal and economic relevance. During high school, my teacher, Gayus Dauda Hamman, emphasised chemistry as the foundational science that underpins medicine, energy, manufacturing, and environmental protection. By relating chemical principles to everyday human activities, such as food preparation, respiration, and material use, he framed chemistry as a practical tool for solving real-world problems rather than an abstract academic subject. This early exposure shaped my interest in chemistry as a means of improving public health, industrial efficiency, and quality of life — priorities that align closely with the scientific and economic interests of the United States.

My academic training at Nnamdi Azikiwe University further reinforced this perspective. Under the mentorship of dedicated lecturers such as Chukwuebuka Onyema and Patrick Omuku, I received rigorous scientific instructions that emphasised analytical thinking, experimental design, and problem-solving. The programme strengthened my technical foundation and cultivated the confidence needed to pursue advanced research and innovation.

Your profile does not indicate that you have a master’s degree. How did you proceed to a PhD programme at the Missouri University of Science and Technology in the United States?

Although my profile does not include a separate master’s degree, my progression directly from a bachelor’s degree into a PhD programme at the Missouri University of Science and Technology reflects a well-established and highly selective pathway within the United States graduate education system. The US PhD admissions prioritise demonstrated academic excellence, research capability, and the applicant’s potential to contribute meaningfully to ongoing scientific research, rather than the possession of a master’s degree alone.

My admission was based on strong undergraduate preparation, evidence of independent research readiness, and a clearly articulated research focus on clean energy and advanced materials, areas of strategic importance to the US technological leadership, energy, and economic competitiveness. I demonstrated alignment with faculty research objectives and the capacity to succeed in a demanding research environment. The PhD programme’s integrated coursework, qualifying examinations, and research milestones provided advanced training equivalent to, and often exceeding, that of a standalone master’s degree, ensuring that I was fully prepared to generate original research with direct relevance to the US scientific and industrial priorities.

What aspects or areas of chemistry interest you more, and why?

I am most drawn to materials chemistry and electrochemistry because I like work that connects basic science to real problems. In materials chemistry, small changes like composition, defects, or surface structure can completely change how a material behaves. Electrochemistry excites me because it shows, in a measurable way, how reactions happen at surfaces and how electrons and ions move. That knowledge drives technologies like batteries and water electrolysis, and it also enables electrosynthesis using electricity to make valuable chemicals more cleanly and efficiently.

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What is your doctoral thesis or research about, its major findings, and societal relevance?

My PhD work is centred on nanomaterials synthesis and nanomaterials engineering for clean energy electrocatalysis, specifically targeting water electrolysis reactions such as oxygen reduction reactions (ORR), oxygen evolution reactions (OER), and hydrogen evolution reactions (HER). My research is aimed at resolving some of the primary scientific challenges that affect the efficiency and scalability of hydrogen energy technologies in a manner very relevant to the US interests in clean energy.

A major aspect of my work is the establishment of controlled synthetic methodologies in which the catalyst composition, crystal phase, deficiency level, and morphology are carefully controlled. These aspects dictate the availability of active sites, electrical conductivity, as well as long-term stability of operation upon realistic electrochemical conditions. Importantly, my experimental results have shown that most electrocatalysts based on earth-abundant materials are not static systems but rather dynamic substances exhibiting restructuring under operation. By providing controlled methodologies of catalyst surface restructuring, my research enables obtaining more active and stable catalysts under operational conditions.

The social impact of the work is the development of scalable and affordable alternatives for precious metal catalysts. With more efficient catalysts from earth-abundant materials, my research contributes to the more affordable production of green hydrogen, a more reliable supply chain for non-strategic materials, and the preeminence of the US in the sector of sustainable energy solutions for the transport sector, processing industries, and the energy sector.

One of your areas of interest is material science. How does chemistry relate to material science, and how are chemists leading innovations in material science to impact the electronic and electrical industry?

Chemistry is at the heart of materials science because it lets us design materials intentionally by controlling composition, bonding, defects, and surfaces. That is where my work fits: I synthesise nanomaterials for clean-energy electrocatalysis and tune phase, size, morphology, and surface chemistry to improve active-site exposure, charge transport, and long-term stability during operation.

