The development of materials that utilise solar energy to drive the production of chemical fuels from waste

A Ph.D. Studentship is available in the research groups of Professor Matt Rosseinsky FRS and Dr Alex Cowan in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Liverpool.

The project will explore the development of materials that utilise solar energy to drive the production of chemical fuels from waste, or widely available feedstock’s, such as CO2 and H2O. The approach, which is commonly called artificial photosynthesis, has the potential to offer a sustainable route to carbon based fuels. However to realise this goal new, more efficient photocatalysts for the reduction of CO2 to products such as CO, CH3OH, CH4 are required.

The successful applicant will join a newly established programme that will build upon our recent work demonstrating photocatalytic activity for a new family of complex oxide photocatalysts (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2014, 53, 14480) and on novel molecular CO2 reduction catalysts (Chem. Sci., 2015, DOI: 10.1039/C5SC03225C, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2015, 17, 1562). In addition to developing the new catalysts the student will also get the opportunity to utilise advanced transient spectroscopies to gain a fundamental understanding of the key mechanistic parameters controlling photocatalytic activity.

The student will work in state-of-the-art laboratory facilities in both the new £68M Materials Innovation Factory (https://www.liv.ac.uk/materials-innovation-factory/) and the Stephenson Institute for Renewable Energy (https://www.liv.ac.uk/renewable-energy/). The multi-disciplinary nature of the project will lead to the student wide-ranging receiving training including in inorganic materials synthesis, photocatalysis, laser based spectroscopies and structural characterisation methods.

Applications are encouraged from highly motivated candidates who have, or expect to have, at least a 2:1 degree or equivalent in Chemistry, Physics or Materials Science. Applicants should meet the eligibility requirements of the EPSRC, which includes a UK residency requirement: http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/skills/students/help/eligibility/. The award will pay full tuition fees and a maintenance grant for 3.5 years and it is anticipated that the successful candidate will start in October 2016. The maintenance grant will be £14,057 for 2015/16.
Please apply by completing the online postgraduate research application form at http://www.liv.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/applying/online.htm. Applications should be made as soon as possible.

The deadline for submission of applications is the 1st April 2016, although the position will be filled sooner should a suitable candidate be found.

Informal enquiries are also encouraged and should be addressed to [Email Address Removed] or [Email Address Removed].