Dear all,

I'm posting this on behalf of Colette Boskovic at the University of Melbourne, in case you know anyone who would fancy a PhD in Oz.

Cheers,
Malcolm.

PhD Studentship in Inorganic Chemistry
Molecule-Based Materials for Molecular Nanoscience
Colette Boskovic, School of Chemistry, University of Melbourne, Australia
(www.chemistry.unimelb.edu.au/staff/coletteb/research)

Future technological advances in areas such as data storage, computing and electronics are dependent on miniaturisation of the relevant components. Thus an emerging research direction in the field of nanoscience is the development of functional materials based on molecular systems. Our Australian Research Council funded research programme is focused on the synthesis and exploration of functional molecule-based materials.

The goal of this PhD project is to synthesise and investigate new functional molecule-based systems. The candidate will select one of the following three areas for study:

(1) Polynuclear complexes of redox-active ligands that display valence tautomeric (VT) transitions, specifically targeting complexes that are bistable at room temperature or display two-step transitions;

(2) Lanthanoid-based polyoxometalates that are luminescent, photochromic, catalytically active or single-molecule magnets.

(3) Lanthanoid-based polyoxometalates as nodes in functional coordination networks.

The research will be directed towards families of chemically and structurally related complexes to provide key insights into the relationship between molecular and electronic structure and ensuing physical properties. The investigations of the synthesised materials will employ magnetochemical, spectroscopic and electrochemical measurements in an integrated way to elucidate the origin and mechanism of molecular switching. These studies will involve close collaboration with Australian and international colleagues.

Applications are invited from students with a passion for inorganic chemistry and an appropriate undergraduate degree, for commencement in 2012/2013. An annual studentship of AUD $23,728 is available. Enquiries should be directed to Dr Colette Boskovic, email: c.boskovic(a)unimelb.edu.au.