Applications are invited for a 3.5 year PhD studentship across the Davidson and Buchard groups in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Bath, UK. In this project you will develop innovative synthetic and catalytic methodologies to produce novel monomers and polymers for sustainable materials, and investigate their applications, in collaboration with industrial partners.
The monomers targeted will combine natural molecules (e.g., sugars) and their derivatives (e.g., furans) with diverse functional groups and linkages (e.g., esters, carbonates, amides). These monomers will be polymerised using a range of polymerisation techniques (e.g., ring-opening polymerization, polycondensation) and the analysis of the resulting materials (thermal, mechanical, degradability) undertaken to establish their structure/properties relationship. Natural sugars are non-toxic, biodegradable, biocompatible, abundant, and a diverse resource which is highly functionalisable. By incorporating sugar units into polymer backbones, these desirable features can be imparted to the resulting polymers, and their properties can be adjusted to meet specific material needs. Furans are sugar derivatives that are promising monomers for the replacement of petrochemical feedstocks in semi-aromatic polyesters and aramids.
Training:
The student undertaking this interdisciplinary project will receive training in a wide variety of experimental and computational techniques at the molecular and macromolecular level, and will gain expertise across chemistry and material science. Synthesis of organic compounds (monomers) and polymers (via catalysis and controlled living methodologies) will be required during the project. Rigorous thermomechanical characterization of polymer materials will then be performed. These experimental skills will be complemented by training in computational chemistry (Density Functional Theory, Molecular Mechanics) for mechanistic and structural studies, including polymer modelling. As catalyst development and material applications is being explored, students will work closely with our industrial collaborators and partners in the UK Catalysis Hub to understand the structure/properties relationship of the polymers made and work towards their scale-up manufacture and real-life applications. The student will finally have opportunities to present their work at group meetings, departmental seminars and suitable national and/or international conferences, as well as to be involved in the University of Bath teaching activities.
Sustainability issues addressed:
Amidst the environmental persistence and reliance on fossil-based resources of the most common polymers, polymers based on renewable resources, and which can be degraded, have been investigated as alternatives. This project aims to develop innovative synthetic and catalytic methodologies to produce novel monomers and polymers for sustainable materials, and investigate their applications. Sustainable catalyst development will focus on benign and widely earth abundant materials.
It will be conducted across the teams of Prof Davidson and Dr Buchard...[continued]
Project keywords: applied chemistry, inorganic chemistry, polymer chemistry, synthetic chemistry, chemical engineering, polymers
Candidate Requirements:
Applicants should hold, or expect to receive, a First Class or good Upper Second Class Honours degree (or the equivalent). A master’s level qualification would also be advantageous.
Non-UK applicants must meet our English language entry requirement.
Enquiries and Applications:
Please note that applications may close early if a suitable candidate is found before the published deadline.
Formal applications should be made via the University of Bath’s online application form for a PhD in Chemistry.
More information about applying for a PhD at Bath may be found on our website.
Funding Eligibility:
To be eligible for funding, you must qualify as a Home student. The eligibility criteria for Home fee status are detailed and too complex to be summarised here in full; however, as a general guide, the following applicants will normally qualify subject to meeting residency requirements: UK nationals (living in the UK or EEA/Switzerland), Irish nationals (living in the UK or EEA/Switzerland), those with Indefinite Leave to Remain and EU nationals with pre-settled or settled status in the UK under the EU Settlement Scheme). This is not intended to be an exhaustive list. Additional information may be found on our fee status guidance webpage, on the GOV.UK website and on the UKCISA website.
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.
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