About Us
Diamond Light Source is the UK’s national synchrotron science facility. By accelerating electrons to near light-speed, Diamond generates brilliant beams of light from infra-red to X-rays which are used for academic and industry research and development across a range of scientific disciplines including structural biology, physics, chemistry, materials science, engineering, earth and environmental sciences.
The Project
This is an exciting collaborative project between the Cardiff Catalysis Institute and the UK’s national synchrotron (Diamond Light Source).
In this project, the student will develop new workflows on world-leading electron microscopes, combining electron ptychography with tomography to get the full 3D atomic structure of catalytic materials. The techniques developed will be used to determine the full surface structure of a group of Pd-based catalysts for CO2 hydrogenation. Hydrogenation of CO2 is an increasingly important reaction for achieving net-zero carbon emissions, in cases where emission of CO2 cannot be avoided. The aims of this project are to use the developed electron microscope methodologies to understand the effects of catalyst preparation, and the addition of alloying elements, on the extent of the metal-support interaction and availability of particular catalyst surface sites.
The student will spend the first year of their PhD in Cardiff, where they will be trained in electron microscopy and techniques for preparing and characterising heterogeneous catalysts. The Cardiff Catalysis Institute has recently moved into a new, custom built research facility, which includes a world-leading £3 million electron microscope. The student will join a large and diverse cohort working on catalysis, joining the focused electron microscopy team.
The remaining two and a half years will be spent at the ePSIC facility at Diamond Light Source, a national facility for aberration-corrected electron microscopy. The student will join a small team who support national and international researchers in pursuing a wide range of research topics. We will ensure that the transition between the two project phases is as easy as possible and that the student is an integral part of both teams throughout their studies (i.e. will be able to join group meetings remotely).
Supervisors
Start date - 1st October 2023
Academic Criteria
Candidates should hold or expect to gain a first class degree or a good 2.1 and/or an appropriate Master’s level qualification (or their equivalent).
English Language criteria
Applicants whose first language is not English will be required to demonstrate proficiency in the English language (IELTS 6.5 or equivalent) English language requirements for postgraduate students - Study - Cardiff University
Further Information
Diamond Light Source Ltd holds an Athena SWAN Bronze Award, demonstrating their commitment to provide equal opportunities and to advance the representation of women in STEM/M subjects: science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine.
Diamond jointly funds around 15-20 studentships every year with a variety of collaborators from both academic institutions to industry partners. Students accepted onto these projects will be part of our yearly cohort intake and are supported by both their academic and Diamond supervisors, as well as a dedicated Student Engagement team based at Diamond.
Diamond studentships are typically 50% funded by Diamond and 50% by the partnering university institution (or 25% funded by Diamond if there is a third party collaborator). Students are therefore required to spend 50% of their studentship at Diamond, with most students relocating to the local area for this period. Support on suggested accomodation options are provided by Diamond.
Benefits of Diamond's jointly funded studentships
Further Information
If you have further questions please contact the Student Engagement team on diamond.students@diamond.ac.uk.
Further guidance for students can be found here as well as more information about life at Diamond found here.
Please note this project is now closed for applications.
For more information on the research and project please contact Dr Tom Slater (slatert2@cardiff.ac.uk) or Dr Chris Allen (christopher.allen@diamond.ac.uk)
To apply please complete an online application, stating the project title and your supervisor’s name(s) https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/research/programmes/programme/chemistry
Diamond Light Source is the UK's national synchrotron science facility, located at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire.
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