Available from January 2013

This industrially funded project (Procter & Gamble) addresses the design, synthesis and characterisation of functionalized polymer systems able to selectively adsorb onto cellulosic substrates from dilute aqueous solutions in the presence of competing surfactants and polymers.

Selective and efficient deposition of actives onto a variety of cellulosic substrates is highly desirable for a range of commercial applications but is also an area is of tremendous fundamental academic interest in terms of understanding the relationship between the chemical structure of the functional polymer and its ability to selectively adsorb onto a substrate and modify the substrate surface properties. As such this project will involve a combination of polymer synthesis and surface characterisation techniques including as appropriate ion beam analysis, ellipsometry, impedence, contact angle analysis, SAXS, WAXS, AFM, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and neutron reflectometry.

Throughout the project opportunities will arise to gain experience of working in an industrial setting at Procter & Gamble Innovation Centre in Newcastle.

Applicants should have an interest in working at the interface of organic chemistry, polymer chemistry and surface chemistry and have (or expect to obtain) at least the equivalent of a U.K. 2.i honours degree in chemistry, natural sciences or a relevant scientific discipline. The studentship will cover tuition fees and an annual maintenance grant.

Interested applicants should initially contact the project supervisor, Dr Lian R Hutchings (l.r.hutchings@durham.ac.uk)

To apply for this position, please click the ‘Apply‘ button below.