Faraday Institution PhD Studentship: Sustainable and Scalable Sodium-Ion Cathodes for Future Energy Storage
About the Project
Applications are invited for a PhD studentship at Imperial College London in the Department of Chemical Engineering in collaboration with WE Soda. The project will focus on identifying the most sustainable and industrially scalable sodium-ion cathode materials for next-generation batteries.
Sodium-ion batteries are emerging as a promising alternative to lithium-ion technologies for stationary storage and selected mobility applications. However, the field still lacks a clear, data-driven understanding of which cathode chemistries can be manufactured at scale with the lowest environmental impact while maintaining competitive electrochemical performance.
The first stage of the project will involve literature data mining across the main sodium-ion cathode families, including polyanionic materials, Prussian Blue analogues (PBAs) and layered oxides. The student will identify the most reported and most scalable synthetic routes, such as solid-state synthesis, sol-gel processing, hydrothermal/solvothermal routes, co-precipitation, spray drying and related industrially relevant methods.
These routes will then be assessed using life-cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis to compare precursor availability, energy demand, processing complexity, criticality, embodied carbon and likely manufacturability. This early sustainability screening will allow the project to narrow down the most promising cathode families and synthesis routes before major experimental effort is invested.
In the next stage, the student will synthesise selected cathode materials using the most promising scalable routes. The work will make use of Imperial College London’s DIGIBAT autonomous battery laboratory, including automated synthesis, electrode preparation, cell assembly and high-throughput electrochemical testing. Materials will be evaluated first in half-cells and then in full sodium-ion cells using sustainable hard-carbon anodes developed within the Titirici Group.
A distinctive feature of the project is that the LCA will not remain theoretical. It will be refined using real experimental data generated during the PhD, including actual synthesis conditions, energy inputs, yields, electrode processing parameters and electrochemical performance. This will create a feedback loop between sustainability assessment and materials optimisation, allowing the student to identify cathodes that are not only high performing, but genuinely scalable and sustainable.
The project will provide training in sodium-ion battery materials, electrochemistry, automated materials discovery, data mining, life-cycle assessment, techno-economic analysis and advanced characterisation. Through the collaboration with WE Soda, the student will also gain insight into industrial sodium supply chains, sustainability metrics and scale-up considerations.
Applicants should have a strong background in chemical engineering, materials science, chemistry, physics or a related discipline. Experience in batteries, electrochemistry, data analysis or sustainability assessment would be advantageous.
Applicants should submit the electronic application form, submitting a CV, transcripts, a cover letter and the information of two referees through College application portal.
Start date: October 2026
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