The Centre for Sustainable & Circular Technologies (CSCT) at the University of Bath is inviting applications for the following PhD project which is part of a joint PhD programme between the University of Bath and Monash University in Australia.
This project is one of a number that are in competition for up to three funded studentships.
Home institution: University of Bath
Supervisor(s) at Bath: Dr Simon Freakley, Prof Frank Marken
Supervisor(s) at Monash: Dr Cameron Bentley
The catalytic conversion of sustainable biomass into value added chemicals via selective reduction and oxidation (redox) reactions is a key enabling technology in the transition to a sustainable chemical sector. To develop more efficient catalytic processes, a greater fundamental understanding of structure−activity relationships is required; especially under aqueous reaction conditions which are desirable for biomass conversions to reduce separation costs. This project will develop tools to design new redox catalysts using electrochemical half reactions as a screening tool with direct imaging of catalytic activity at the nanoscale for the first time, to identify the most active structures present on a heterogenous (electro)catalyst surface.
Performing these redox reactions in aqueous media opens new reaction pathways involving the movement of charged species at metal-liquid interfaces. For instance, in the oxidation of glycerol, the role of molecular O2 is to accept electrons from the catalytic nanoparticle (akin to electrochemical oxygen reduction) rather than be incorporated directly into the products.1 Similarly, aqueous HMF hydrogenation has been shown to involve water-mediated protonation (driven by H2 oxidation) rather than direct interaction with surface bound Hspecies.2 These studies suggest that biomass conversion can be broken down into coupled elementary steps such as H2 oxidation - carbonyl reduction, O2 reduction - C-H oxidation and dehydrogenation – H + reduction and this could provide new approaches to catalyst design and understanding in these important processes.
This project will combine expertise in heterogeneous catalysis (Freakley), electrochemistry (Marken), and state-of-the-art reaction imaging down to the sub-single nanoparticle level (Bentley), to develop new tools to design and understand heterogeneous catalysts based on metal nanoparticles for biomass conversion. We will test the hypothesis that biomass conversions can be modelled as coupled redox processes—through the testing of isolated half reactions electrochemically to predict the optimum catalyst structures as a synthetic target. The project will utilize nanoscale high-resolution electrochemical microscopy to directly image the sites that promote effective catalysis of these essential half reactions. Ultimately, relating electrochemical activity on this scale to the underlying structure will guide the design/synthesis of the “next-generation” of materials with higher activity, improved stability, and longer life – which are all crucial metrics for sustainable catalysis.
Project keywords: applied chemistry, environmental chemistry, physical chemistry, chemical physics
To apply:
We invite applications from Science and Engineering graduates who have, or expect to obtain, a first or upper second class degree and have a strong interest in Sustainable & Circular Technologies.
You may express an interest in up to three projects in order of preference. See the CSCT website for more information.
Please submit your application to the Home institution of your preferred project. You should note, however, that you are applying for a joint PhD programme and applications will be processed as such.
If this is your preferred project, apply using the relevant Bath online application form: https://samis.bath.ac.uk/urd/sits.urd/run/siw_ipp_lgn.login?process=siw_ipp_app&code1=RDUCH-MO01&code2=0004
Please quote ‘Bath Monash PhD studentship’ in the Finance section and the lead supervisor(s)’ name(s) and project title(s) in the ‘Your research interests’ section. More information on applying to Bath may be found here.
If the Home institution of your preferred project is Monash, apply here.
Enquiries about the application process should be sent to [Email Address Removed].
Studentship eligibility
Funding for Bath-based projects, such as the one advertised here, is available to candidates who qualify for Home fee status only. In determining Home student status, we follow the UK government’s fee regulations and guidance from the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA). Further information may also be found within the university’s fee status guidance.
EU/EEA citizens who live outside the UK are unlikely to be eligible for Home fees and funding.
Funding for Monash-based projects is available to candidates of any nationality.
Please see the CSCT website for a full list of available projects.
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