PhD Studentship: Porous Two-dimensional Materials (MXenes) for Gas Separations

Project title: Porous two-dimensional materials (MXenes) for gas separations  

Supervisory Team: Dr Nuno Bimbo, Dr Mohamed Hassan-Sayed

Project description

MXenes are a new class of two-dimensional materials that have been recently discovered and have already shown great promise for a range of applications, including electrochemical energy storage, electromagnetic shielding and energy conversion. We have been looking at methods for increasing the porosity and surface area of MXenes, as these properties can prove extremely beneficial for applications in various areas, including electrochemical energy storage, catalysis and gas adsorption. Porous MXenes have properties unlike any other porous material, as they have high electrical and thermal conductivities, high mechanical strength, chemical stability, hydrophilicity, and tuneable pore sizes and surface chemistry. MXenes have already shown promise for gas separations, as they showed outstanding performance for CO₂ capture in mixtures relevant for post-combustion carbon capture.

Industrial separations are responsible for 15% of the world’s primary energy demand, and their importance is likely to continue to increase. Separations are also critical for future industries, such as hydrogen fuel cells, which require purification of hydrogen gas, or waste-to-energy processes such as gasification, which need careful separation of the resulting gaseous streams. Adsorption-based separations have long been used in industry, but there is an urgent need for development of new materials that can provide for more energy-efficient separations. We have successfully synthesised porous MXenes with high surface areas and tailored pore sizes, properties that are extremely important for gas separations.

The PhD project will synthesise porous MXenes, and will test these materials for gas applications, focussing on separations relevant for carbon capture and hydrogen purification. This will involve synthesis of MXenes, looking at Ti₃C_2, Mo₂TiC₂, W_1.33C and Mo_1.33C, and other MXenes, which will then be intercalated with different pillars to obtain a range of different pore sizes. The materials will be characterised using a range of techniques, including X-ray Diffraction, Raman Spectroscopy, NMR, BET analysis, and tested for gas adsorption of CO₂, N₂, O₂ and H₂, with the view of identifying the most promising combinations for gas separations. The final stage of the project involves testing the materials for binary and multicomponent gas separations.

This is a 3.5 years fully funded PhD studentship ideal for someone with a Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science or Physics background, and an interest in materials and gas separations. The project will have access to state-of-the-art facilities, as it is based on the School of Chemistry at the University of Southampton. The School is currently undergoing a £12 M refurbishment, which has been focused on laboratory facilities, including new and upgraded laboratory equipment fitted with modern, high-tech display systems, and excellent analytical and characterisation facilities.

Entry Requirements

A very good undergraduate degree (at least a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent).

Closing date: 31 December 2023

Funding: For UK students, Tuition Fees and a stipend of £18,622 p.a, for up to 3.5 years.

How To Apply

Apply online: Search for a Postgraduate Programme of Study (soton.ac.uk). Select programme type (Research), 2023/24, Faculty of Physical Sciences and Engineering, next page select “PhD Chemistry (Full time)”. In Section 2 of the application form you should insert the name of the supervisor Nuno Bimbo

Applications should include:

Research Proposal

Curriculum Vitae

Two reference letters

Degree Transcripts/Certificates to date

For further information please contact: feps-pgr-apply@soton.ac.uk

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