Vacancies
IMAT CDT DPhil Studentships Available for 2026 Entry
The Inorganic Materials for Advanced Manufacturing Centre for Doctoral Training (IMAT CDT) is an EPSRC-funded centre focused on training the next generation of scientists. IMAT students undertake a 42-month substantive research project in their chosen area of expertise (raw materials, process, product). Available projects between our lab and collaborators are listed below. Applications have to be submitted to CDT directly (the procedure for applications is outlined on this page).
P39) Green chemicals production from CO2 over oxide perovskite electrocatalysts: elucidating mechanistic pathways and catalyst stability via computational modelling and operando experiments
Supervisors: Michail Stamatakis (Chemistry), Ludmilla Steier (Chemistry)
Collaborator: Robert Weatherup (Materials)
CO2 can be electrochemically converted into valuable carbon-neutral feedstocks. Copper nanoparticles are leading electrocatalysts, delivering high yields but with poor selectivity. This project combines first-principles computational chemistry with operando characterization to probe active sites in copper perovskites and uncover how non-zero Cu oxidation states govern and potentially improve product selectivity.
See this project in the IMAT CDT list of projects (click on project P39 to expand the description) and apply.
P44) Understanding catalyst restructuring at elevated pressures for renewable fuel production
Supervisors: Michail Stamatakis (Chemistry), Robert Weatherup (Materials)
Many reactions proceed most efficiently at high-pressures, where catalytic surfaces can dramatically restructure with reaction conditions, influencing activity and selectivity, as well as making it challenging to identify the nature of the active sites. This project aims to observe and understand the reaction-induced restructuring of catalyst nanoparticles for synthetic fuel production, to identify the most active state of the catalyst and use this to stabilise preferred active sites, that can enhance activity and selectivity towards desired products.
See this project in the IMAT CDT list of projects (click on project P44 to expand the description) and apply.
P47) Understanding the degradation mechanisms of transition metal fluorides cathodes
Supervisors: Mark Wilson (Chemistry), Susan Perkin (Chemistry), Thomas Headen (ISIS Neutron and Muon Source)
Collaborators: Camilla Di Mino (Chemistry), Mauro Pasta (Materials), Michail Stamatakis (Chemistry)
Many reactions proceed most efficiently at high-pressures, where catalytic surfaces can dramatically restructure with reaction conditions, influencing activity and selectivity, as well as making it challenging to identify the nature of the active sites. This project aims to observe and understand the reaction-induced restructuring of catalyst nanoparticles for synthetic fuel production, to identify the most active state of the catalyst and use this to stabilise preferred active sites, that can enhance activity and selectivity towards desired products.
See this project in the IMAT CDT list of projects (click on project P47 to expand the description) and apply.
Application deadline: 12.00 noon UK time on Thursday 8th Jan 2026