PhD Studentship in Chemistry

Synchrotron-based study of nano-catalysts under ambient-pressure conditions

University of Reading -School of Chemistry, Food & Pharmacy

Supervisors:   Professor Georg Held / Dr Roger Bennet

Project Overview: 

Heterogeneous catalysts are ubiquitous: they are used to purify exhaust gases in cars and chimneys, to produce electricity in fuel cells, or to enhance selectivity in the production of complex organic molecules. Nevertheless, knowledge of the microscopic processes taking place at the catalyst surface under reaction conditions is still very limited.

The project makes use of the UK’s  synchrotron-radiation source Diamond in combination with ambient-pressure photoelectron spectroscopy to study model catalyst systems under gas atmospheres similar to those under reaction conditions in order to gain information about the chemical state of the catalyst and adsorbed reactants and intermediates.

The PhD project is jointly funded by Diamond Light Source and the University of Reading and will be carried out at both sites, which are within commuting distance of each other. The project will be supervised by Professor Georg Held (Reading and Diamond) and Dr Roger Bennett (Reading). It will be embedded in a strong interdisciplinary team of scientists carrying out fundamental experimental and theoretical research in the fields of catalysis, nano-science and biotechnology at Reading and Diamond.

Eligibility: 

• Applicants should hold a minimum of a UK Honours Degree at 2:1 level or equivalent in a relevant subject such as Chemistry, Chemical Engineering or Physics and should have a strong background in Physical Chemistry and interest in computer programming related to data analysis.
• Due to restrictions on the funding this studentship is only open to candidates from the UK/EU. 

Funding Details:   

• Three year programme from October 2014 covering fees and stipend

How to apply:   

To apply for this studentship please submit an application for a PhD in Chemistry at see http://www.reading.ac.uk/graduateschool/prospectivestudents/gs-how-to-apply.aspx. 

*Important note* Please quote the reference ‘GS14-16’ in the ‘Scholarships applied for’ box which appears within the Funding Section of your on-line application.

Application Deadline:  14^th March 2014

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 Georg Held, g.held@reading.ac.uk, telephone +44 (0)118 378 6347.