If you are looking for a PhD studentship in any of the following areas, please check up to date information on funding available by visiting the following page before emailing:
Expertise and facilities available in the Energy Materials Laboratory:
A suite of spectroscopic characterisation for in situ and operando characterisation of samples including liquids and solids (UV-Vis-NIR, photoluminescence (including lifetimes), FT-IR (including ATR and time-resolved); thermal analysis (TGA/DSC), Gas Chromatography, Ion Chromatography, Electrochemistry and Spectroelectrochemistry. Flagship facility is a fs time resolved laser facility including transient absorption spectroscopy and microscopy.
Materials synthesis and characterisation, ranging from PV materials, metal oxide electrodes, semiconductor quantum dots and photoluminescent carbon dots, catalysts (including water splitting, CO2 reduction etc.), dyes and photoactive materials, coordination complexes. Facilities for inert atmosphere synthesis/handling of materials, furnaces and hot plates (including inert atmosphere), ball milling, conductivity measurement.
Device development (gas diffusion cells for electrochemical CO2 reduction, H-cells for photoelectrochemistry, photocatalysis reactors, all with flow to allow for inline product analysis; printable photovoltaics) with facilities for 1 cm to 10 x 10 cm devices including inert atmosphere glove boxes with integrated spin coaters, screen printing, slot die coating, spray pyrolysis (automated), laminator for encapsulation.
Device testing: Solar Simulators and Spectral Response (EQE/IQE with integrating sphere), outdoor testing facility for PV on campus (lab scale) and RAF Leeming (lab to mini-module scale currently), charge carrier density, lifetime and transport time analysis (mechanistic studies from fs to seconds).
Our ERC-funded project focuses on dye-sensitized photocathodes which offer new opportunities for converting sunlight into storable energy cheaply and sustainably. We are developing dye-sensitized photocathodes for use in tandem dye-sensitized solar cells and for the photo-reduction of carbon dioxide or water to high energy products (solar fuels). Despite the infancy and complexity of this research area, we have brought about a number of exciting developments which have improved our understanding of the system and allowed us to substantially improve the photoconversion efficiency. Addressing the main limitations to p-type dye-sensitized solar cells, by improving the quality of the NiO electrodes, substituting the conventional triiodide/iodide electrolyte for more suitable alternatives and engineering new dyes specifically for the p-type system, has enabled us to substantially increase the efficiency of the device. We are now developing this idea further by replacing NiO with alternative transparent p-type materials and using the lessons we have learnt from solar cells to address the issue of solar fuel production. Here, the kinetic balance is even more critical and so we are simultaneously developing new methods to monitor the charge-transfer rates under conditions which are as close as possible to working devices.
Find out more here:
Our UKRI-funded project within the National Interdisciplinary Centre for the Circular Chemical Economy (CircularChem) brings together stakeholders from academia, industry, government, NGOs and general public to transform the UK’s chemical industry into a fossil-independent, climate-positive and environmentally-friendly circular economy.
Our Defence Innovation Funded project within the ViTAL Living Lab at RAF Leeming is looking at prospects for next generation solar technology to meet the MOD's commitment to net zero greenhouse gas emissions.
