Low-temperature atmospheric pressure plasma functionalized 2D materials for versatile sensing and optoelectronic devices

This project is part of a 4-year Dual PhD degree programme between the National Tsing Hua University (Taiwan) and the University of Liverpool (England). As part of the NTHU-UoL Dual PhD Award students are in the unique position of being able to gain 2 PhD awards at the end of their degree from two internationally recognised world-leading Universities. As well as benefiting from a rich cultural experience, students can draw on large-scale national facilities of both countries and create a worldwide network of contacts across two continents.

The latest set of projects targeted goal #11 from the UN Sustainable Development Goals: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
The project aims to demonstrate an easy and low-temperature method of functionalizing the chemical vapour deposition grown (CVD) 2D materials for a wide range of applications, including; field-effect transistor, gas sensing, biosensing, and optoelectronic devices by low-temperature atmospheric pressure plasma (LTAPP).

The first two years of the PhD will be focussed on producing, characterising and optimising existing and new 2D materials (i.e. transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD), phosphorene, Mxene and metal-organic framework (MOF)) . This work will be based at NTHU, where the student will also undertake some postgraduate courses that will enhance the student’s knowledge base.

The final two-years will be based at the University of Liverpool, within the Technological Plasma Group, where the student will use atmospheric pressure low-temperature plasmas to functionalise the 2D materials developed in NTHU to enhance their properties for a variety of applications. This will involve the students optimising the plasma paramaters and operating conditions as well as characterising the coatings using advanced surface analysis techniques.

For academic enquires please contact [Email Address Removed] or [Email Address Removed]

For enquires on the application process or to find out more about the Dual programme please contact School of Electrical Engineering and Electronics Postgraduate Office ([Email Address Removed])

Applicants should apply via the University of Liverpool application form, for a PhD in the subject area listed above: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/how-to-apply/.