Zeolite based transition metal complex host-guest materials for photocatalysis applications

If you wish to make an application, please submit an Expression of Interest Form available at the link below and email it to [Email Address Removed].

Project Description
The necessity to remove toxic compounds from drinking water is of great importance in today’s world. Photocatalysis offers the opportunity to utilise photoactive molecules and visible light to effect cheap and efficient degradation of hazardous pollutants such as antibiotics. The intracrystalline void space within zeolite materials provides a versatile environment for the spatial organisation of photoactive guests allowing these sensitiser complexes to reside in close proximity to electron relay materials and target pollutant compounds. The proposed research will lead to an enhanced understanding of the various factors surrounding the preparation and optimisation of such zeolite based supramolecular systems. It will achieve this by exploring new ruthenium and iron complexes entrapped within zeolite materials and will have as its primary focus organic compound degradation. The work will consist of three strands:
(i) To assess the catalytic activity of a selection of novel zeolite based materials utilising entrapped iron and ruthenium transition metal complexes as sensitisers.
(ii) The production of TiO2 relay nanoparticles will be studied to determine the degree to which the size of the nanoparticles can be controlled, and to what extent this influences the transport of pollutant molecules within the intracrystalline space.
(iii) The use of various previously unexplored zeolite structures with which to prepare new photocatalytic materials.

Student requirements for this project:
Min. 2.1 BSc in Chemical Sciences