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: Monash University
Supervisor(s) at Monash: Dr Cameron Bentley, Prof Stuart Batten
Supervisor(s) at Bath: Dr Ulrich Hintermair, Prof Frank Marken
Water splitting by electrolysis is recognised to be one of the most promising approaches to convert and store renewable electricity in the form of hydrogen as a way to reduce our overreliance on non-renewable fossil fuels. To overcome high intrinsic energy barriers associated with this seemingly simple reaction, commercially viable water electrolysis requires the use of highly active and stable nanostructured electrocatalysts on both electrodes, such as porous films or nanoparticles with high surface-area-to-volume-ratios. Ideally however, all active atoms of the catalyst should be exposed to the reactants in solution and connected to the circuit to contribute to the catalysis as for example in natural enzymes. This is particularly important for rare/expensive precious metals, such as Pt, Pd, Ir, Ru, used for water electrolysis in acidic media. The ongoing search for low-cost, earth-abundant alternatives has spawned novel classes of material with well-defined, isolated active sites, for example single atom catalysts (SACs) and immobilised molecular catalysts (IMCs). While SACs and IMCs are optimal in terms of atomic utilisation, understanding catalytic mechanisms and the pathway(s) of catalyst deactivation on this scale is an ongoing challenge due to limitations in conventional instrumental approaches.
This PhD will introduce new paradigms for the fabrication and operando characterisation of SAC and IMC electrocatalyst materials by leveraging capabilities from Monash (electrochemistry, electrochemical imaging, SAC synthesis) and Bath (electrochemistry, spectroscopy, inorganic synthesis) and will:
(i) Devise new methods to prepare highly-active, low-cost and ideally earth-abundant SACs and IMCs for use in water electrolysis;
(ii) Use Monash and Bath-specialised, advanced (spectro)electrochemical characterisation tools with high spatiotemporal resolution to probe the active site(s) in situ during catalytic turnover, developing an in-depth understanding of catalytic activity/mechanisms;
(iii) Perform complementary, advanced X-ray spectroscopy with the synchrotron light source to observe the potential- and/or time- dependent active site structure/composition in operando;
(iv) Use the information from (i-iii) to engineer “next-generation” SACs/IMCs with enhanced function (e.g., high activity, stability etc.), which will be tested under commercially-relevant conditions in a gas-diffusion electrode (GDE) setup.
The work aligns with sustainable and circular technologies since it aims to produce novel, low-cost, earth-abundant catalysts with isolated active sites that effectively minimizes/eliminates the need for rare precious metals in water electrolysis, addressing key research challenges spanning chemistry, material science and engineering. The work will contribute to Australia’s National Hydrogen Strategy, which “sets a vision for a clean, innovative, safe and competitive hydrogen industry that benefits all Australians. It aims to position our industry as a major player by 2030” (https://www.industry.gov.au/data-and-publications/australias-national-hydrogen-strategy). Monash will provide expertise in SAC synthesis (Batten) and advanced electrochemical characterisation at the macroscale and nanoscale (Bentley), while Bath will provide expertise in inorganic synthesis and NMR spectroscopy (Hintermair) and electrochemical and Raman spectroscopic characterisation (Marken). Once viable water electrolysis technologies are developed, the feasibility for industrial applications will be explored through collaboration with industrial partners, such as Woodside Energy through the Monash-Woodside partnership, taking advantage of well-established and readily available commercialization mechanisms.
Project keywords: applied chemistry, inorganic chemistry, chemistry- other, physical chemistry, energy technologies, nanotechnology, materials science- other, 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 to Monash here: https://www.monash.edu/science/bath-monash-program/how-to-apply
If the Home institution of your preferred project is Bath, apply using the relevant Bath online application form.
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:
https://www.bath.ac.uk/guides/how-to-apply-for-doctoral-study/
Enquiries about the application process should be sent to [Email Address Removed].
Studentship eligibility
Funding for Monash-based projects, such as the one advertised here, is available to candidates of any nationality.
Should you also be interested in a Bath-based project, you should note that funding for the Bath-based projects is only available to candidates who qualify for Home fee status at our institution. 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.
Please see the CSCT website for a full list of available projects.
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