A 3-Year PhD Studentship in Zeolite based catalyst for ammonia decomposition for clean hydrogen, for low carbon fuel economy

Supervisors: : Prof Gopinathan Sankar and Prof Andrew Beale (UCL) and Dr Gregory GOH and Dr Fuu Ming KAI (NMC, A*STAR, Singapore)

Application deadline: 15/04/2023 

Interview date:  TBC

Start date: 25 September 2023

Location: London (1.5 years), Singapore (2 years)

Subject areas: Catalysts, Synthesis, Chemical Metrology 

The Studentship

This position is fully funded by the UCL-A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore) Collaborative Programme via the Centre for Doctoral Training in Molecular Modelling and Materials Science (M3S CDT) at UCL. The student will be registered for a PhD at UCL where he/she will spend year one followed by second and third years of the PhD at National Metrology Centre (NMC) of A*STAR in Singapore, then return to UCL for the final six months to write up the thesis. If successful, the PhD will be awarded from UCL. The studentship will cover tuition fees at the home rate, and an annual stipend of no less than £19668 increasingly annually with inflation (tax free) pro rata in years 1 and 4. During years 2 and 3, the student will receive a stipend of S$2700 per month directly from A*STAR. In addition, A*STAR will provide the student a one-off relocation allowance.

The Project  

Catalyst development continues to be an important area for exploiting chemical transformations. Zero carbon and low carbon fuel production are becoming increasingly important to meet the demands for achieving net zero. However, both a fundamental understanding in conjunction with conceptual challenges regarding catalyst preparation, precise determination of the structure, the role of active sites, and host structure in catalytic performance is an area that needs a greater degree of understanding and further development. In addition, there is a need for access to state-of-the-art lab facilities to support the performance testing and validation. The aim of this proposal is to develop novel catalysts and a new integrated metrological testing system used in ammonia decomposition and to characterize them precisely to determine structure-function relationships in the area of low carbon fuel. Specifically, the project will focus on the development of zeolite-based catalysts and characterize them using in situ methods to understand the active site creation and reactivity of the active sites which will enable the understanding of the role of host structure and active sites in activity and selectivity of the product. The performance of the novel catalyst will be evaluated using multiple traceable reference gas mixtures with the metrological testing system.

 The Candidate

The applicants should have, or be expecting to achieve, a first or upper second-class integrated masters degree (MSci, MChem, etc.) or 2:1 minimum BSc plus stand-alone Masters degree with at least a Merit in Chemistry or materials science. The successful applicant will demonstrate strong interest and self-motivation in the subject, good experimental practice and the ability to think analytically and creatively. Good computer skills, plus good presentation and writing skills in English, are required. Previous research experience in contributing to a collaborative interdisciplinary research environment is highly desirable but not necessary as training will be provided.

Interested candidates should initially contact the UCL supervisors g.sankar@ucl.ac.uk and/or andrew.beale@ucl.ac.uk with a degree transcript and a motivation letter expressing interest in the project. Informal inquiries are encouraged. Please note that a suitable applicant will first be required to complete MS Form entitled Application for Research: degree Chemistry programme. In addition, it is essential that suitable applicants complete an electronic application form at https://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/research-degrees/chemistry-mphil-phd (please select Research degree: Chemistry programme) prior to the application deadline and advise their referees to submit their references as soon as they possibly can. All shortlisted applicants will be invited for an interview no more than 4 weeks after the application deadline. Any admissions queries should be directed to Dr Zhimei Du via z.du:ucl.ac.uk