CO2 and Bioderived Polymers for Sustainable Environmental and Biological Sensors

Background

Polymers are widespread in modern society as they produce light, strong, and cheap plastic materials, with an ever-increasing demand, which are critical to many technologies from consumer goods, electronics to healthcare. Beyond plastics, polymers play a vital role in our lives as key ingredients of liquid formulations. They are found in millions of everyday products, from the shampoo in our bathrooms to the paint on our walls. 

However, the environmental persistence and reliance on fossil resources of the most used polymers make them unsustainable. To find sustainable alternatives to our materials needs, our team at the University of York have been developing renewably sourced polymers, with potential applications in diverse sectors, ranging from plastics and coatings, personal care and agriculture, to battery materials.

Recently, we have developed a new class of polymers derived from sugar feedstocks, with desirable attributes including renewability, high performance, tuneability, recyclability and degradability. These polymers closely resemble natural carbohydrate polymers (called polysaccharides or glycans), which are paramount in biology because of their ability to interact selectively and sense other molecules. 

Objectives 

These new bioderived polymers thus hold great promise for the objective of this project, which is the development of powerful and selective sensors, to address, in a more sustainable way, environmental (detection of pollutants), industrial (detection of contaminants) and biological (detection of disease biomarkers) detection challenges. 

Experimental Approach

Your research will involve all aspects of the development of sustainable polymers and their applications in sensor technologies. You will develop routes towards functional polymers from renewable monomers, including carbon dioxide, cyclic esters and carbonates, epoxides/oxetanes, acetals and anhydrides. By using precision polymer synthesis methods such as catalytic heterocycle ring opening (co)polymerisation techniques, you will synthesise polymers with varying molar mass, architecture, composition, and side-chain functionalisation. You will anchor the polymers on electrode surfaces and investigate their binding affinities with various substrates using electrochemical techniques. The evaluation of the structure-property relationships between the polymer structures and their sensing abilities will form a feedback loop towards the development of selective and sensitive, bioderived (and in some cases biodegradable), sensors.

Novelty

Synthetic sugar-derived polymers are innovative, sustainable materials which also retain the exquisite ability of sugars for selective interactions. This research has the potential to deliver not only novel renewable polymer materials, but also game-changing and sustainable innovations for the health and environmental sciences.

Scientific Training

This project is a collaboration with the research groups of Prof Antoine Buchard, Prof Alison Parkin and Dr Martin Fascione. The highly interdisciplinary nature of this project will provide wide-ranging skills across synthetic and polymer chemistry, materials and surface science, electrochemistry and chemical glycobiology – ideal training for a career in biomedical/environmental/materials science. The project will also provide an outstanding academic training environment, by embedding the student within the wider Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence (Buchard) and Chemical Biology Group (Parkin, Fascione).

What makes a suitable candidate? 

This project is ideally suited to an applicant with a background in synthetic chemistry, looking to work on sustainable polymer chemistry, and with an interest to work at the interface with biology and learn surface functionalisation and electrochemical techniques. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the research, students from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Candidates will be expected to be enthusiastic about learning new techniques and committed to collaborative interdisciplinary research.

Candidates are encouraged to contact Prof Buchard with any informal queries (antoine.buchard@york.ac.uk).

You will follow our core cohort-based training programme to support the development of scientific, transferable and employability skills, as well as training on specific techniques and equipment. Training includes employability and professionalism, graduate teaching assistant training and guidance on writing papers.

https://www.york.ac.uk/chemistry/study/postgraduate-research/training-and-careers/  

There will be opportunities for networking and sharing your work both within and beyond the University. Funding is provided to enable you to attend conferences and external training. The department also runs a varied and comprehensive seminar programme.

Equality and Diversity

The Department of Chemistry holds an Athena SWAN Gold Award and is committed to supporting equality and diversity for all staff and students. The Department strives to provide a working environment which allows all staff and students to contribute fully, to flourish, and to excel: https://www.york.ac.uk/chemistry/ed/

As part of our commitment to Equality and Diversity, and Widening Participation, we are working with the YCEDE project (https://ycede.ac.uk/) to improve the number of under-represented groups participating in doctoral study.

Entry requirements 

You should hold or expect to achieve the equivalent of at least a UK upper second class degree in Chemistry or a relevant related subject. Check the entry requirements for your country.

English language requirements.

For more information about the project, click on the supervisor's name above to email them. 

For more information about the application process or funding, please click on email institution.

Submit an online PhD in Chemistry application: https://www.york.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/courses/apply?course=DRPCHESCHE3

Applications may close early if a suitable candidate is found.

The start date of the PhD will be 15 September 2025