The University of Bath is inviting applications for the following PhD project commencing in October 2023 in the Department of Physics.
Eligible applicants will be considered for a fully-funded studentship – for more information, see the Funding Notes section below.
Supervisory Team:
Lead supervisor: Prof Alain Nogaret (Department of Physics)
Co-supervisors: Dr Dan Pantos (Department of Chemistry) and Dr Adelina Ilie (Department of Physics)
Overview of the Research:
Low grade heat (<200C) is generated by many industrial processes, data centres, and living organisms. Thermoelectric materials have a vocation to scavenge this source of energy and convert it into clean electrical power. Current materials however lack the conversion efficiency that would enable them to be scaled down to a few millimetres, fit into fabric or conform to non-planar surfaces.
The goal of this studentship is to obtain an all-organic van der Waals heterostructure[1] that intercalates a self-organised molecular crystal between graphene electrodes. The polyaromatic molecules in the 2D crystal will be engineered with electronegative and electropositive endings to dope graphene and obtain an organic pn junction. We anticipate a ZT conversion efficiency factor of 560 compared to 2.4 for Ruddlesden-Popper oxides which are some of the best current thermoelectric materials. Our devices exploit the high Seebeck coefficient of pristine graphene, high electrical conductivity and the absence of phonon scattering to achieve a high base ZT value. Our approach will increase this base value by functionalising graphene ribbons with both electron rich and electron poor molecules to achieve n-type or p-type doping in graphene. This has the following advantages:
- The electronegativity/positivity of the adsorbed molecules controls the polarity of the thermovoltage. By alternating n-type and p-type graphene ribbons connected end-to-end, one will obtain a thermoelectric generator producing 1V/K across 12 pn junctions.
- Perylene and NDI molecules self-organise into organic monolayers with quasi-crystalline packing on graphene. This ordering is promoted by hydrogen bonds. However, perylene and NDI can also form ion-dipole bonds out of the plane. These bonds will be used clip the n-type and p-type graphene ribbons end-to-end to form the thermoelectric device.
- Functionalization will increase the electrical conductivity of graphene through doping. It will decrease its thermal conductivity by reducing the symmetry of the graphene lattice. Both effects conspire to increase the thermoelectric conversion efficiency from 0.1 in pristine graphene to 560 in our device.
The PhD project will synthesize graphene/NDI-perylene/graphene organic p-n junctions on a flexible PEN substrate and measure the tunnelling current perpendicular to the layers and the thermoelectric power over a range of experimental conditions.
Project keywords: graphene, molecular electronics, quantum tunnelling, thermoelectric effect, clean energy.
Candidate Requirements:
Applicants should hold, or expect to receive, a First Class or good Upper Second Class UK Honours degree (or the equivalent) in Physics, Natural Sciences or Chemistry. A good experiment ability, interest in nanophysics and developing novel devices for clean energy are advantageous. A master's level qualification would also be advantageous.
Non-UK applicants must meet our English language entry requirement.
Enquiries and Applications:
Applicants are encouraged to contact Prof Alain Nogaret on email address [Email Address Removed]@bath.ac.uk before applying to find out more about the project and to discuss their suitability for the role.
Formal applications should be made via the University of Bath’s online application form for a PhD in Physics.
More information about applying for a PhD at Bath may be found on our website.
Note: Applications may close earlier than the advertised deadline if a suitable candidate is found. We therefore recommend that you contact the lead supervisor prior to applying and submit your formal application as early as possible.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:
We value a diverse research environment and aim to be an inclusive university, where difference is celebrated and respected. We welcome and encourage applications from under-represented groups.
If you have circumstances that you feel we should be aware of that have affected your educational attainment, then please feel free to tell us about it in your application form. The best way to do this is a short paragraph at the end of your personal statement.
Continue with Facebook
