University of St Andrews

Project description

The next 20 years will involve considerable development in offshore industries including renewable energy and exploration for oil and gas in deep water. These activities are likely to be happening simultaneously off Brazil and off over the continental shelf of Europe, especially around Scotland. There are considerable uncertainties around the effects that this industrial activity may have upon populations of marine mammals. Research to study this includes the assessment of risk to populations through quantitative approaches but there is a major requirement for data about the distribution, abundance and vulnerability of marine mammals to different technologies and activities. This includes the risk of collision and the risk associated with disturbance. The project(s) will involve focusing on specific aspects of this problem, including the estimation of marine mammal distribution and abundance; the collection of data to populate risk models and the development of potential mitigation advice and mitigation tools.

Availability

Co-tutelle PhD (12 months UK, 24 in Brazil)

Supervisers

• University of St Andrews Supervisor(s):

  Professor Peter Tyack, Dr Vincent Janik, Dr Mark Johnson, Dr Patrick Miller, Dr David Thompson, Dr Luke Rendell, Professor John Harwood and Professor Ian Boyd.

• Brazilian University Supervisor(s):

  To be confirmed.

Additional notes

The work will be conducted within the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU http://www.smru.st-and.ac.uk/) which is a part of the Scottish Oceans Institute at the University of St Andrews but operates globally. SMRU is a globally-leading centre for marine mammal research and it is responsible for developing many of the current technologies used to study marine mammals including both instruments and software tools. It has a close working relationship with industry , through its commercial arm SMRU Ltd (http://www.smru.co.uk/).

Start date

September 2012 or February 2013

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Project description

Solid oxide fuel cells offer the most efficient method for conversion of biofuels to electrical energy; however, there a number of important considerations. First of all coking of fuel must be avoided and second it is important to maximise the electrical conversion efficiency, especially in the Brazilian context where heat is not generally a useful byproduct. In this project, we will consider fuels such as bioethanol, bioglycerol and bio-oils applying autothermal reforming strategies to optimise electrical output. A range of metallic and oxide composite anodes, maintaining low contents of coking active species such as Ni, will be investigated. Work will entail both heterogeneous catalytic studies, addressing thermal signature of reforming/oxidation processes and electrochemical tests of prospective anodes in realistic fuel streams.

Availability

Co-tutelle PhD (12 months UK, 24 in Brazil)

Supervisers

• University of St Andrews Supervisor(s):

  Prof. John TS Irvine (School of Chemistry, St Andrews)

• Brazilian University Supervisor(s):

  Dr Fabio Coral Fonseca, Dr. Marcelo Linardi, IPEN/CNEN-SP, Programa Célula a Combustível. Av. Lineu Prestes 2242, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo (SP), Brasil 05508-000

Additional notes

The groups interacted at the European SOFC Forum at Lucerne in 2010 that Irvine chaired. St Andrews interests in direct hydrocarbon fuel cells are closely correlated with Brazilian Technical priorities. Relevant publications: [1] "Advanced Anodes for High-Temperature Fuel Cells", A. Atkinson , S Barnett, R.J. Gorte, J.T.S. Irvine , A.J. McEvoy, M. Mogensen, C. Singhal , J.Vohs, Nature Materials, 2004, 3, 17-27. [2] "A Redox-Stable, Efficient Anode For Solid-Oxide Fuel Cells", S Tao and JTS Irvine, Nature Materials, 2003, 2, 320-323.

Start date

September 2012 or February 2013

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Project description

The use of bimetallic nanoparticles supported on oxides is widespread in industrial catalysis. It is extremely important to characterise the elemental distribution within bimetallic nanoparticles as functions of temperature and gas environment since optimising and maintaining selectivity in complex catalytic processes requires well-defined surface atomic arrangements. Baddeley is expert in the use of medium energy ion scattering (MEIS) to characterise the depth dependent composition of bimetallic surfaces. Grande and co-workers have developed an elegant and sophisticated method to analyse MEIS data from sub-5nm nanoparticles arising from a detailed understanding of the asymmetrical energy-loss line shape in MEIS spectra.

Availability

Co-tutelle PhD (12 months UK, 24 in Brazil)

Supervisers

• University of St Andrews Supervisor(s):

  Dr Chris J. Baddeley (School of Chemistry, St Andrews),

• Brazilian University Supervisor(s):

  Prof Pedro L. Grande (Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves 9500, 91501-970 Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil)

Additional notes

Student will spend time optimising sample preparation in St Andrews and acquiring data at the new MEIS facility at the University of Huddersfield. Detailed analysis of data will be carried out in Porto Alegre.[1] M.A. Sortica, P.L. Grande, G. Machado, L. Miotti, J. Appl. Phys. 106 (2009) 114320; [2] A.R. Haire, J. Gustafson, A.G. Trant, T.E. Jones, T.C.Q. Noakes, P. Bailey, C.J. Baddeley, Surf. Sci. 605 (2011) 214;[3] J. Gustafson, A.R. Haire, C.J. Baddeley, Surf. Sci. 605 (2011) 220.

