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Chemistry PhD/MPhil – (Ph.D.)
University of Birmingham
School of Chemistry| Application Deadline: | None, but early application advised | ||
| Annual Tuition Fee: | ≈ € 4,232 - ≈ € 12,860 (non-EEA) | ||
| Location: | Birmingham / United Kingdom / View location on map ▾ Hide location on map ▴ | ||
| Duration: | 36 months | ||
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| Languages: | English | ||
Location of University of Birmingham
Over the last three years, expenditure of over £2 million has allowed the School of Chemistry to purchase new instrumentation and refurbish and redevelop its facilities for research and teaching. This has been accompanied by the creation of 15 new staff positions. This increased research strength has been recognised by the research councils, who have given substantial support for research in the School in the last few years.
With the facilities and opportunities available to our researchers, we can make real contributions to tackling the scientific challenges that face chemists today.
Our research is divided into three research themes; examples of specific research topics are given below each theme heading:
* Materials chemistry – Professor Colin Greaves Biomaterials; ferroelectrics; functional materials; heterogeneous catalysis; high-pressure chemistry; hybrid organic-inorganic materials; hydrogen storage; ionic conductors; luminescent materials; magnetic materials; nanoparticles and nanowires; organic materials; polymorphism; superconductors; structural chemistry; thermoelectric materials; zeolites.
* Molecular processes and theory – Professor Roy Johnston Atmospheric chemistry; bio-nanotechnology; chemical reaction dynamics; clusters and nano-particles; computational and theoretical chemistry; electrochemistry; gas-phase molecular chemistry; magnetic resonance imaging; photoelectron and ultraviolet spectroscopy; simulation and modelling; surface and interfacial chemistry; X-ray spectroscopy.
* Molecular synthesis and chemical biology – Professor Nigel Simpkins Asymmetric synthesis; biomimetic membranes; biomolecules; carbohydrates; catalysis; DNA recognition; free radicals; liquid crystals; luminescent labels; mechanistic organic chemistry; metallo-drugs and imaging agents; molecular design; natural products; peptides; organometallic chemistry; photochemistry; self-assembly; sensors; supramolecular chemistry; synthetic inorganic and organic chemistry.
Key facts Type of Course: Doctoral research
Duration: PhD: 3 to 4 years full-time; MPhil: 1 year full-time
Start date: Contact the School directly for further information
Contents
Research interests of staff
The research interests of our staff are summarised below. For more details, including publications, please see the web page for each staff member.
* The development of new synthetic approaches to achieve greater control in the formulation of new materials; the use of framework materials as molecular scaffolding for the assembly of nanostructured materials, and as precursors for the controlled production of nanoparticles and nanowires; the synthesis and properties of inorganic electrides and alkalide anions in zeolites; the preparation and characterisation of advanced materials for hydrogen storage.
Contact: Dr Paul Anderson
Tel: +44 (0)121 414 4447
Email: p.a.anderson@bham.ac.uk
* The investigation of autocatalytic, oscillatory and wave-forming reactions using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and imaging (MRI); visualising chemical wave formation in heterogeneous media, leading to greater understanding of biological wave and pattern formation; control of chemical waves using flow and magnetic fields.
Contact: Dr Melanie Britton
Tel: +44 (0)121 414 4391
Email: m.m.britton@bham.ac.uk
* The development of mass spectrometry imaging methodologies for spatially resolved measurements of elements and molecules in tissue; MALDI-MS imaging of drugs and associated metabolites in whole animal sections; MALDI-MS imaging of lipids in brain; imaging and quantitation of metals in tissue by LA-ICP-MS.
Contact: Dr Josephine Bunch
Tel: +44 (0)121 414 7813
Email: j.bunch@bham.ac.uk
* The development of new enabling synthetic methodologies for accessing molecules with important biological and materials properties; research is divided along three themes: 1 Synthetic methodology: organosilicon chemistry, organocatalysis; 2 Advanced materials: oligoynes and other highly x-conjugated organic materials for molecular electronics applications; 3 Chemical biology: glycobiology , investigating the role of glycolipids in immunity.
Contact: Dr Liam Cox
Tel: +44 (0)121 414 3524
Email: l.r.cox@bham.ac.uk
* Synthetic organic chemistry, involving the development of novel methodology, the design of new catalyst systems and the target-driven synthesis of biologically relevant materials; projects involving organic synthesis, transition-metal catalysis, organocatalysis and organometallic chemistry.
Contact: Dr Paul Davies
Tel: +44 (0)121 414 4408
Email: p.w.davies@bham.ac.uk
* Catalysis and sensing, the design of self-reporting catalysts for challenging asymmetric organic transformations underpins the research we carry out. Through various intra- and inter- molecular interactions, we are studying fundamental organic chemistry processes with an eye to high throughput catalysis and reaction screening. Success will lead to the discovery of new reaction pathways and mechanisms for the synthesis of challenging target motifs.
