The PhD studentship is available at the University of Huddersfield as part of a new Leverhulme Trusted funded research program on sustainable photo functional molecular materials. Photochemistry and photocatalysis is an area of growing importance in the current chemical sciences with the photosensitizer used often being a metal complex incorporating 4d or 5d transition metal elements such as ruthenium of iridium. These elements, whilst well suited to their role, are however amongst the rarest elements in the Earth’s crust. The development of novel photosensitization based on lighter and more abundant 3d transition metal ions to compete with and replace those based on their heavier cousins is imperative, represents a significant and important challenge and is a current hot topic in modern chemistry research.
The studentship will work in collaboration with experimental researchers, focussing on computational calculations of novel photosensitiser complexes based on first row transition metal ions. Not only will work complement laboratory work but it will also lead experimental work in identifying complexes to be synthetically targeted which are predicted to have desirable photophysics properties. Dependent on arrangements and the student it is also possible that the project could have an experimental strand if desirable. The research will be undertaken in close collaboration with groups in Sweden and France and will include some travel to visit these groups.
Informal enquiries should be directed to Prof Paul Elliott ([Email Address Removed]).
Duration 3 years
Stipend: £17,668 pa
Deadline: 31st Oct 2022
Interviews: w/c 7th Nov 2022
Start date: Jan 2023
Eligibility: The candidate should hold an undergraduate degree in chemistry or a related discipline at the upper second class level or higher. Due to available tuition fee funding awarded to the University of Huddersfield, only UK nationals are ordinarily eligible for this studentship.
Those interested in applying should send an expression of interest detailing motivation for postgraduate research study, accompanied by a CV, undergraduate degree transcripts and certificates and two academic references to [Email Address Removed]
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