Supervisors: Prof Mary Ryan and Prof Milo Shaffer  (as part of a research team involving Prof Magda Titrici, Dr Ajit Panesar and Dr Ifan Stephens
Start date: As soon as possible
Duration: 3.5 years
Entry requirements: Applicants should have a keen engagement and solid background in materials processing and characterisation and a demonstrated interest in electrochemical energy storage. Experience of air-sensitive chemistry, electrochemical characterisation and advanced characterisation will be an advantage. Applications are invited from candidates with (or who expect to gain) a first-class honours degree or an equivalent degree in Chemistry, Materials, Engineering or a related discipline.
Funding: Funding is available for UK citizens and EU citizens who have resided in the UK for the past three years. The studentship is for 3.5 years starting as soon as possible and will provide full coverage of tuition fees and an annual tax-free stipend of approximately £17,609.
Closing date for applications: Open until filled

PhD Industrial Studentship in “In situ Evaluation and Nanoscale Design of Battery Electrodes for Optimized Performance and Lifetime”

Project summary: Applications are invited for a Ph.D. studentship focused on nanoscale battery anode design within the Chemistry and Materials Departments at Imperial College London. Whilst the project will have a fundamental focus, it will contribute to the wider development of energy storage systems. As part of a collaboration with a major international industrial partner, the research will target the development of sodium ion battery systems for grid storage to support the implementation of renewable energies.

The project will focus on fabrication and detailed assessment of optimized architectures for electrodes in sodium ion batteries, based on numerical simulations carried out as part of the wider project. In particular, the PhD program will develop and implement advanced operando characterization tools, based on X-ray, Raman and electron microscopy. It will exploit state-of-the-art equipment available at Imperial, including a brand new suite of atomic resolution instruments specified for electrochemical device studies, and in situ cells available as part of a collaboration with the Diamond Light Source national Facility.

Queries: Informal enquiries and requests for additional information for this post: Professor Mary Ryan or Prof Milo Shaffer. 
               Any queries regarding the application process should be directed to John Murrell.

Committed to equality and valuing diversity.  We are also an Athena Bronze SWAN Award winner, a Stonewall Diversity Champion and a Two Ticks Employer.

Supervisor: Dr Stella Pedrazzini
Start date: As soon as the position is filled

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of additively manufactured titanium lattices, leading to the award of a PhD degree. The position is available immediately and will stay open until filled.

Project Summary:  

This work is building on an existing project on fatigue, wear and corrosion testing of additively manufactured components for bone implants. Ti64 is commonly used in bone implants due to its excellent properties and biocompatibility. Additive manufacturing offers plenty of options for custom-made implants, of different shapes and properties that can be custom-made to suit the needs of each person. The current project will test a range of lattices and compare their relative properties. It will also compare them to a newer alloy, which has yet to be used in implants. This will involve fatigue testing, corrosion testing, and advanced characterisation to understand how the properties of the implant evolve during use.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You need to have a background in Chemical or Mechanical Engineering, Materials, Chemistry or a related field, and an enquiring and rigorous approach to research together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. Training will be given in the relevant investigative techniques. You will become a skilled communicator, comfortable in an international situation. Good team-working, observational and communication skills are essential.  The project will involve close collaboration with an industrial partner.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:   Home - Dr Stella Pedrazzini (imperial.ac.uk) 

For information on how to apply, go to:  Application process | Study | Imperial College London

Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Committed to equality and valuing diversity.  We are also an Athena SWAN Silver Award winner, a Stonewall Diversity Champion and a Two Ticks Employer

Supervisor: Prof David Dye
Applications accepted all year round
Funded PhD Project (UKRI-eligible Home fees status only) 
London; Materials Engineering

A PhD studentship collaboratively with Rolls-Royce on the formation of fine grain size novel polycrystalline Co/Ni superalloys in jet engines. This project will advance EBSD and in situ (S)TEM characterisation of novel microstructure formation mechanisms in new superalloys for thin section applications.