More broadly, chemists shape the electronic and electrical industry by creating better battery materials, conductive/protective coatings, semiconductors, and sensor materials, often by engineering interfaces where device performance is won or lost.

A January 2025 Vanguard newspaper publication about you is titled ‘How Nigeria’s Amarachi Clare Nnachor is powering the future of clean energy’. Explain to us how you do this using your latest work in this area.

My latest work focuses on designing and synthesising functional materials for energy storage and environmental remediation. While the Vanguard headline captured the clean-energy theme, two published projects explain it clearly. First, in our MXene–PANI hybrid study, we engineered expanded interlayers and a conductive polymer network to improve ion/electron transport, achieving ultra-stable, high-rate pseudocapacitive energy storage useful for fast-charging devices and grid support. Second, in our mechanochemical ZnO nanoparticle work, we evaluated a scalable, low-solvent synthesis route and its potential for treating wastewater, helping address pollution and public health.

How would you advise the Nigerian government on the commercialisation of clean energy technologies in the country? If you were to lead this charge for Nigeria, how would you go about it?

I would advise Nigeria to start where clean energy can make an immediate difference in mini grids for rural areas, reliable power for small businesses, clean cooking, and energy efficiency for industry. The government should back this with clear standards, stable policies, and financing that reduces risk for investors, while encouraging local assembly and maintenance.

If I were leading the charge, I would build a national pilot-to-product pipeline: fund real demonstrations, test technologies under Nigerian conditions, and help the best ones scale through partnerships with industry. I would also invest heavily in training technicians and building local supply chains, because commercialisation only works when systems can be installed, serviced, and trusted long-term.

If you were given a billion naira to solve a national problem in Nigeria with your chemistry expertise, which problem would that be?

If I were given a billion naira, I would tackle safe drinking water and real-time water-quality monitoring. As an electrochemist and nanomaterials researcher, I can synthesise low-cost nanomaterials (high surface area, tailored surface functional groups) for adsorbent filters and electrode materials that capture heavy metals and organic pollutants. I would pair this with electrochemical sensing, portable stripping voltammetry, and impedance-based devices to detect contaminants early and guide treatment. I will fund pilot systems in high-need communities, validate them under local conditions, and train local technicians for maintenance. The goal is a scalable, locally supported detect-and-remove water technology that reduces waterborne disease.

You studied chemistry at a Nigerian university and are now studying it at a US university. What three things can Nigerian universities and researchers involved in chemistry studies and research learn from the way it is done in the US?

First, a stronger research structure, regular mentorship, group meetings, clear expectations, good lab notebooks, and a serious safety culture. It helps students grow faster and makes results more reproducible. Second, well-managed shared facilities, core labs where instruments are maintained, users are trained, and standard procedures are followed, so that research is not delayed by long downtime. Third, a stronger academia–industry connection, real partnerships, internships, and support for patents so that good ideas can move from the lab into products.

Nigeria has brilliant students and researchers; improving these systems would make our work faster, more competitive, and more impactful.

How is your PhD programme going, and how are you coping with life on campus and in the State of Missouri?

My PhD is going well, and I am grateful for the support system I have here. I have found strong communities that make life in Missouri easier, like the African Student Association, the Catholic community at St. Patrick in Rolla, and my Bible study group. I also have an efficient mentor and PI, plus good friends who keep me grounded and motivated.

Where do you see yourself and your career in five years?

In five years, by the grace of God, I see myself as a more established materials scientist, either in academia or industry research and development (R&D), leading impactful projects, mentoring others, and building collaborations that create opportunities and knowledge transfer back to Nigeria.

What three things do you love about the State of Missouri? And what do you miss about Nigeria while in the US?

I love three things about Missouri — the winter, the calm serenity in Rolla that helps me stay focused, and the friendly faces that make the community welcoming. I also appreciate the simplicity of life here. It creates space for productivity and growth.

What I miss about Nigeria is my family, the food (especially abacha), and the vibe, the warmth, the culture, and the everyday energy that feels like home. Having both experiences has broadened me, and it keeps me connected to why I want my work to create impact beyond the lab.