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Dr G Santori
Dr S Lau
No more applications being accepted
Self-Funded PhD Students Only
About the Project
Renewable and waste low-grade heat will contribute to the future primary energy portfolio. Therefore, thermally-driven sorption systems that make use of sorption materials or fluids, are key in future technologies to obtain diverse useful effects such as heat transformation, long term heat storage, water purification, drying and many other processes. The term sorption is here intentionally kept general and indicates both adsorption (sorption in a nanoporous solid) and absorption (sorption in a liquid solvent). In all cases sorption indicates the presence of a bond between the sorbent and the sorbate. Many sorbents have been proposed over the last decades, the most promising being composite sorbents containing inorganic salts.
While inorganic salts have been widely explored, little is available on the water sorption characteristics of ionic liquid composites. The higher flexibility of ionic liquid synthesis as opposed to inorganic salts makes them attractive for multiple applications and can open to a totally new class of sorption composites.
In some recent investigations, ionic liquids have shown performance well above the best performing nanoporous materials. Unfortunately, the utilization of ionic liquids demands complex processes. These drawbacks can be avoided by synthesizing ionic liquids in form of gels, so eliminating the need of auxiliary equipment. Furthermore, the nano-confinement of ionic liquids enables the formation of preferentially oriented and self-assembled structures and properties yet unexplained.
This research is aimed at discovering new ionogels and their integration in stable structures that allow their utilization in the next generation of thermally-driven technologies.
Eligibility
Minimum entry qualification - an undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering or Chemistry, at 2:1 or above (or International equivalent), possibly supported by an MSc Degree. Further information on English language requirements for EU/Overseas applicants.
Desirable criteria:
i) knowledge of thermodynamics of fluid phase equilibria or physical chemistry;
ii) basic skills on utilization of one computational tool such as Matlab, Mathcad, Mathematica etc.
While inorganic salts have been widely explored, little is available on the water sorption characteristics of ionic liquid composites. The higher flexibility of ionic liquid synthesis as opposed to inorganic salts makes them attractive for multiple applications and can open to a totally new class of sorption composites.
In some recent investigations, ionic liquids have shown performance well above the best performing nanoporous materials. Unfortunately, the utilization of ionic liquids demands complex processes. These drawbacks can be avoided by synthesizing ionic liquids in form of gels, so eliminating the need of auxiliary equipment. Furthermore, the nano-confinement of ionic liquids enables the formation of preferentially oriented and self-assembled structures and properties yet unexplained.
This research is aimed at discovering new ionogels and their integration in stable structures that allow their utilization in the next generation of thermally-driven technologies.
Eligibility
Minimum entry qualification - an undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering or Chemistry, at 2:1 or above (or International equivalent), possibly supported by an MSc Degree. Further information on English language requirements for EU/Overseas applicants.
Desirable criteria:
i) knowledge of thermodynamics of fluid phase equilibria or physical chemistry;
ii) basic skills on utilization of one computational tool such as Matlab, Mathcad, Mathematica etc.
Funding Notes
Applications are welcomed from self-funded students, or students who are applying for scholarships from the University of Edinburgh or elsewhere. For exceptional UK students, there may EPSRC funding available.
Project supervisors
Career overview
Dr Giulio Santori obtained a PhD in Energy from Università Politecnica delle Marche in Ancona, Italy, in 2009, following an MSc in Mechanical Engineering from the same institution in 2004. Dr Santori is a Reader in the School of Engineering at the University of Edinburgh, where they are involved in research within the Materials and Processes research institute. Dr Santori's specialities include low grade heat, thermal energy storage, adsorption heating and cooling, adsorption desalination, solar thermal energy, temperature swing adsorption, heat transformers, thermodynamics, heat transfer, ionic liquids, and ionogels. Additionally, Dr Santori is a member of both the Scottish Carbon Capture and Storage Research Centre and the UK Carbon Capture Research Centre.
Research interests
Dr. Giulio Santori's research focuses on low grade heat, thermal energy storage, adsorption heating and cooling, adsorption desalination, solar thermal energy, temperature swing adsorption, heat transformers, thermodynamics, heat transfer, ionic liquids, and ionogels. They are involved in projects related to structured ionic liquids for vapour sorption.
Career overview
Dr. Cher Hon Lau is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Engineering at the University of Edinburgh, specialising in Chemical Engineering. The research group focuses on utilising materials science to develop solutions for applications in chemical engineering, particularly in the area of separations. The group excels in the design and synthesis of porous frameworks using cost-effective commercial materials, with applications in hydrocarbon purification, energy storage, alcohol recovery and dehydration, and water purification. These nanomaterials can function as adsorbents or additives in polymer membranes. Dr. Lau's work also includes the fabrication of advanced membrane structures using nanotechnology to achieve ultrafast molecular separations with minimal driving forces. The overarching goal is to facilitate the real-world deployment of these membranes, supported by research on the scale-up production of materials, including polymers and additives, through innovative techniques developed in collaboration with international partners.
Research interests
Dr. Cher Hon Lau's research focuses on utilising materials science to develop solutions for applications in chemical engineering, particularly in separations. The research group specialises in the design and synthesis of porous frameworks using cost-effective commercial materials. These nanomaterials are applied in hydrocarbon purification, energy storage, alcohol recovery and dehydration, and water purification, serving as adsorbents or additives in polymer membranes. The group is also advancing nanotechnology to fabricate innovative membrane structures for ultrafast molecular separations that require minimal driving forces. A key aim is the real-world deployment of these membranes, supported by research on scale-up production of materials, including polymers and additives, and the development of new techniques for producing cutting-edge materials in collaboration with international partners.
Materials Science
Chemical Engineering
Separations
Porous Frameworks
Nanomaterials
Hydrocarbon Purification
Energy Storage
Alcohol Recovery
Dehydration
Water Purification
Adsorbents
Polymer Membranes
Nanotechnology
Membrane Structures
Molecular Separations
Scale-up Production
Polymer Characterisation