Start date

September 2012 or February 2013

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Project description

We propose to prepare multiply-doped ceria nanomaterials for application in new anode catalysts and electrolyte materials for intermediate temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells using hydrocarbon and bioethanol fuels. Anodes and electrolytes will require very different starting morphologies and doping strategies and we have experience in this area. [1-5] Key to both materials sets is the dependence of their defect chemistry and precise crystallography on temperature and gas atmosphere. Redox, catalytic and electrochemical evaluation at St Andrews will be coupled with in situ crystallography and X-ray absorption spectroscopy in Brazil in order to relate macroscopic performance to atomic environment and oxidation state.

Availability

Co-tutelle PhD (12 months UK, 24 in Brazil)

Supervisers

• University of St Andrews Supervisor(s):

  Dr Richard T. Baker (School of Chemistry, St Andrews),

• Brazilian University Supervisor(s):

  Dr Marcia Carvalho de Abreu Fantini (Instituto de Física da Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão Travessa R Nr.187 CEP 05508-090 Cidade Universitária, São Paulo - Brasil).

Additional notes

Dr^a Fantini and Baker and Fuentes co-authored a paper [6] on the reduction behaviour of ZrO₂-CeO₂ solid solutions with tubular nanostructure. Dr^a Fantini is Head of Department, has published over 100 papers and is an expert on the application of X-ray diffraction, X-ray scattering and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XRD, SAXS, EXAFS) to the study of materials including highly porous oxides and nanostructured zirconia. Her group is a frequent user of the Brazilian Laboratory of Synchrotron Light (LNLS). As part of a long-standing collaboration, Baker and Fuentes (previously a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Baker group, now group leader at Dept. of Condensed Matter Physics, National Committee for Atomic Energy, Buenos Aires, Argentina) have ten joint papers on ceria-based materials for fuel cell applications. They have made use of the XRD, XANES and EXAFS capabilities at the LNLS on several occasions to study the redox behaviour and crystallography of nanostructured doped cerium oxide materials and Dr Fuentes is a very experienced user of the LNLS. Baker speaks, reads and writes Portuguese having worked in the language for two years at the University of Aveiro, Portugal. References: [1] R.O. Fuentes, R.T. Baker, J. Power Sources 184 (2009) 268. [2] R.O. Fuentes and R.T. Baker. J. Phys. Chem. C 113 (2009) 914. [3] S. Song, R.O. Fuentes, R.T. Baker. J. Mater. Chem. 20 (2010) 9760.

Start date

September 2012 or February 2013

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Project description

Nanomaterials based on doped ceria and other compositions will be prepared and evaluated for application in new anode catalysts and electrolyte materials for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells. Anodes and electrolytes will require very different starting morphologies and doping strategies and we have experience in this area. [1-5] The excellent facilities for electron microscopy (SEM and HRTEM, both with EDX analysis) and XRD at St Andrews will be used to characterise the starting powders. Novel redox and catalytic methods will be used to identify the best compositions and these will be incorporated into electrochemical cells for evaluation as working fuel cell components.

Availability

Full PhD (36 months in UK)

Supervisers

• University of St Andrews Supervisor(s):

  Dr Richard T. Baker (School of Chemistry, St Andrews)

• Brazilian University Supervisor(s):

  n/a

Additional notes

Dr. Baker speaks, reads and writes Portuguese having worked in the language for two years at the University of Aveiro, Portugal. References: [1] R.O. Fuentes, R.T. Baker, J. Power Sources 184 (2009) 268. [2] R.O. Fuentes and R.T. Baker. J. Phys. Chem. C 113 (2009) 914. [3] S. Song, R.O. Fuentes, R.T. Baker. J. Mater. Chem. 20 (2010) 9760. [4] M.R. Kosinski, R.T. Baker, J. Power Sources, 196 (2011) 2498. [5] J. Kearney, J.C. Hernández-Reta, R.T. Baker, Catal. Today (2012) 139.

Start date

September 2012 or February 2013

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Project description

Solar power is the most abundant renewable energy resource, but the relatively high cost of silicon solar cells has limited its adoption. We will pursue an attractive alternative technology using semiconducting polymers, which have potential for low-cost roll to roll fabrication. The efficiency of polymer solar cells is lower than silicon cells, and innovations in both materials and devices are needed. In this project the student will use complementary photophysical measurements in Campinas and St Andrews to study key processes such as exciton diffusion and charge transport. The results will be used to guide the development of more efficient polymer solar cells.

Availability

Co-tutelle PhD (12 months UK, 24 in Brazil)

Supervisers

• University of St Andrews Supervisor(s):

  Prof I.D.W. Samuel, Organic Semiconductor Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews

• Brazilian University Supervisor(s):

  Prof. Ana Nogueira, Professor of Chemistry and Co-ordinator of the laboratory for Nanotechnology and Solar Materials, University of Campinas

Additional notes

Professor Ifor Samuel has been developing informal links with Brazilian groups at University of Campinas and PUC, Rio de Janeiro since a UK-Brazil workshop on Organic Electronics.

Start date

September 2012 or February 2013

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