PhD Studentship in Polymer Chemistry - Synthesis of Hydrocarbon Ionomers for Fuel Cell and Electrolyser Membranes

Supervisors: Wayne Hayes, James Cooper and Michael Yandrasits (Johnson Matthey)

Project Overview: Green hydrogen generated through water electrolysis is growing in importance as a carbon free energy carrier for heavy duty electric vehicles. This 4-year ICASE studentship funded by EPSRC and Johnson Matthey targets the discovery of novel ion conducting polymers (ionomers) for proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells and electrolysers.[1] The project will provide excellent training in the field of polymeric materials and membrane technologies. It involves organic and polymer synthesis, analysis of the new materials (using NMR, IR, UV spectroscopies, mass spectrometry, GPC, thermal analysis (DSC, TGA) in addition to physical assessment of the polymeric materials via rheology and tensiometry. The project will involve close collaboration with the Ion Conducting Membrane Group at Johnson Matthey’s Technology Centre based in South Oxfordshire where the Ph.D. student will evaluate novel membranes for ion conductivity, mechanical properties, and electrochemical performance. In addition to gaining invaluable scientific technical skills, this project will also develop the ability of the postgraduate student to conduct independent research by providing training on the use of databases (such as Web of Knowledge, Scifinder Scholar, Reaxsys), presentation skills and writing reports. By the end of the PhD training, the student will be able to design and execute reactions, interpret complex analytical datasets, and summarise this information in a variety of formats (e.g., presentations at group meetings or international conferences or in peer-reviewed publications).

[1] H.M. Colquhoun, D. Smith, F. Oladoyinbo, W. Mortimore, M. Thomassen, A. Odegard, N. Guillet, E. Mayousse, T. Klicpera, W. Hayes, Macromolecules, 2013, 46, 1504-1511. 

Eligibility: 

• Applicants should hold or expect to gain a minimum of a 2:1 Bachelor Degree or equivalent in Chemistry
• Due to restrictions on the funding this studentship is open to UK applicants only.

Funding Details:   

• Starts October 2023
• 4-year award
• Funding covers full tuition fees plus UKRI stipend

How to apply:  

To apply click “Apply for a Programme”, create your account, and use the link sent by email to start the application process. During the application process please select the PhD in Polymer Chemistry, Department of Chemistry

*Important notes*

• 1) Please quote the reference ‘GS23-023’ in the ‘Scholarships applied for’ box which appears within the Funding Section of your on-line application.
• 2) When you are prompted by the online application system to upload a research proposal, please omit this step as the project is already defined.

Further Enquiries:  

Please note that, where a candidate is successful in being awarded funding, this will be confirmed via a formal studentship award letter; this will be provided separately from any Offer of Admission and will be subject to standard checks for eligibility and other criteria. 

For further details please contact: Professor Wayne Hayes, w.c.hayes@reading.ac.uk 

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