Clean Water via Membrane Capacitive Deionisation

There is intense pressure on water supplies, derived from population growth (developing world) and more stringent standards and procedures with regard to contaminant detection (developed world). Various low-energy strategies are therefore sought to obtain water that can be used for human consumption, or irrigation, from desalination of sea water. One very interesting approach is Membrane Capacitive Deionisation; this is the adsorption of the constituent ions on high surface area membrane electrode materials. Membrane based processes are expected to reduce industrial energy consumption by up to 90%. The student will develop new approaches to Membrane Capacitive Deionisation based on MoS2 composite electrodes and novel polybenzimidazole membranes.

Applicants should have or expect to achieve a first class degree in Chemistry, Materials or Chemical Engineering. Candidates are expected to have strong experimental skills in materials synthesis and chemistry. Relevant research experience and publications are advantageous.