About the project
The project is largely centred on lab-based organic synthesis with opportunities to explore areas of materials science and analytical chemistry such as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LCMS).
This project in synthetic organic chemistry is in collaboration with our industrial partner Fibercore. The properties of specialist optical fibres critically depend on the formulation and application of polymer coatings. Their functional characteristics are dictated by the nature of the coating, which in turn is governed by its structure and the constituents used in the curing process.
The project draws on our combined expertise in organic chemistry and fibre technology to provide solutions to a broad range of contemporary challenges, including:
- designing sustainable routes to biodegradable coatings for use in various settings, such as sensors for biomedical or marine environments
- understanding and controlling curing: how does the chemical structure of the components dictate the properties of cured coatings?
- using fine chemical synthesis to engender bespoke structural and functional characteristics
- developing a new class of UV transparent coatings for write-through applications
- investigating UV-curable polyimide coatings: facile curing of speciality coatings for harsh environments
You will use the state-of-the-art facilities available at Fibercore and join regular collaborative meetings. You will benefit from multidisciplinary training within a highly supportive research and training environment and gain industrial experience. This will enable you to develop highly employable skills.
