PhD Studentship: In Organic & Polymer Chemistry

Project title: Self-Immolative Polymeric Sensors

Supervisors: Professor Wayne Hayes and Dr John Mckendrick 

Project Overview: Self-immolative molecules and polymers[1] have become significant targets in organic-based material research as they offer significant potential in applications such as drug delivery, biological/chemical sensors, diagnostics, degradable polymers and degrade-on-demand adhesives. Several novel self-immolative materials have been generated at Reading that respond to specific chemical triggers.[2-4] This project targets the discovery of polymers that produce a colorimetric response to a range of chemical entities via degradative pathways to develop indicator strips for use in a variety of environments.

This industrially-funded project will provide excellent training in the field of polymeric materials – it involves organic and polymer synthesis plus detailed characterisation of new self-immolative materials. The student will work in a well-resourced research laboratory and be part of a vibrant research group. They will receive training in analytical techniques such as NMR, IR, UV spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and thermal analysis (DSC, TGA) plus GPC analysis to determine the composition of the new polymers, will learn how to study the physical characteristics of the materials via rheology and tensiometry and will also establish how these self-immolative polymers degrade when activated by specific chemical triggers using the above analytical methods. In addition to gaining invaluable scientific technical skills, this project will also develop the ability of the student to conduct independent research by providing training on the use of databases (such as Web of Knowledge, Scifinder Scholar, Reaxsys), presentation skills and writing reports. By the end of the PhD training, the student will be able to design and execute reactions, interpret complex analytical datasets, and summarise this information in a variety of formats (such as in presentations at group meetings or international conferences or in peer-reviewed publications). 

References

[1] Polym. Chem., 2011, 2, 773-790.

[2] Organic Biomolecular Chemistry, 2015, 13, 8703-8707.

[3] Chem. Commun., 2019, 55, 5219-5222. 

[4] J. Org. Chem., 2021, 86, 15, 10263–10279.

Eligibility: 

• Applicants should hold or expect to gain a minimum of a 2:1 bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Chemistry or closely related subject.
• Due to restrictions on the funding this studentship is open to UK applicants. 

Funding Details:   

• The project will start before 30^th September 2024
• 3-year award
• Funding covers full tuition fees plus UKRI stipend. 

How to apply:   

To apply click Apply for a Programme and create your account, and use the link sent by email to start the application process. During the application process please select the PhD in Chemistry

*Important notes*

• 1) Please quote the reference ‘DRC24-027 Graduate school will provide the ref.)’ in the ‘Scholarships applied for’ box which appears within the Funding Section of your on-line application. 
• 2) If the application system prompts you to submit a research proposal, please paste in the project title and move on to the next step in the application. 

Application Deadline: Applications will be considered until a candidate is selected. 

Further Enquiries: For further details please contact: Professor Hayes (w.c.hayes@reading.ac.uk) or Dr John Mckendrick (j.e.mckendrick@reading.ac.uk)

Please note that, where a candidate is successful in being awarded funding, this will be confirmed via a formal studentship award letter; this will be provided separately from any Offer of Admission and will be subject to standard checks for eligibility and other criteria. 

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