Postgraduate research opportunities Carbon assessment of transforming CO2 and waste plastics into sustainable fuels and chemicals
ApplyKey facts
- Opens: Tuesday 25 February 2025
- Deadline: Wednesday 30 April 2025
- Number of places: 1
- Duration: 3 years
- Funding: Home fee, Stipend
Overview
This project explores converting CO₂ and waste plastics into platform chemicals and materials, focusing on explore reaction mechanisms over catalysts surface adopting both modelling and experiments. The goal is to develop a carbon mapping strategy for these conversions.Eligibility
You are invited to apply if you have achieved, or are predicted, a first class or upper second-class undergraduate honours degree in Chemical Engineering/Chemistry, or an equivalent qualification at Masters level. Experience in Computational modelling using Density Functional Theory on reaction mechanism would be advantageous.
Project Details
Achieving carbon neutrality targets by 2050 is widely recognised as the most formidable challenge globally, whilst simultaneously a key opportunity to build a greener future for the next generations. To reduce carbon emissions in Chemicals and Materials sector, the essential problem is currently the majority of the chemicals and materials are derived from fossil fuels, i.e., 88% for chemicals, plastic and rubber, and 91% for chemical industry. Thus, to achieve net-zero, the solution would be to avoid using carbons that are sourced from fossil resources and explore alternatives such as biomass, wastes (for example plastics), and CO2.
This project will explore the technical routes of converting CO2 and waste plastics into chemicals and materials. Typical pathways of converting CO2 into fuels and converting waste plastic into platform chemicals will be investigated. The overall aim is providing a carbon mapping strategy for CO2 and waste plastic conversion. Quantum Mechanics based atomistic simulations (adopting Density Functional Theory) will be carried out to explore reaction mechanisms of CO2 and plastic conversion over catalysts surface, this will be followed by experimental validation to test the valorisation processes.
This innovated project is ideally suited to students with the creativity and motivation to solve engineering problems using scientific-based principles. You may expect to build his/her career in the area of Environment, Sustainability and Green Chemistry. The fully-funded studentship is part of the UKRI funded Future Leader Fellowship (FLF) that been awarded to the supervisor. You will work closely with the PDRAs, other PhD students and academics in the FLF team. You will be expected to participate in relevant national and international conferences, and develop journal papers within the research field.
In addition to undertaking cutting edge research, students are also registered for the Postgraduate Certificate in Research Development (PGCert), which is a supplementary qualification that develops your skills, networks and career prospects.
Further information about the Chemical & Process Engineering department
Further information about the Chemical & Process Engineering PhD
Funding details
The funding provided for this fully funded PhD will include three years of both tuition fees and monthly stipend payments.
Fully funded studentships are available at the UK home rate. interested international students should get in touch to discuss options for funding. The proposed start date is 1 October 2025.
Home Students
To be eligible for a fully funded UK home studentship you must:
- Be a UK national or UK/EU dual national or non-UK national with settled status / pre-settled status / indefinite leave to remain / indefinite leave to enter / discretionary leave / EU migrant worker in the UK or non-UK national with a claim for asylum or the family member of such a person, and
- Have ordinary residence in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or British Overseas Territory, at the Point of Application, and
- Have three years residency in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, British Overseas Territory or EEA before the relevant date of application unless residency outside of the UK/ EEA has been of a temporary nature only and of a period less than six years
While there is no funding in place for opportunities marked "unfunded", there are lots of different options to help you fund postgraduate research. Visit funding your postgraduate research for links to government grants, research councils funding and more, that could be available.
Apply
Number of places: 1
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Chemical and Process Engineering
Programme: Chemical and Process Engineering
Chemical and Process Engineering
Programme: Chemical and Process Engineering