Masters Compare - Find your perfect masters course.
Masters Compare - Find your perfect masters course.
Deadline: 29 November 2026
South West, All England
This project is one of a number in competition for a studentship from the Faculty of Engineering and Design at the University of Bath. If successful, this studentship is expected to commence 04 October 2027.
An alternative start date may be possible if agreed with your intended supervisors and the Doctoral College.
Colloidal dispersions - liquids containing nano- to micrometre-sized particles - are important in technologies ranging from energy storage to particle separation. Polymers are often present alongside colloidal particles, modifying their interactions, stability and transport. In energy storage, colloids and polymers can form colloidal electrolytes and polymer electrolytes, which can offer different mechanical properties and potentially more sustainable alternatives to traditional electrolytes. In separation technologies, electric fields can be used to move, concentrate and sort charged particles. Electric fields can also alter how particles interact and organise, enabling field-responsive materials whose structure and properties can be controlled electrically.
Despite their wide-ranging applications, the fundamental behaviour of interacting colloids and polymers under electric fields remains poorly understood. Most theories of electrically driven colloids describe isolated particles in dilute suspensions. Real colloid–polymer mixtures can instead be concentrated and multicomponent: a particle’s motion under an applied electric field is influenced by interactions with surrounding colloids, as well as by polymers and ions in the mixture. We still lack a predictive understanding of how these effects combine to determine collective particle motion and organisation.
This PhD will uncover the fundamental physics governing electrically driven transport in colloid–polymer mixtures and use this understanding to develop new approaches for controlling particles in technological applications. The student will focus on experimental approaches, using optical microscopy and particle tracking to directly observe electrically driven motion in controlled experiments. By varying particle concentration and charge, polymer concentration, electrolyte composition and electric-field strength, the project will determine how composition and interactions influence particle mobility, collective transport and field-induced structure. There will also be opportunities to use theoretical and computational modelling to interpret experimental results, depending on the student’s interests, and to work with others with complementary modelling expertise.
The research will investigate systems ranging from dilute dispersions to concentrated and multicomponent mixtures, establishing how collective effects influence electrically driven motion. The student will also explore how these fundamental insights can be applied in a selected area, such as colloidal or polymer electrolytes for energy storage, electrically driven particle separation, or field-controlled particle organisation and assembly.
Applicants must have, or be about to obtain, a UK Honours degree 1st or 2.1, or international equivalent. A master’s level qualification would also be advantageous.
Non-UK applicants, who are not currently studying in the UK, must meet the programme’s English language requirement before the application deadline – no exceptions will be considered.
This project is well suited to students with a background in chemical engineering, chemistry, physics, materials science, or a related discipline, particularly those interested in colloids, polymers, soft matter and energy or functional materials. The project will be primarily experimental, so enthusiasm for laboratory research and quantitative analysis is important. Prior experience in microscopy, colloid or polymer experiments, materials characterisation, or electrochemistry would be beneficial but is not essential, as full training will be provided.
We particularly welcome applicants who are curious about fundamental colloid and polymer science, interested in connecting this understanding to real-world applications, and motivated to work across disciplinary boundaries. Opportunities to incorporate theoretical or computational modelling will also be available depending on the student’s interests.
Applicants will be considered for a studentship. Studentships cover tuition fees, provide a £1k per annum training support fee, and a maintenance stipend (£21,805 2026/27 rate). International students will be required to cover the cost of a Student visa and Immigration Health Surcharge from personal funds.
Informal enquiries are encouraged. Direct these to Dr Clare Rees-Zimmerman - [email protected]
Please follow the below instructions carefully.
You must make a formal application via the University of Bath’s online application form for a PhD in Chemical Engineering
Please note that you can apply for a maximum of two PhD projects on this programme.
In the ‘Funding Your Studies’ section, you must select ‘University of Bath URSA’ from one of the drop-down menus.
In the ‘Your PhD project’ section, you must quote the project title in the PhD project title field, and you must quote the lead supervisor’s name in the field ‘Name of intended supervisor at University of Bath.’
If you are applying for two projects, you must quote the project title for your second choice project in the field ‘Project 2 Title’ and the lead supervisor’s name in ‘Name of intended supervisor for 2nd choice project at University of Bath.
You must ensure that you follow the above steps correctly. Failure to complete these steps will cause errors in the automated processing of your application and may mean that you are not considered for a particular project.
The Faculty of Engineering and Design at the University of Bath has studentships available for Home and Overseas students. However, in line with UKRI policy, the number of studentships available to Overseas students are capped.
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Wed 21 Oct 2026