Research opportunities
Please see below for current research opportunities available within MERI.
The Polymers, Composites and Spectroscopy Group have an active interest in the production, characterisation and application of sustainable materials.
Current activities include the production of barrier coatings based on annually renewable biopolymers for use in sustainable packaging, novel use for waste food and drink and environmental clean-up and water purification.
There are numerous PhD/MPhil projects available
- the development of high barrier coatings and films using nanoclay dispersions in starch, chitosan and poly(latic acid)
- explore how waste materials, from food or other sectors, can be incorporated into materials so that the enormous energy invested in food production can be conserved
- explore novel modifications/applications of naturally occurring, indigenous minerals, including clays and zeolites, to provide local, cost efficient sorbents to optimise water and air quality
- investigate the use of nanoparticles to minimise the quantity of petroleum derived polymers used in structural engineering and transport
Contact Professor Chris Breen Phone 0114 225 3008 Email c.breen@shu.ac.uk
Sustainable building materials, sustainable construction materials, sustainable production/curing of concrete, sustainable maintenance of bridges, buildings and roads.
There are numerous PhD/MPhil projects available:
• Low impact building materials and products utilising waste
• Low impact alkali activated materials
• Low energy accelerated curing of concrete; low energy heating/de-icing of pavements and bridge decks
• Sustainable corrosion protection systems for the maintenance of reinforced concrete
• Energy efficiency of buildings
• Renewable energy technologies
• Novel insulation materials for energy conservation
Academic Contact: Professor Pal Mangat and Dr Fin O'Flaherty
Our work is used to help companies reduce energy consumption, increase energy efficiency and reduce CO² emissions, enhance corporate social responsibility
and adopt a sustainable approach to business development.
There are numerous PhD/MPhil projects available
- life cycle analysis of products and processes
- energy efficiency
- energy supply where there is no infrastructure
- photovoltaics
- solar thermal for hot water
- solar electrical power via stirling engines and solar focused devices
- solar for diesel fuel generation
- absorption chiller technologies for cooling (pharmaceuticals and healthcare)
- irrigation systems and hydraulic technologies
Contact Dr Andy Young Phone 0114 225 5092 Email a.e.young@shu.ac.uk
The Nanotechnology Centre for PVD Research, within the Thin Films Research Centre, has a track record in development, production, characterisation and application of nanostructured coatings.
The coatings for biomass burner project will focus on combining metals forming oxide scales in a ceramic multi layer coating, which can protect engineering components exposed to high temperatures (850-1000 degrees Celsius) against environmental attack for several thousands of hours.
The novel High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HIPIMS) technology will be employed to produce coatings with high adhesion and high density.
Academic Contact: Professor Papken Hovsepian
Postgraduate students joining this group will have training and experience in all activities listed below. They will also carry out this research in their home universities and start to replicate 'solar villages' in their own countries after completion of their PhD programme.
- growth of solar energy materials (inorganic and organic semiconductors and insulators)
- full characterisation of materials using a wide range of modern analytical techniques (x-ray diffraction, x-ray fluorescence, scanning electron microscope, PEC, optical absorption, etc)
- fabrication of small scale thin film solar cells and assessment using I-V, C-V, photo-response, I-V-T, admittance spectra, deep-level transient spectroscopy, etc
- development, gradual scaling up and investigation of uniformity, yield, stability and lifetime of the devices
- work towards commercialisation of low-cost thin films solar panels
Contact Professor I M Dharmadasa Email dharme@shu.ac.uk
An investigation into tuning of electronic properties of sol-gel derived TiO2 via doping with different metal ions as well as low band gap nanocomposite material will be undertaken for device application.
In this proposed programme investigation into tuning of electronic properties of sol-gel derived TiO2 via doping with different metal ions as well as low band gap nanocomposite material will be undertaken for device application. Incorporation of dopants into the sol-gel matrix, will be evaluated by X ray analysis AFM, SEM and DC and AC electronic properties will be examined over a wide temperature and frequency ranges.
Contact: Dr Aseel Hassan, phone 0114 225 6904 or e-mail a.hassan@shu.ac.uk
The research will involve film characterisation using XRD, AFM, ellipsometry as well as thorough investigation of the electron transport in these films using DC and AC electrical measurements over broad temperature and frequency ranges.
This programme peruses research into the use of novel organic compounds called phthalocyanines into development of low cost memory components. The phthalocyanines can be easily processed in thin film structures using simple deposition methods such as spin coating and electrostatic self assembly and sandwiched between two conducting electrodes. One of them might be a flexible conducting plastic (polymer) prepared as thin films. The research will involve film characterisation using XRD, AFM, ellipsometry as well as thorough investigation of the electron transport in these films using DC and AC electrical measurements over broad temperature and frequency ranges.
Contact: Dr Aseel Hassan, phone 0114 225 6904 or e-mail a.hassan@shu.ac.uk
This programme will undertake research into development of new sensing methodologies with the aim of application in real time industrial detection.
Novel methods for reliable and low cost sensing are needed for the monitoring of natural and man-made hazardous pollutants, both in air and in drinking water. This programme will undertake research into development of new sensing methodologies with the aim of application in real time industrial detection. Organic materials such as phthalocyanines will be used as detection membranes and selectivity for certain analytes' detection will be thoroughly evaluated and analysed.
Contact: Dr Aseel Hassan, phone 0114 225 6904 or e-mail a.hassan@shu.ac.uk
A wide range of analytical techniques will be used to optimise structural, electrical and optical properties of relevant thin films.
The current research programme focuses on CdTe based thin film solar cell materials and devices. The research is based on electrodeposited CdS, ZnS, CdTe and SnS. A wide range of analytical techniques will be used to optimise structural, electrical and optical properties of relevant thin films. Fabrication, assessment and development of small scale devices (2 mm diameter) by minimising impurities, identifying and removing or passivating defects will be carried out. Finally, gradual scaling up of large area devices (3 mm, 5 mm diameter and 1.5 cm2) will be carried out in order to achieve highest possible efficiencies. Processing steps such as heat treatments, chemical treatments, chemical etching, surface passivation and metallisation will be researched in order to increase the efficiency, reproducibility, stability, lifetime and yield of the devices.
Contact: Professor I M Dharmadasa, phone 0114 225 6910 or e-mail dharme@shu.ac.uk
The project will develop a package to describe heat flow in intersubband emitters and make a bridge to simpler effective medium approaches that lead to fast algorithms.
The complexity of the multiple layered structures required to create intersubband emitters, frequently leads to bad thermal management in cryocooled devices. Scattering off defects and interfaces increases the thermal resistance making raising the lattice temperature in the active region of the device and leading to performance degradation. In this project we will develop a package to describe heat flow in intersubband emitters considering different phonon scattering processes microscopically and make a bridge to simpler effective medium approaches that lead to fast algorithms.
Contact: Professor Mauro Pereira, phone 0114 225 5312 or e-mail m.pereira@shu.ac.uk
