Environmentally Sustainable Optoelectronics for 21st Century Applications

This studentship seeks to challenge the status quo regarding the use of precious metals in light-activated molecules and materials. We will develop a series of new photoactive compounds that incorporate earth-abundant 1st-row transition metals and explore their utility in a broad range of applications, such as photocatalysis, energy upconversion and bioimaging. Our overall aim is to develop a chemical toolbox to replace expensive and rare precious-metal based compounds with sustainable earth-abundant analogues.
Our recent work on luminescent chromium-based systems, shows highly advantageous luminescence properties under ambient conditions (DOI: 10.1039/D2CC01434C), opening pathways to a range of applications including bioimaging and energy upconversion.
The student will join a vibrant and diverse research team led by experts in physical chemistry (Richards), synthetic inorganic (photo)chemistry (Pope) and the biosciences (Williams). They will be fully trained in chemical synthesis procedures (including handling of air-sensitive materials) for ligands and complexes, and gain specialist knowledge in advanced characterisation and state of the art spectroscopic techniques including EPR and photophysics, as well as relevant applications.