Photocatalytic upgrading of waste water to potable water and green hydrogen project

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The effective translation of the energy provided by the sun to generate radicals and hydrogen using a photocatalyst and air presents a clean, efficient and globally accessible way to enable water decontamination/recycling (via radical disinfection) and an opportunity to turn waste/contaminants into green hydrogen. Advanced oxidation processes are typically used to remediate wastewater but rely on toxic compounds or materials derived from carbon-based processes and these tend to operate at high temperatures. Whilst hydrogen generation has evolved from natural gas reforming towards greener alternatives a need remains to develop new processes using earth friendly materials and to add value to "waste" streams. This is an interdisciplinary project that integrates expertise in semiconductor synthesis and photocatalysis for applications in waste remediation and water purification. You will primarily be based in the School of Chemistry (Dr Jennifer Edwards) where research will be undertaken in the state-of-the-art catalysis facilities in the TRH building.You will design and synthesise novel carbon photocatalysts, doped during a low energy synthesis with small quantities of earth abundant metals and use these materials to reduce biological and chemical contamination in water using visible light and oxygen. You will also investigate how chemical contaminants such as cellulose can be activated using photocatalysts to generate H 2. The expertise of your co-supervisor in the school of Physics (Professor Oliver Williams) will allow you to precisely engineer and characterise new carbon-based nanocomposites as photocatalysts. Biological remediation experiments (coliform reduction) will be explored in the lab of your co-supervisor in the school of Pharmacy (Professor Jean-Yves Maillard).