(PhD project joint between Durham Chemistry and the Diamond Light Source)

This studentship forms part of a wider project where we will prepare and characterise materials for use as stable intermediate‐temperature solid oxide fuel cell (IT‐SOFC) electrolytes, with higher ionic conductivities at lower temperatures than currently available (> 10−2 Scm−1 at 400‐650oC). We will employ specific new materials design ideas, partly derived from our ongoing research program1, 2. In parallel, we will develop and implement an integrated modelling methodology to provide an understanding of the materials across the technologically vital length‐scale of 0.1‐10 nm, including an atomic‐level insight into the ionic mobility mechanisms which facilitate low‐temperature oxide ion conduction.

Scientific Information

This research programme will be delivered through three strands of work. The PhD student will be a member of a larger team working on the design, preparation and understanding of new fast ion conductors, and will undertake a challenging methodology‐development project with wide potential applicability to many different classes of functional materials.

The student will be responsible for:

• Preparing and collecting diffraction, total scattering and EXAFS data on new materials.
• Development of new refinement approaches for PDF data: Real‐space Rietveld refinement approaches and linking them to reciprocal space refinements and large‐box modelling.
• Implementation of integrated modelling (PDF, EXAFS and electron diffraction, ED) in RMCProfile: Application of integrated analysis of the local‐scale and element‐specific information from EXAFS, local‐ and intermediate‐range order from PDF superstructure information from ED. and long‐range correlations of defects and
• Applying the new methodology to functional materials: From simple test systems to highly‐ disordered oxide ion conductors (known and new) and other classes of functional materials.

The funding covers PhD tuition fees and a stipend (EPSRC standard rate).

Practical Information

This PhD project is a collaboration between Durham University and the Diamond Light Source. It is envisaged that the student will spend their first year at Durham and the following 2 years at Diamond. The supervisory team will include: Prof. John Evans3,4 (www.dur.ac.uk/chemistry/staff/profile/?id=180) and Dr. Ivana Evans1,2,4 (www.dur.ac.uk/chemistry/research/academic‐groups/i.r.evans) at the Durham Chemistry Department, and Dr. Matt Tucker5 (www.diamond.ac.uk/Beamlines/Engineering‐and‐
Environment/I15/Staff/Tucker.html) at the Diamond Light Source.

Applicants should have (or expect to obtain) at least the equivalent of a good UK 2.1 honours degree in Chemistry, Physics or a relevant scientific discipline. The studentship will cover tuition fees and a maintenance grant. The candidate should start in October 2015.

For more information or to discuss the project, please contact Dr. Ivana Evans (ivana.radosavljevic<στο>durham.ac.uk) or Dr. Matt Tucker (matt.tucker<στο>diamond.ac.uk).