PhD Studentship - Design and Testing of Sustainable Processes to Produce Bio-Toluene

University of Leeds - Chemistry

Placed On: 6th March 2026
Closes: 30th June 2026

Number of Positions: 1

Eligibility: UK Only

Funding: School of Chemistry Studentship in collaboration with the Schools of Mechanical Engineering and Chemical & Process Engineering, in support of the Research Grant: Industrialising UK Bio-based Solvents for Global Medicine Manufacturing, providing the award of full academic fees, together with a tax-free maintenance grant at the standard UKRI rate of £21,805 per year for 3.5 years.

Lead Supervisor’s full name & email address
Professor John Blacker: j.blacker@leeds.ac.uk

Co-Supervisor’s full name and email address
Professor Nikil Kapur: N.Kapur@leeds.ac.uk
Dr Keeran Ward: K.R.Ward@leeds.ac.uk

Project summary

This proposal addresses the need for process solvents and basic aromatic feedstocks. Drug products, and their manufacture, involve large amounts of these, which contribute greatly to the drug’s carbon footprint. Toluene is used ubiquitously in large volume by pharma in drug manufacture, however there is currently no way of producing bio-toluene that could be used as an alternative. This project will evaluate several ideas to make these materials sustainably and generate data to confirm the processes have the potential to be greener than the current alternative. The project will scale-up selected method(s) to prepare evaluation samples. The project requires skills in continuous flow chemo- and biocatalytic methods, so, unusually, the project involves a close collaboration between the named academics at Leeds and York, with the student able to commute as appropriate. They will learn practical aspects of sustainable chemistry at each institution, including, chemo- and bio- catalysis, analytical methods, LCA, automated optimisation, continuous flow methods and scale-up.

Please state your entry requirements plus any necessary or desired background

A first class or an upper second class British Bachelors Honours degree (or equivalent) in an appropriate discipline.

Subject Area

Organic Chemistry, Chemical Engineering