New Co/Ni superalloys we have recently patented show great promise where traditional powder metallurgy 50% γ′ Ni superalloys cannot be fabricated, e.g. where isothermal forging routes are impractical.  Examples include thin section applications, where the low solvus temperatures enable hot rolling, die forging and induction forging process routes. The new approach, termed post-dynamic recrystallisation, allows very fine grain sizes to be achieved, with improved strength and fatigue performance [eg Nicolaÿ et al., Acta Mater, 2019].  In this project, we will use Gleeble physical simulation and in situ microscopy to understand how to produce improved microstructures. This project will strongly involve the development of EBSD, TKD and (S)TEM characterisation, including BF and NBED STEM imaging modes and FIB TEM foil preparation.

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirement for a PhD degree at Imperial College, most likely funded via the CDT in Advanced Characterisation of Materials https://www.cdt-acm.org or the EPSRC DTA mechanism, co-funded by Rolls-Royce. You must qualify for Home Fees in England. You will have a 1st class Masters-level degree in Materials Engineering or a related subject such as Physics, Aero or Mechanical Engineering, with strong computational skills and understanding of the fundamentals of materials: phases, crystal structures and defects. An interest in industrial applications is essential. Good team-working and communication skills are essential. We are particularly keen to receive applications from underrepresented groups.

For further details of the post, contact Prof David Dye, david.dye@imperial.ac.uk. Interested applicants should send an up-to-date resume to Prof Dye. Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisor: Dr Stella Pedrazzini
Start date: As soon as the position is filled
Duration: 42 months 
Funding: Tuition fees at the home rate plus a stipend of £19,668 per annum

Glass fibres for insulation are spun with a spindle made of cobalt-based superalloys. Molten glass is highly corrosive and will eventually wear through the spindle. This project involves building a set-up for molten glass corrosion experiments at Imperial College and testing the effect of grain boundary morphology and precipitation (carbides, borides) on the corrosion rate of the alloy.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You need to have a background in Chemical or Mechanical Engineering, Materials, Chemistry or a related field, and an enquiring and rigorous approach to research together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. Training will be given in the relevant investigative techniques. You will become a skilled communicator, comfortable in an international situation. Good team-working, observational and communication skills are essential.  The project will involve close collaboration with an industrial partner.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:   Home - Dr Stella Pedrazzini (imperial.ac.uk) 

For information on how to apply, go to:  Application process | Study | Imperial College London 

Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Committed to equality and valuing diversity.  We are also an Athena SWAN Silver Award winner, a Stonewall Diversity Champion and a Two Ticks Employer

Supervisors: Dr Ifan Stephens (Materials), Prof. Magda Titirici (Chemical Engineering) and Prof. Sheetal Handa (bp)
Start date: October 2022
Duration: 42months 
Funding: Tuition fees at the home rate plus a stipend of £17,609 per annum 

Current ammonia synthesis, via the Haber Bosch process, produces >1% of global CO₂ emissions, due to its reliance on methane derived H₂. There is a burgeoning interest in electrochemical N₂ reduction to NH₃ at room temperature and under ambient pressures. Should it be powered by renewable energy, it would enable sustainable NH₃ production. Should the process be efficient enough, it could provide a means of producing a CO₂-free energy-dense sustainable fuel.

Experiments, thus far, have only been able to produce trace amounts. Given that NH₃ is ubiquitous in most laboratory environments, it is highly challenging to distinguish spurious contamination from true N₂ reduction. To this end, Dr Ifan Stephens, and colleagues developed a protocol to verify N₂ reduction is possible, using isotopic labelling (Andersen, S.Z. … Stephens, I.E.L et al, Nature 2020). Using the protocol, they provided the first quantitative proof that N₂ electroreduction is possible under ambient conditions, using non-aqueous electrolytes. Even so, the electricity-to-ammonia efficiency is only ~3%: there is ample room for improvement.

