Activating Carbon Dioxide Utilising Atmospheric Pressure Gas Plasma

This project will be part of the Doctoral Training Centre on Plasma interactions with Liquids. The Buckley group has embarked on a programme of research directed at carbon dioxide utilisation (CDU) and has reported initial efforts in the area. An electrosynthetic system was employed under atmospheric CO2 pressures and at ambient temperatures to afford cyclic carbonates from the corresponding epoxides. A major drawback with this type of electrosynthetic system was the requirement for the use of a sacrificial anode. In order to increase the sustainability and practicality of electrosynthetic processes, it is crucially important that the sacrificial anode is replaced, and thus enables CO2 reduction using non-sacrificial electrodes that, in time, could derive energy from harvesting sunlight. However, this is non-trivial, as state-of-the-art technology has shown that the use of non-sacrificial electrodes is often accompanied by a loss in selectivity when carboxylation of organic compounds is studied. Therefore, in this project the use of a non-sacrificial synthetic electrochemical processes to hydrocarboxylate alkenes will be identified and optimised - utilising gas plasma as an electrode. To enable this step changing technology the project aims to apply traditional and cutting-edge physical organic techniques and electrosynthesis to better understand the carboxylation process.

Find out more

http://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/excellence/adventure/gas-plasma/

http://co2chem.co.uk

Entry requirements

Applicants should have, or expect to achieve, at least a 2:1 Honours degree (or equivalent) in chemistry or physics

A relevant Master's degree and / or experience in one or more of the following will be an advantage: organic synthesis, electrochemistry, gas plasmas

How to apply:

All applications should be made online at http://www.lboro.ac.uk/study/apply/research/. Under programme name, select ‘Chemistry’

Please quote reference number: CM/BB-Un2/2018