Project details
The urgency of tackling the grand challenges of climate change is to keep the average global temperature rise well below the 2oC target. However, the demand for energy and materials is continuously increasing.
To achieve the UK’s target of Net Zero by 2050 and to materialise the government’s Clean Growth Strategy, the current chemical industry relying on fossil fuels releasing greenhouse gases (GHGs) must change. Carbon-neutral synthetic fuels and chemicals from CO2, waste organic streams and renewable electricity rather than petrochemicals can not only provide a solution to the GHG-emitting chemical industry but also help secure UK’s energy and chemical security.
Bio-electrochemical system (BES) is an emerging technology that uses microorganisms as biocatalysts for broad applications, ranging from wastewater treatment, resource recovery, and hydrogen production to high-value material synthesis.
Our project aims to develop an integrated system with BES to produce high-value materials from wastewater from the treatment of waste biomass and plastics using Hydrothermal fractionation. BES will use microorganisms able to accept electrons to synthesise organic compounds for reducing water-soluble organics in hydrothermal aqueous phase into polymer precursors to synthesise high-value organic compounds for fuels, fine chemicals and materials applications.
The student will be working with a dynamic and multidisciplinary team and being a part of the exciting UKRI Circular chemical Economy Centre.
The objectives of the project are:
- Screening and investigating highly active low-cost catalysts, for effective hydrothermal fractionation of waste materials
- Investigate microbial community and parameters for the production of multi-carbon products
- Design and optimisation of a laboratory-scale reactor configuration for effective multi-carbon products production
Supervisors
Primary supervisor: Eileen Yu
Secondary supervisors: Jonathan Wagner
Entry requirements
Entry requirements for United Kingdom
Students should have a degree in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Biotechnology or any other relevant areas with 2:1 or higher.
English language requirements
Applicants must meet the minimum English language requirements. Further details are available on the International website.
Fees and funding
UK fee
Fully funded full-time degree per annum
International fee
Fully funded full-time degree per annum
Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessment and operating University facilities such as the library, IT equipment and other support services. University fees and charges can be paid in advance and there are several methods of payment, including online payments and payment by instalment. Fees are reviewed annually and are likely to increase to take into account inflationary pressures.
The AACME Studentship competition offers the chance for UK and International applicants who are interested in undertaking a PhD to have their full-time studies paid for.
Applicants could receive full or partial funding for 3 years, including a tax-free stipend of £17,668 (2022/23 rate) per annum, and/or a tuition fee waiver.
Studentships will be awarded on a competitive basis to applicants who have applied to advertised projects within AACME. For this project please use the reference ‘AACME-23-017’. Successful candidates will be notified by the end of March 2023.
How to apply
All applications should be made online and must include a research proposal. Under the programme name, select ‘Chemical Engineering’. Please quote the advertised reference number AACME-23-017 in your application.
To avoid delays in processing your application, please ensure that you submit the minimum supporting documents.
