Nanocomposites for water purification: synthesis, insights and performance evaluation
PhD Studentship
The School of Engineering at the University of Glasgow is seeking a highly motivated graduate to undertake an exciting 4 year PhD project “Nanocomposites for water purification: synthesis, insights and performance evaluation”
Dr Xue Jin
Project Description
Membrane separation is increasingly being used in a wide range of applications, including drinking water treatment, wastewater reclamation and seawater desalination due to its multiple advantages. The greatest barrier to the successful application of membrane technology is biofouling which reduces clean water production, shortens membrane life and increases energy/cost demands. New strategies based on a better understanding of how bacteria attach, grow, and detach from aquatic interfaces are urgently needed. This project combines water engineering, membrane technology and inorganic materials chemistry to provide an exciting research project and unique training opportunity. We propose to fabricate novel anti-fouling nanocomposite films deposited onto ultrafiltration membranes and immobilize antimicrobial nanoparticles (NPs) into polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs). We will evaluate rigorously the fundamental relationships between the physical and chemical structure of the coatings and their anti-biofouling properties. These interrelationships will be exploited to improve and optimise the performance of the membranes themselves. There are three principle objectives: (1) to synthesize novel NPs with antimicrobial activities and incorporate them into PEMs; (2) to evaluate membrane performance; (3) to study the underlying fundamental mechanisms giving rise to superior anti-fouling performance.
By working in this highly inter-disciplinary environment, the scholar will gain not only technical expertise but also a range of transferrable and communication skills. Furthermore, given the commercially attractive output of this research program the scholar will gain first-hand an understanding of the importance of the timely protection of intellectual property and the complementary value of know-how in the context of knowledge transfer.
Applicants should have a First Class or Upper Second Class Honours degree or equivalent in Environmental Engineering, Material Science, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry or related discipline. The successful candidate will be highly self-motivated, be goal oriented and have good writing and communication skills. An enthusiasm for innovation and speculative thinking is particularly encouraged. A master degree in a relevant subject would be advantageous but is not essential.
Funding
The studentship is supported by the Lord Kelvin & Adam Smith Scholarship, and it will a bursary of up of £13,726 per annum for 4 years. Under this Scholarship tuition fees will be waived for the tenure of this Scholarship.
How to apply
Application for this scholarship is made by using the online system at the following link for admission as a postgraduate research student to the Graduate School of the College of Science and Engineering:
http://www.gla.ac.uk/research/opportunities/howtoapplyforaresearchdegree/applyonline/
It should be noted that this application is to gain admission to our PGR programme with the decision on this being based on your academic achievements, and an offer of admission may be sent out before a decision on this Scholarship is made. Candidates applying for this Scholarship will have their applications further vetted as to acceptability to this Scholarship and will most likely have an interview/discussion with the supervisor before any decision is made
Contacts
For an informal discussion or for further information on this project, potential applicants are encouraged to contact:
Dr Xue Jin at Xue.Jin@glasgow.ac.uk or
Professor Duncan Gregory at Duncan.Gregory@glasgow.ac.uk