The EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Renewable Energy Northeast Universities (ReNU)is a collaborative doctoral training programme run by the Universities of Northumbria, Newcastle and Durham. In addition to undertaking an individual scientific research project at one of the three partner Universities, doctoral candidates will engage with added value training opportunities, for example in business, innovation and internationalisation through a 4-year training programme that has been designed to maximise the benefits of a cohort approach to doctoral training. The start date is 1st October 2023.
Greener and affordable electrochemical energy storage (EES) technologies (e.g. metal-based rechargeable batteries, supercapacitors etc.) are urgently required to meet the rising demand for electricity and alleviate concerns of environmental issues. The electrolyte is one of the key components of an EES unit to maintain electrical neutrality in cells. Typical solution electrolytes in current EESs have several drawbacks including leakage and electrochemical instabilities and narrow range of operating temperatures. Organic polymer electrolytes (OPEs) are part of a promising class of electrolytes, offering good thermal stability and high mechanical flexibility; however, low ionic conductivities and insufficient interfacial contact area remain key issues. The project aims to develop a matrix polymer with a deep investigating of its ion transfer and interface contact mechanism to overcome current issues.
The successful candidate will be working on the development of OPEs for EES technologies. The research will cover a broad range of activities for OPE synthesis, performance characterisation and optimisation. The purpose of this project are:
1. To fabricate a series of OPEs based on a variety of combinations of components (e.g. aqueous and nonaqueous organic solvent, polymer (e.g. PMMA-PEO), Li-based salt (e.g LiPF6), ionic liquid etc.).
2. To investigate the concept and formation mechanism of OPEs materials.
3. To investigate and optimise the OPEs performance including thermal stability, electrochemical potential, ion conductivities etc.
4. To study the interfacial mechanism between OPEs and electrodes, hence the solid electrolyte interface (SEI) mechanism.
This experimental project will suit a candidate with a background in chemistry, physics or materials science. The successful PhD student will receive training on OPEs materials from synthesis to properties characterisation for this cutting-edge EES technology, helping to solve the world energy-related issues. You will join a dynamic team of research fellow and fellow PhD candidates in recently refurbished laboratories.
Academic Enquiries
This project is supervised by Kunyapat Thummavichai. For informal queries, please contact [Email Address Removed]. For all other enquiries relating to eligibility or application process please use the email form below to contact Admissions.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Academic excellence of the proposed student i.e. 2:1 (or equivalent GPA from non-UK universities [preference for 1st class honours]); or a Masters (preference for Merit or above); or APEL evidence of substantial practitioner achievement.
- Appropriate IELTS score, if required.
- Applicants cannot apply for this funding if they are already a PhD holder or if currently engaged in Doctoral study at Northumbria or elsewhere.
Funding Notes:
The studentship is only available to Home and International students and includes a full stipend at UKRI rates (for 2023/24 full-time study this is £18,622 per year) and full tuition fees. Studentships are also available for applicants who wish to study on a part-time basis (0.6 FTE, stipend £11,173 per year and full tuition fees) in combination with work or personal responsibilities).
Please note: to be classed as a Home student, candidates must meet the following criteria:
- Be a UK National (meeting residency requirements), or
- have settled status, or
- have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements), or
- have indefinite leave to remain or enter.
If a candidate does not meet the criteria above, they would be classed as an International student.
How to Apply
For further details of how to apply, entry requirements and the application form, see
https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/research/postgraduate-research-degrees/how-to-apply/
For applications to be considered for interview, please include a research proposal of approximately 1,000 words and the advert reference (e.g. RENU23-R/…).
Deadline for applications: 9 July 2023
Start date of course: 1 October 2023
Northumbria University is committed to creating an inclusive culture where we take pride in, and value, the diversity of our doctoral students. We encourage and welcome applications from all members of the community. The University holds a bronze Athena Swan award in recognition of our commitment to advancing gender equality, we are a Disability Confident Employer, a member of the Race Equality Charter and are participating in the Stonewall Diversity Champion Programme. We also hold the HR Excellence in Research award for implementing the concordat supporting the career Development of Researchers.
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