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.
| Critical metals such as lithium, cobalt and nickel are essential to batteries and other low-carbon technologies, yet their separation and recovery remain challenging. Many important metal ions have similar sizes and chemical properties, making them difficult to distinguish using conventional membrane processes. Current membrane design largely relies on controlling pore size and charge, but these parameters alone cannot fully explain, or predict, the large differences in transport between chemically similar ions. In this project, you will investigate how ions enter and move through nanoscale membrane environments, with particular attention to ion partitioning, dehydration and diffusion. By controlling the pore structure, chemistry and local charge environment of the membrane, the research will develop new approaches for separating Li⁺, Mg²⁺, Co²⁺, Ni²⁺ and Mn²⁺. The outcome will be a better understanding of selective ion transport and new membrane design principles for the recovery of critical metals from complex resources. The PhD studentship is provided by the University of Bath. The student will combine hands-on experimental research with molecular modelling and computational analysis. They will design and fabricate ion-selective membranes, measure ion transport and separation under well-controlled conditions, and relate membrane structure and chemistry to separation performance using advanced characterisation techniques. Depending on the development of the project, membrane platforms may include polyamide nanofiltration membranes, two-dimensional materials and other nanostructured membranes. The project builds on our recent work on controlling pore structure, charge and selective ion transport in polyamide and nanoporous graphene membranes [1–4]. The project will build on Bath’s strengths in membrane science, critical metal recovery and sustainable separation technologies, with opportunities to collaborate with established research groups at KU Leuven, Monash University and other international partner institutions on membrane development, advanced characterisation and molecular-level understanding of ion transport. The student will receive broad training across membrane fabrication, separation processes, materials characterisation and computational approaches, while developing an international research network during the PhD. Applicants should hold, or be close to completing, a first-class Meng/MChem or MSc degree (or equivalent) in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Chemistry, Environmental Engineering, Physics or a related discipline. Strong experimental and characterisation skills are desirable, together with a good understanding of materials science and engineering principles relevant to membrane design and testing. The successful candidate will also demonstrate strong teamwork and communication skills, enabling effective collaboration with researchers at Bath and international partner institutes. At the University of Bath, equality, diversity, and inclusion are central to our success. We believe that a diverse research community fosters creativity, innovation and real-world impact. We warmly welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and career paths, and all appointments are made on merit. For inquiries please contact Dr Pengrui Jin, Prof John Chew, phone: +44(0)1225-386132, email: [email protected], [email protected] web: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=7-Rs-2EAAAAJ&hl=zh-CN https://researchportal.bath.ac.uk/en/persons/pengrui-jin/ https://researchportal.bath.ac.uk/en/persons/john-chew |
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.
A background in chemical engineering, materials science, chemistry, environmental engineering or a related discipline would be well suited to the project. The student should have an interest in membrane science, materials design and transport phenomena, and be comfortable with experimental laboratory research. Experience in membrane fabrication, separation processes, materials characterisation, electrochemistry or molecular modelling would be useful, but is not essential.
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.
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.
o Informal enquiries are encouraged. Direct these to supervisor email address Pengrui Jin - [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
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.
A world-class University in a World Heritage city At Bath, we are known for excellence in teaching and research, o...
Wed 21 Oct 2026