Contact: Dr John S. Fossey
Tel: +44 (0)121 414 8907
Email: j.s.fossey@bham.ac.uk
* Development of new methods and strategies for the synthesis of natural products and other molecules of biological interest; chemistry of reactive intermediates such as radicals and carbenes, and the use of organosulfur chemistry and photochemistry in organic synthesis; generation of small, highly reactive di- and tri-atomic molecules and their application in chemistry and biology.
Contact: Dr Richard Grainger
Tel: +44 (0)121 414 4465
Email: r.s.grainger@bham.ac.uk
* Inorganic materials chemistry; the synthesis and characterisation (structural and physical properties) of a range of materials with interesting superconducting, magnetic, optical or ion transport properties; mixed metal oxides and phases containing mixed anions, such as oxide fluorides.
Contact: Professor Colin Greaves
Tel: +44 (0)121 414 4397
Email: c.greaves@bham.ac.uk
* Bioinorganic and supramolecular chemistry and chemical biology, focusing on the use of metal-coordination chemistry to assemble large nanoscale supramolecular structures which recognise DNA, and the design of vectors that deliver metal-based anti-cancer drugs into cells and target them to specific tissues and specific cancers; exploring synthetic nanosized cylinders that bind strongly in the major groove of DNA or at DNA junctions which induce remarkable intramolecular DNA coiling, offering the possibility of coiling and immobilising specific genes.
Contact: Professor Michael Hannon
Email: m.j.hannon@bham.ac.uk
* Application of in situ infrared spectroscopy to study molecular adsorption at solid metal electrodes; the effect of electric potential on molecular conformation of phospholipids assembled on gold surfaces.
Contact: Dr Sarah Horswell
Tel: +44 (0)121 414 7474
Email: s.l.horswell@bham.ac.uk
* Synthesis, characterisation and crystallographic studies of zeolites, zeotypesand transition metal oxides, high-pressure structural chemistry; materials with unusual structural, electronic or catalytic properties, or those useful for environmental remediation of nuclear wastes.
Contact: Dr Joseph Hriljac
Tel: +44 (0)121 414 4458
Email: j.a.hriljac@bham.ac.uk
* Theoretical/computational chemistry; the application of biologically-inspired computational methods (such as genetic algorithms, ant colony optimisation and artificial neural networks) to chemical problems (for example, cluster geometry optimisation and protein folding); the study of the structures, growth, dynamics and the chemical and physical properties of clusters and nanoparticles (including metal clusters, bimetallic nanoalloys and oxide nanoparticles); visualisation and analysis of energy landscapes.
Contact: Professor Roy Johnston
Tel: +44 (0)121 414 7477
Email: r.l.johnston@bham.ac.uk
* Design of de novo peptides that can improve drug performance (targeting and delivery) through enhanced biomolecular recognition. Development of peptide-based chelators to target elevated levels of metal ions in the brain as well as alleviating oxidative stress, for the treatment of neurological disorders.
Contact: Dr Anna F A Peacock
Tel: +44 (0)121 414 4362
Email: a.f.a.peacock@bham.ac.uk
* Molecular synthesis, spectroscopic studies and surface characterisation of supramolecular and nanoscale assemblies: luminescent nanoparticles: imaging and sensing in flows (with Chemical Engineering); imaging in cells (with Medical School). Luminescent lanthanide and platinum probes for DNA recognition in biodiagnostics; surface-active metal complexes for supramolecular wires and solar energy conversion.
Contact: Dr Zoe Pikramenou
Tel : +44 (0)121 414 2290
Email: z.pikramenou@bham.ac.uk
* Nanofabrication for producing more powerful microprocessors and miniaturised high-density memory chips in microelectronics; chemically-nanopatterning thin films using e-beams, X-rays, thermally promoted AFM probe reactions, and photochemically promoted reactions utilising a scanning probe (involves both organic and inorganic synthesis, as well as state-of-the-art lithographic techniques in collaboration with physicists and engineers); gene delivery.
Contact: Professor Jon Preece
Tel: +44 (0)121 414 3528
Email: j.a.preece@bham.ac.uk
* Chemical education research, in particular a study of novel teaching and learning approaches to enhance the student learning experience of chemistry at degree level, including the use of e-learning (particularly online animations), and enquiry-based learning (to encourage students to develop their problem-solving skills and to become independent learners).
Contact: Dr Natalie Rowley
Tel: +44 (0)121 414 4411
Email: n.m.rowley@bham.ac.uk
* Synthesis and characterisation of new solid materials focusing on structural and catalytic studies of supported catalysts; heterogenisation of inorganic and organometallic catalysts through their encapsulation within clays, mesoporous and microporous materials; development of novel organic-inorganic hybrid compounds with applications in sorption, ion exchange and proton conductivity.
