Applications are invited for a PhD studentship in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Sheffield, to work on an exciting collaborative project investigating graphene materials as sensors for soil analysis.

Project description:

Graphene is a versatile material with a variety of applications, such as sensors. This project will investigate the properties of graphene and graphene-based materials as sensor materials to detect small molecules and ions in soil. Thus this project will help address a key environmental problem of measuring and monitoring plant nutrients, such as phosphate and nitrate, in soil.

You will use a combination of quantum chemistry and advanced laser spectroscopy to investigate photochemical and electrochemical properties of graphene and related materials and their interactions with ions both from a theoretical and experimental point of view. The project is jointly supervised by Dr. Natalia Martsinovich (theoretical modelling) and Dr. Adrien Chauvet (spectroscopy) in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Sheffield.

This studentship is aligned to the interdisciplinary UK-US project “Real-time and Continuous Monitoring of Phosphates in the Soil with Graphene-Based Printed Sensor Arrays”. Together with project partners (engineers and soil scientists) in the UK and US, we aim to develop novel highly selective and low-cost sensors for soil analysis, to help tackle one of the most pressing challenges in agriculture and the environment. 

The studentship is funded for 3.5 years, starting in October 2020.

Eligibility: You should have or expect to receive a first class or upper-second class degree or equivalent in Chemistry, Physics or related subject. It is not expected that applicants will have experience in both theoretical and experimental techniques at the start of the project. However, relevant experience in one of the areas is desirable and a willingness to learn is essential.

Due to funding restrictions, this studentship is open to UK and EU applicants only.

The full advertisement is here: https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/graphene-based-sensors-for-soil-analysis-spectroscopic-and-theoretical-study/?p118010

How to apply:

Apply online here: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/chemistry/postgraduate/phd/apply

Closing date: 18th May 2020.  

For more information about the project, please contact Dr Adrien Chauvet ([email protected]) or Dr Natalia Martsinovich ([email protected]).