Conversely, in nature, the nitrogenase enzyme catalyses N₂ reduction at a reasonable efficiency improvement (Westhead, O, …. Stephens, I.E.L. et al, Science 2021). It has an active site consisting of two adjacent Fe atoms at its centre. However, nitrogenase has a prohibitively large footprint, 1000 times greater than a metal atom. We aim to emulate the activity of nitrogenase on a solid electrode, taking advantage of the much higher density of active sites.

For the current studentship, we propose to synthesise, test and characterise nitrogenase-inspired metal-doped carbons as catalysts for N₂ reduction. They will contain dimers of Fe, Re, Mo or W at the active site, coordinated to sulfur or nitrogen. It will involve (a) catalyst synthesis and characterisation (b) testing H₂ evolution and N₂ reduction (c) measuring the products using a novel on-chip electrochemical mass spectrometry method. The project will draw inspiration from battery science and enzymatic nitrogen fixation.

The studentship can be funded by an industrial case studentship, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and bp through the bp International Centre for Advanced Materials (ICAM-online.org). You will interact with a diverse and dynamic group of PhD students and postdoctoral researchers studying this reaction.

Informal enquiries should be made to Dr Ifan Stephens. Further information on the area of research can be found at http://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/i.stephens. Applicants should have a Master’s degree or (equivalent) with First Class or Upper Second Class in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Physics or Chemistry.  We encourage applications from under-represented groups.

Applicants should submit the electronic application form, submitting a CV, transcripts, a cover letter and the information of two referees through the College application portal.

Please contact Dr Annalisa Neri, for further information on how to apply and Dr Ifan Stephens for more information about the project. 

Closing date:  10 January 2022 or earlier if the position is filled.

Committed to equality and valuing diversity, we are also an Athena SWAN Silver Award winner, a Stonewall Diversity Champion, a Disability Confident Employer and are working in partnership with GIRES to promote respect for trans people. The College is a proud signatory to the San-Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), which means that in hiring and promotion decisions, we evaluate applicants on the quality of their work, not the journal impact factor where it is published. Click here for more information.

Duration: 42 months

Supervisors: Dr Florian Bouville

Brittleness limits the design and lifetime of some polymeric, metallic, and almost all ceramic materials in both structural and functional engineering applications, from the design of plane engine turbine blades to the newest solid-state electrolyte in batteries. This brittleness is intrinsically present in material composition that cannot plastically deform and make them sensitive to any defect introduced during their fabrication or usage.

Metamaterial, by definition, uses architecturation to overcome intrinsic material limitation. Among all the possible architectures we could invent, a structure with interlocking elements is predicted to be the most capable of making tough samples from brittle composition. Interlocking mechanism is in theory extremely effective at diffusing damages because it allows elements to slide but at the same time creates local compressive stresses in response to macroscopic tensile stresses. A few natural materials confirm this, with some seashell and rock formation being able to deform despite being made almost entirely of ceramics. Now the real challenge is to develop processes capable of programming interlocking in the microstructure at the micro and nano scale independently of the composition.

The role of the PhD candidate will be to use digital light processing (DLP) additive manufacturing technique to fabricate metamaterials with rationally design microstructure to delay and slow-down crack propagation. This PhD position is part of a 5-years ERC Starting grant awarded to make small Scale interlocking mechanism for Strong and Tough mEtamatErials (SSTEEL) a reality.

The candidate will learn during this PhD light-based additive manufacturing technique, science of colloids, ceramic processing, sintering techniques, structural characterisations, and fracture mechanics along with strong transferrable skills in scientific methods, problem solving, and scientific results communications.

We are seeking applications from excellent, motivated and curious candidates with a minimum 2:1 (or equivalent) first degree in Materials Science, Chemistry or Applied Physics for a 3.5-year PhD studentship. The project will be based in the Centre for Advanced Structural Ceramics and the Department of Materials at Imperial College London.

Funding: This studentship will provide the standard maintenance stipend to students (currently an annual tax-free stipend aligned with the London UKRI rate) as well as tuition fees for home or overseas students.

