PhD Studentship in Chemical Engineering: Energy Dense Supercapacitors using Novel Electrode Materials

Award summary

100% fees covered, and a minimum tax-free annual living allowance of £18,622 (2023/24 UKRI rate).

Overview

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are predominantly used in applications where the energy demand is high. While LIBs offer high energy densities, they suffer from issues such as high cost, limited cycle life, thermal runaway, and extensive use of mineral resources. Supercapacitors have emerged as energy storage solutions for high power applications such as starting car engines and kinetic energy recovery systems. Supercapacitors can be made cost-effective, offer high cycle life, are safer than LIBs, and do not rely on the heavy use of minerals. However, supercapacitors currently available in the market are made of activated carbon electrodes and offer lower energy densities than LIBs, limiting their use for high-energy applications like electric vehicles (EVs).

This project aims to develop supercapacitors with high energy density by using a new family of materials called “MXenes” which offer about ten times higher energy storage performance than activated carbon. This project generates the technical understanding needed to develop supercapacitors that are efficient, cost-effective, and reliable, making them attractive for a range of applications such as EVs. This is expected to decrease the environmental impact of using fossil fuels and reduce carbon footprint, helping to achieve the UK’s Net Zero target by 2050.

During your PhD journey, you will gain practical skills needed to drive forward innovation in designing the next-generation energy storage systems using novel materials. We invite you to apply for this exciting PhD programme.

Number of awards: 1

Start date: 16^th September 2024

Award duration: 3.5 Years

Sponsor

Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council – Doctoral Training Partnership EPSRC DTP 

Supervisors

Dr Shayan Seyedin  

Professor Anthony O'Neill  

Eligibility criteria

You must have, or expect to gain, a minimum 2:1 Honours degree or international equivalent in a subject relevant to the PhD project (chemical, materials, or electrical engineering). Enthusiasm for research, the ability to think and work independently, excellent analytical skills and strong communication skills are also essential.

Home and international applicants (inc. EU) are welcome to apply and if successful will receive a full studentship. Applicants whose first language is not English require an IELTS score of 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in all sub-skills.

International applicants may require an ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme) clearance certificate prior to obtaining their visa and to study on this programme.

How to apply

You must apply through the University’s Apply to Newcastle Portal

Once registered select ‘Create a Postgraduate Application’.

Use ‘Course Search’ to identify your programme of study:

• Search for the ‘Course Title’ using programme code: 8030F
• Research Area: Chemical Engineering
• Select ‘PhD Chemical Engineering’ as the programme of study

 You will then need to provide the following information in the ‘Further Details’ section:

• ‘Personal Statement’ - upload a document or write a statement directly into the application form.
• ‘Research Proposal’ - when prompted for how you are providing your research proposal – select either ‘Write Proposal’ or ‘Upload document’. Your research proposal should be less than 1000 words.
• Studentship code ENG128 in the ‘Studentship/Partnership Reference’ field.

In the ‘Supporting Documentation’ section please upload:

• Your CV

Contact details: Dr Shayan Seyedin shayan.seyedin@ncl.ac.uk

Advert information