This project is one of a number that are in competition for funding from the NERC Great Western Four+ Doctoral Training Partnership (GW4+ DTP) for entry in October 2023. The GW4+ DTP consists of the Great Western Four alliance of the Universities of Bath, Bristol and Exeter and Cardiff University plus five prestigious Research Organisation partners: British Antarctic Survey, British Geological Survey, Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, the Natural History Museum and Plymouth Marine Laboratory. The partnership aims to provide a broad multi-disciplinary training, designed to produce tomorrow’s leaders in earth and environmental science.
Supervisory Team:
Lead Supervisor: (I) Prof Frank Marken, University of Bath, Department of Chemistry
Co-Supervisor: (II) Prof Akbar Javadi, University of Exeter, Dept of Engineering
Co-Supervisors: (III) Ben Miles, Spin Up Science, Bristol (IV) Beth Koigi, Majik Water, Kenya
Project Vision
An electroosmotic membrane (as part of a greenhouse or simply spread over the ground) is envisaged that in the presence of sunlight captures water from the atmosphere to allow plant growth, artificial irrigation, or drinking water provision. This project is pioneering, interdisciplinary, and could have considerable impact on the management of the natural environment.
Project Background
As the available solar power on earth (200000 TW) is essentially inexhaustible, it is vital for new science and new technologies to be targeted towards direct solar-driven mechanisms for water provision. Our biggest fresh-water reserves (1013 m3) are in the atmosphere. A radical approach to provide drinking and irrigation water is proposed based on electroosmotic membranes (using innovative materials) to employ sunlight directly to drive the capture of water from the atmosphere and to provide a low-cost means for drinking, cooling, and for irrigation in agriculture to produce food. This highly interdisciplinary PhD project focuses on exploiting new electroosmotic membrane mechanisms and porous materials for water transport. The energy of the sunlight will be converted to electricity. The electricity will provide the driving force for electroosmotic flow, and this in combination with appropriate catalysts will pump water across the membrane. The project will allow the student to explore the science, engineering aspects, implementation, commercial potential, and compare to related technologies such as thermal/pressure cycle systems, bio-mimetic fog capture systems, or solar stills.
Project Aims and Methods
The PhD researcher will gain experience from molecular design of materials all the way up to electroosmotic membrane pumps and ionic diodes for irrigation in precision agriculture and management of the natural environment. The main project aims are (i) to develop multi-layered porous membranes with attached electrodes for electroosmosis, (ii) to establish catalytic processes based on oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution ideally with a single bifunctional catalyst, (iii) to design small scale prototypes as proof-of-concept based on relative humidity changes (see Figure 1 and 2), (iv) to bring this technology into the engineering sector and then to potential end users, and (v) to assess the impact of this technology on the natural environment. The methods are based on electrochemical measurements, materials testing, developing new tools to monitor humidity changes, and exploring scale up of materials. The project is based on a new concept of rectified electroosmosis. Different types of membranes/techniques for water transport could be developed or compared. New ideas developed during the project will be essential.
Candidate requirements
The candidate should bring into the project a good understanding of chemistry and electrochemistry, and enthusiasm for porous materials and membranes, as well as engineering, catalysis, entrepreneurship, and passion for the natural environment and global challenges.
Applicants must have obtained, or be about to obtain, a UK Honours degree at 1st or 2.1 level, or international equivalent.
Non-UK applicants must meet the programme’s English language requirement by 01 February 2023 (the only exemption is if you will be awarded a UK degree or degree conducted in English before your PhD start date).
CASE partner
This project is based on a four-way partnership between the University of Bath, Exeter University, Majik Water, and Spin-Up Science in Bristol. The project is highly interdisciplinary and the PhD researcher will be able to work with chemists, electrochemists, engineers, in catalysis development, employing 3D printing and device design methods, and finally get trained in entrepreneurial aspects of the challenges of taking the research into the wider world.
Collaborative partner
The opportunities provided by the project collaborators are in taking the laboratory concept (Bath) into realistic engineering application (Exeter, potentially with a link to Egypt), to work with a water technology company (Majik Water Ltd. in Kenya), and to learn entrepreneurial skills (Spin-Up Science, Bristol) to develop a network of contacts and career opportunities.
Training
The PhD researcher will get trained in electrochemical methods, in membrane science, in porous materials and in making membranes, in catalyst development, in engineering of water harvesting systems, and in entrepreneurial aspects. Depending on progress there could be opportunities to work with test systems with international partners for example in Egypt.
Enquiries and Applications:
Informal enquiries are welcomed and should be directed to Prof Frank Marken, [Email Address Removed]
Formal applications should be made via the University of Bath's online application form for a PhD in Chemistry.
When completing the form, please identify your application as being for the NERC GW4+ DTP studentship competition in Section 3 Finance (question 2) and quote the project title and lead supervisor’s name in the ‘Your research interests’ section.
More information about applying for a PhD at Bath may be found on our website.
We welcome and encourage student applications from under-represented groups. We value a diverse research environment. 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.
Project keywords: Agricultural Chemistry, Electrochemistry, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Environmental Science, Agronomy & Soil Science
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