Applications will be processed as received. For questions or further details regarding the project, please contact Dr Florian Bouville.

Closing Date: March 2023

For questions regarding the admissions process, please contact Dr. Annalisa Neri. Formal applications can be completed online: Application process | Study | Imperial College London but only after informal enquiries information about the Department can be found at https://www.imperial.ac.uk/materials/

Supervisors: Dr Stella Pedrazzini, Dr Martin Trustler,  Prof Mary Ryan, 

Shell POC: Stephen Brown

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of hydrogen embrittlement of steels, leading to the award of a PhD degree. The post is supported by a bursary and fees (at the UK student rate only) and is sponsored by EPSRC and Shell. EPSRC candidates should fulfil the eligibility criteria for the award.  Please check your suitability at the following website:  http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/skills/students/help/Pages/eligibility.aspx.  The studentship is for 48 months from October 2023. The position is available immediately and will stay open until filled.

Project Summary:  A PhD studentship is available to study hydrogen embrittlement in steels to tackle the unique challenges associated with the decarbonisation of the energy sector.  The aim of the first project is to develop a fundamental understanding of hydrogen embrittlement in steels, using a variety of characterisation techniques including cryogenic Focussed Ion Beam (FIB) and Atom Probe Tomography (APT).

The anticipated major expansion in hydrogen production, transportation and utilisation call for massive investments in infrastructure. One of the biggest challenges of the hydrogen economy is storage and transport. Current hydrogen storage technology involves either physical storage systems such as pressurised canisters (typically made from steel, which may be embrittled by the cryogenic temperatures and hydrogen exposures- or the synergistic effects of both) or materials such as hydrides which can store hydrogen in a reacted form, that will then need to be extracted. Hydrogen embrittlement in steel at cryogenic temperatures is poorly understood – and lack of mechanistic insights means that material selection or bespoke alloy development remains challenging. Steels that are resistant to embrittlement at room temperature are certainly available but tend to be expensive, and their behaviour under cryogenic temperatures has not been well-explored. An improved fundamental understanding of the processes of hydrogen dissolution in the metal, and the role of microstructural features that act as hydrogen trap sites, will assist in screening steels for hydrogen service. This iCASE project will therefore focus on the experimental investigation of hydrogen dissolution, diffusion and distribution in different steels – with the steels studied and characterized under cryo-conditions. Using new experimental facilities at Imperial, we have a chance to create a step-change in the understanding of the properties. The experimental work will be supported by numerical modelling, leading to a workflow for characterising candidate steels for hydrogen service.

This PhD project is sponsored by the EPSRC and Shell based in the Materials and Chemical Engineering Departments, Imperial College London. We are looking for an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You need to have a background in Chemical or Mechanical Engineering, Materials, Chemistry or a related field, and an enquiring and rigorous approach to research together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. Training will be given in the relevant investigative techniques. You will become a skilled communicator, comfortable in an international situation. Good team-working, observational and communication skills are essential.  The project will involve close collaboration with Shell and you will be expected to visit and communicate with various Shell Technology Centres.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:   Home - Dr Stella Pedrazzini (imperial.ac.uk)

For information on how to apply, go to:  Application process | Study | Imperial College London 

Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: One month from insertion

Committed to equality and valuing diversity.  We are also an Athena SWAN Silver Award winner, a Stonewall Diversity Champion and a Two Ticks Employer

Supervisor: Prof David Dye

Applications accepted all year round

Funded PhD Project (UKRI-eligible Home fees status only)

 A PhD studentship collaboratively with Rolls-Royce on the micromechanics of high rate deformation in titanium alloys in jet engines. This project examines why new Ti alloys that we have developed work harden at high strain rates, giving them double the energy absorbtion of Ti-6Al-4V.