Contact: Dr Ian Shannon
Tel: +44 (0)121 414 8026
Email: i.shannon@bham.ac.uk
* Inorganic Materials Chemistry, with a particular emphasis on the development of new materials for use in fuel cells and batteries. Current research includes the synthesis and characterisation of novel electrolytes for solid oxide fuel cells, and the identification of non-precious metal catalysts for use in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. Other research interests include the synthesis and characterisation of novel mixed metal oxyfluorides showing interesting electronic and magnetic properties.
Contact: Dr Peter Slater
Tel: +44 (0)121 414 8906
Email: p.r.slater@bham.ac.uk
* New methodologies for the asymmetric synthesis of biologically active heterocycles, using ene chemistry and free radical cyclisations; application to the synthesis of natural products; peptide design, focusing on peptides that interact with key cell-surface receptors in the immune system; use of peptides as targeting vectors in medical imaging and treatment.
Contact: Dr John Snaith
Tel: +44 (0)121 414 4363
Email: j.s.snaith@bham.ac.uk
* The invention and development of new reactions for organic synthesis, and the applications of such chemistry to target molecules of structural or biological significance, especially potential anti-cancer and anti-parasitic agents, and compounds that might reverse multi-drug resistance.
Contact: Professor Nigel Simpkins
Email: n.s.simpkins@bham.ac.uk
* Structural study of organic materials from powder diffraction data and computational prediction techniques; solid-state properties of pharmaceutical compounds; study of crystalline polymorphic behaviour; development and application of evolutionary and other heuristic optimisation techniques.
Contact: Dr Maryjane Tremayne
Tel: +44 (0)121 414 3201
Email: m.tremayne@bham.ac.uk
* Supramolecular chemistry (the study of intermolecular interactions), in particular the study of functional redox-active and photoactive (photochromic) receptors that bind charged and neutral species; particular interest in systems where guest binding can be sensed or controlled using an external stimulus, leading to the development of molecular sensors for a range of biological targets (for example; amino acids, DNA) and molecular switches for nanotechnological applications.
Contact: Dr James Tucker
Tel: +44 (0)121 414 4422
Email: j.tucker@bham.ac.uk
* Vacuum-UV spectroscopy and unimolecular dynamics of excited electronic states of polyatomic molecules, free radicals, and molecular ions in the gas phase; fluorescence and coincidence techniques; the use of VUV radiation from synchrotrons as tuneable photoionisation and photodissociation sources; studies of ion-molecule reactions in a selected ion flow tube; low-energy electron attachment to molecules; new methods to study mass spectrometry of biological molecules.
Contact: Professor Richard Tuckett
Tel: +44 (0)121 414 4425
Email: r.p.tuckett@bham.ac.uk
* Application of computational chemistry methods to the understanding of enzyme catalysis, reaction mechanisms and the relationship between protein structure and function, and (in collaboration with synthetic organic chemists) exploiting this knowledge in the design of highly selective enzyme inhibitors useful in the treatment of mental illnesses.
Contact: Dr John Wilkie
Tel: +44 (0)121 414 7189
Email: j.wilkie@bham.ac.uk
* The development and use of theoretical quantum dynamics methods to understand ultrafast photochemistry on a molecular level, and (in collaboration with a laser spectroscopy group) to control reactions using shaped laser pulses.
Contact: Dr Graham Worth
Tel: +44 (0)121 414 3782
Email: g.a.worth@bham.ac.uk
* New advanced inorganic materials with application in areas such as biomaterials, organic-inorganic hybrids and magnetic materials, directed by an ever-improving understanding of the links between structure and properties in inorganic solids, informed by detailed characterisation techniques.
Contact: Dr Adrian Wright
Tel: +44 (0)121 414 4406
Email: a.j.wright@bham.ac.uk
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Requirements
Applicants must have at least an upper second-class UK Honours degree (or the equivalent) in Chemistry or a relevant related discipline.
English language requirements
* IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band;
* TOEFL IBT 80 with no less than 17 in any band
Additional Requirements
| Minimal degree required: | Bachelor's degree |
| Minimal amount of work experience | Not specified |
Language Proficiency
| IELTS Band: | 5.5 |
| TOEFL Internet-based: | 80 |
Faculty
The School of Chemistry is a vibrant and dynamic department set in a parkland campus close to the centre of Britain's second city. As a School, we pride ourselves on a long long tradition of educational and research achievements. The University has one of the largest and diverse concentrations of science expertise in the UK and therefore we can offer our students and researchers unique opportunities for interdiciplinary study in a subject central to the new challenges facing the world today.
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