PhD Studentship - Modular Access to Next-Generation Fluorinated Building Blocks

Application deadline: 31/05/2026

Research theme: Catalysis, Synthesis, Chemistry

How to apply: uom.link/pgr-apply-2425

This 3.5-year PhD project is fully funded and home students are eligible to apply. The successful candidate will receive an annual tax-free stipend set at the UKRI rate (£21,805 for 2026/27) and tuition fees will be paid. We expect the stipend to increase each year. The start date is October 2026.

We recommend that you apply early as the advert may be removed before the deadline.

Fluorinated molecules play an important role in modern discovery chemistry because fluorine can strongly influence molecular properties such as stability, lipophilicity, permeability, and biological performance. However, the fluorinated motifs most widely used today represent only a narrow part of accessible chemical space. There is increasing interest in identifying new fluorinated building blocks that deliver valuable properties while enabling more sustainable approaches to molecular design.

This PhD project, in collaboration with Syngenta, will develop catalytic and modular synthetic routes to an underexplored class of fluorinated three-dimensional building blocks with strong potential for application in life-science research. The work will focus on the design of practical, inexpensive, and easy-to-handle intermediates that can be transformed into a broad range of valuable structures and incorporated into complex molecular scaffolds. The project will combine synthetic organic chemistry, reagent design, and catalytic method development to create a versatile platform for discovery chemistry.

Embedded within the IPCat training environment at the University of Manchester, and with industry input, the studentship offers a valuable opportunity to work at the interface of fundamental catalysis and real-world application. The student will receive broad training in synthesis, catalysis, and molecular design within a highly collaborative academic and industrial setting.

For more information on the group’s work, see: personalpages.manchester.ac.uk/staff/igor.larrosa/publications.html

Applicants should have, or expect to achieve, at least a 2.1 honours degree or a master’s (or international equivalent) in a relevant science or engineering related discipline.

Please submit informal enquiries to igor.larrosa@manchester.ac.uk. We strongly recommend that you contact the supervisor for this project before you apply, including details of your current level of study, academic background and any relevant experience, as well as a paragraph about your motivation to study this PhD project.

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