Research Group: Chemistry Number of Students: 1 Length of Study in Years: 4 Years Full-time Project: yes
Funding is provided via the China Scholarship Council.
The introduction of chirality into conjugated organic semiconductors can result in more sustainable electronic devices, such as more efficient OLED screens for smartphones or TVs, and bring new functionality to emerging technologies. An extraordinary recent discovery in chiral materials research has been the observation of the Chiral Induced Spin Selectivity (CISS) effect: spin-selective charge transport through chiral molecules The spin control exhibited by chiral molecules could lead to the enhanced hydrogen production in water splitting and faster, more efficient devices, by enabling the combination of spin and charge (spintronics) in computer processors. However, the full technological potential of the CISS effect has yet to be realised, partly due to our limited understanding of the effect. I propose to untangle the different contributions to CISS for the first time by measuring how systematic variations of an electron’s chiral and spin environment impact a material’s spin filtering properties.
In this highly interdisciplinary project, the successful candidate will synthesise organic molecules called helicenes that possess a helically chiral – yet fully aromatic – backbone. The helicenes will be prepared using a photochemical flow synthesis currently being developed by the Brandt group. While traditional, batch-based photochemical reactions can be difficult to scale, our preliminary results have shown robust helicene yields from 100 mg (74% yield) to 1.1 g (70% yield). The synthesised materials will then be characterised in solution and the solid-state using advanced characterisation techniques that probe the photophysical and electronic properties (e.g. spin filtering, UV/vis, (magnetic) circular dichroism, cyclic voltammetry).
The ideal candidate should have some experience in synthetic chemistry and be interested in exploring a highly interdisciplinary, collaborative, and dynamic field of scientific research. The position is available within the research group of Royal Society University Research Fellow Dr Jochen Brandt at the Department of Chemistry, part of the School of Physical and Chemical Sciences at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL).
The Department’s strong research performance is evidenced by the 8th place in the UK for Research Impact and the 9th place in the UK for Research Output in the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021. The Department is located on the Mile End campus, only 20-30 minutes from central London by public transport.
Application Method:
To apply for this studentship and for entry on to the Chemistry programme (Full Time) please follow the instructions detailed on the following webpage:
https://www.qmul.ac.uk/spcs/phdresearch/application-process/#apply
Deadline for application - 31st of January 2024
Supervisor Contact Details:
For informal enquiries about this position, please contact Jochen Brandt
E-mail: j.brandt@qmul.ac.uk
SPCS Academics: Dr Jochen Brandt