Titanium's high rate behaviour during bird strike scenarios is a critical design factor, but is relatively poorly studied or understood. Titanium can cold creep at low strain rates near the yield stress, having very little work hardening for pri<a> dislocation slip in the hcp titanium phase.  Surprisingly, new Ti alloys we have patented do work harden at high strain rates, unlike traditional alloys like Ti-6Al-4V, and are therefore being introduced rapidly into service following successful impact testing.  However, the operating deformation mechanisms giving rise to this work hardening are not yet understood.  In this project we will look at the microstructures, textures and effect of individual alloying additions and how these relate to the observed dislocation mechanisms in the (S)TEM. As well as alloy development, this project will strongly involve EBSD, TKD and (S)TEM characterisation, including WBDF and BF STEM imaging modes and FIB TEM foil preparation.  There is the potential also to perform in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction characterisation on the new generation of dedicated shock impact beamlines with ns resolution at MHz repetition rates at Petra-IV and ESRF.

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirement for a PhD degree at Imperial College, most likely funded via the CDT in Advanced Characterisation of Materials https://www.cdt-acm.org or the EPSRC DTA mechanism, co-funded by Rolls-Royce. You must qualify for Home Fees in England. You will have a 1st class Masters-level degree in Materials Engineering or a related subject such as Physics, Aero or Mechanical Engineering, with strong computational skills and understanding of the fundamentals of materials: phases, crystal structures and defects. An interest in industrial applications is essential. Good team-working and communication skills are essential. We are particularly keen to receive applications from underrepresented groups.

For further details on the post, contact Prof David Dye, david.dye@imperial.ac.uk. Interested applicants should send an up-to-date resume to Prof Dye. Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisors: Prof Finn Giuliani; Dr Katharina Marquart, Department of Materials; Dr Sam Krevor, Department of Earth Science and Engineering 

Home Department: Department of Materials at Imperial College London (South Kensington Campus) 

Funding and Deadline: To be eligible for support, applicants must be “UK Residents” as defined by the EPSRC1. The studentship is for 3.5 years starting ASAP and will provide full coverage of standard tuition fees and an annual tax-free stipend of approximately £19,668. Applicants should hold or expect to obtain a First-Class Honours or a high 2:1 degree at Master’s level (or equivalent) in Materials Engineering, another branch of engineering or a related science. Funding is through the project InFUSE (Interface with the future: underpinning science to support the energy transition), funded by the EPSRC and Shell. 

Project summary: Carbon capture and storage (CCS) provides a very promising solution to sequester current CO2 production and allow critical process that are difficult to decarbonise to continue running into the future. Understanding the suitability of different rock types for CCS requires a detailed knowledge of among other things their mechanical properties both before and after CO2 injection. The mechanical properties of brittle materials are governed by their ability to dissipate energy which is often controlled by the properties of their interfaces. For example, weak interfaces can promote crack deflection and crack bridging mechanisms giving increased performance. These mechanisms have been studied and optimised in many structural ceramic systems however, in geological materials less work has been carried out. 

In this project we propose to both measure the distribution of interfaces and interface categories within different rock types and measure the mechanical the properties of individual key interfaces. In this project you will develop skills in micromechanics, high resolution electron microscopy included EBSD and synchrotron techniques at the Diamond Light Source, the UKs national synchrotron facility. This is a key partner in the project and will support the design of novel environments to study samples under operando conditions. This would give unique insight into the microstructure of candidate rock types. This could then potentially be extended to include samples that have been exposed to supercritical CO2. This could be particularly important in basalt rocks with their ability to mineralize CO2. This allows to cracks to fill with newly formed carbonates and silicates on relatively short timescales (~1-2 years). Yet the whole process of reaction driven cracking is not well understood. This is either regarded as beneficial for safety, by preventing leakage, or as detrimental as mineralization may seal fluid paths and thus reduce permeability. It should also be noted that these research techniques are quite general and a secondary program could be applied to completely different brittle material systems, such as the build-up of damage in battery materials leading to performance degradation. 

Informal enquiries about the post and the application process can be made to Prof Finn Giuliani by including a motivation letter and CV.