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  Understanding nanoparticle hydrogen fuel cell catalysts using electron microscopy


   School of Chemistry

   Applications accepted all year round  Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

About the Project

About the Project

Project Description

Solving the worlds energy crisis is the most pressing need for humanity as we move away from globally harming and unsustainable fossil fuels for energy production. Metal nanoparticle catalysts are being continuously developed for renewable energy in water electrolysers and fuel cells. We are now at the point of synthesising nanoparticles with single atom control to have atomically precise active sites. Concurrently, advancements in electron microscopy techniques are rapidly advancing to enable full understanding of these active sites. These developments have culminated in high performance single atom catalysts being the next frontier in controlled design of catalysts. We have recently formed metal-on-metal single atom catalysts by developing a new ‘spreading mechanism’ Nature Catalysis.

Such single atom catalysts were characterised on the very latest aberration-corrected transmission electron microscope (AC-TEM, installed at UNSW 2022), allowing us to “see” single atoms in their working environment. There is an exciting opportunity to push this approach to make the most highly defined, atomically precise metal-on-metal single atom active sites by using regularly shaped nanoparticle supports. Such definition will enable a fundamental understanding of how the active site architecture can control catalytic processes. The hydrogen evolution reaction is the ideal reaction to understand metal-on-metal single atom catalysts because both single atoms and the support atoms play essential roles during catalysis. This PhD will aim to understand how to form atomically precise single metal atoms on metal nanoparticle active sites and understand how the two metals act synergistically during catalysis, using the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).

In this project, you will contribute to the development of the water splitting electrolysers and design catalysts for hydrogen fuel cells. Specifically, you will learn state of the art nanoparticle synthesis techniques and use the most advanced electron microscopes. You will investigate and optimise their catalytic properties and make more effective and efficient fuel cell catalysts.

You will join a large group of over 25 researchers within the School of Chemistry at UNSW, and be part of a collaborative team environment, with direct mentorship from supervisors who are leading experts in the field. The PhD will also be undertaken in the electron microscope unit that has 17 staff and 20 state-of-the-art electron microscopes. As part of this PhD you will be trained and learn how to use the most sophisticated electron microscopes independently. The PhD will be undertaken in our state-of-the-art laboratories, making use of our advanced synthesis and characterisation facilities. The project will offer an excellent training environment which will equip you to pursue a career in synthetic chemistry, materials science and electron microscopy in industry or academia.

Applying

Prospective students graduated or expecting to graduate with degrees in Chemistry, Materials Science or Physics, Applied Science or related disciplines, with at least a GPA above 8 out of 10, or 3.5 out of 4.0, or high distinction (HD), or equivalent are invited to apply. However, to be competitive, international students will need to have outstanding GPA rankings within their departments (usually the top 5%). First author research publications are also needed for a competitive application.

If you meet the HDR admission requirements, please send an email directly to Prof Richard Tilley () with the following information:

Email subject: Prospective PhD for energy materials

Email body: please provide:

-  Your background, experience, and research interests.

-  GPA / result of each degree.

- Transcripts

-  Details of any publications, along with DOI links.

-  List of any other relevant research achievements.

-  When you expect to be able to start your PhD if successful.

Attachments: CV, academic transcripts, and an additional PDF file which includes certificates of prizes, awards, recognitions or any other supporting evidence.

We apologise that due to the large number of applications typically received, it is not possible to respond to all applicants.

Funding Notes

We are offering a fully-funded PhD scholarship in the energy materials at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). This scholarship will be funded from one of our recently commenced, externally-funded research projects. For the successful applicant, the scholarship fully covers the university fees and research expenses, and provides an additional allowance to cover living costs for 3.5 years:

- Living allowance: $37,684 per year (tax-free)

- Conference travel allowance: AUD$ 3,000 during PhD

For additional strong candidates who are unsuccessful, we may offer to support your candidacy for a competitive scholarship application.

Chemistry (6) Materials Science (24) Physics (29)

Register your interest for this project


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