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

使用光催化剂和空气有效转化太阳提供的能量以产生自由基和氢，这提供了一种清洁、有效和全球可获得的方式来实现水净化/再循环（通过自由基消毒），并提供了将废物/污染物转化为绿色氢的机会。高级氧化工艺通常用于修复废水，但依赖于来自碳基工艺的有毒化合物或材料，并且这些往往在高温下操作。虽然制氢已经从天然气重整发展到更绿色的替代品，但仍然需要开发使用地球友好材料的新工艺并为“废物”流增加价值。这是一个跨学科的项目，整合了半导体合成和废水处理和水净化应用的专业知识。您将主要在化学学院（Jennifer Edwards博士）进行研究，在TRH大楼的最先进的催化设施中进行研究。您将设计和合成新型碳光催化剂，在低能量合成过程中掺杂少量地球丰富的金属，并使用这些材料利用可见光和氧气减少水中的生物和化学污染。您还将研究如何使用光催化剂激活化学污染物（如纤维素）以产生H2。您在物理学院的共同导师（奥利弗威廉姆斯教授）的专业知识将使您能够精确地设计和制造新的碳基纳米复合材料作为光催化剂。生物修复实验（大肠菌群减少）将在您的合作主管在药学院（教授让-伊夫·梅拉德）的实验室进行探索。

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).