Designing Self-Assembly of Discotic Liquid Crystals for Multifunctional Advanced Materials

About the Project

A funded PhD studentship is available on a project focused on the photophysical and charge-transport properties, as well as the self-assembly, of discotic liquid crystals for the development of multifunctional advanced materials, using a variety of computational methods. The PhD studentship is fully funded for home students and must start at the beginning of the 2026-27 academic year or sooner in the School of Chemistry at the University of Birmingham. A PhD place on this project can be offered to a suitable overseas candidate, provided the candidate has external funding at the required level.

Primary Supervisor:

Dr Dwaipayan Chakrabarti, School of Chemistry, University of Birmingham

Project Description:

Discotic liquid crystals exhibit a variety of columnar phases, which, when self-assembled from molecular building blocks, are of particular interest for their potential opto-electronic applications. The disc-shaped molecules typically consist of a rigid aromatic core with peripheral chains that are rather flexible. Discotic liquid crystals in their columnar phases can exhibit remarkable charge-transport properties, combined with intriguing photophysical properties, making them attractive multifunctional advanced materials for sustainable, energy-efficient devices; however, an optimal molecular design is critical to their advanced functionalities in the self-assembled mesophases. This project aims to study the photophysical and charge-transport properties, as well as the self-assembly, of discotic liquid crystals using a variety of computational approaches to inform optimal molecular design and develop an understanding of the molecular-level self-assembly pathways for the development of multifunctional advanced functional materials. To this end, a variety of computational approaches, including quantum-mechanical calculations using density functional theory and all-atom molecular dynamics simulations using classical force fields, will be undertaken.

Dr Chakrabarti leads a state-of-the-art research programme at the intersection of soft matter and advanced materials. For the Chakrabarti group’s research, please visit here. The Chakrabarti group has active collaborations with several groups from within and beyond the UK. Dr Chakrabarti is also a visiting academic at the International Institute for Sustainability with Knotted Chiral Meta Matter (WPI-SKCM2) at Hiroshima University.

Person Specification

Candidates suitable for the project should expect to have (or hold) a 2:1 honours degree (or equivalent) in Chemistry / Physics / Materials Science / Chemical Engineering or in a related discipline, and an academic background suitable for undertaking computational and theoretical research.

The University of Birmingham is strongly committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion. The School of Chemistry holds an Athena SWAN Bronze Award in recognition of its work in promoting women’s careers in STEM subjects in higher education and is keen to welcome applicants from all backgrounds.

How to Apply

For further details on the project and informal enquiry, please contact Dr Dwaipayan Chakrabarti at d.chakrabarti@bham.ac.uk. For general information on the Chemistry PhD programme at the University of Birmingham, please visit http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/research/chemistry/chemistry-phd.aspx

Apply online at https://pga.bham.ac.uk/lpages/EPS006.htm.

Application Deadline

Applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Apply as soon as possible to receive full consideration for admission into the PhD programme by the start of the 2026-27 academic year.

Funding Notes

This funded PhD studentship is for 3.5 years full-time study and covers academic fees at the home rate and a maintenance grant in line with the UKRI rate.