PhD Studentship: MRI/NMR for In-Situ Catalysis & Digital Modelling of Continuous Micro Trickle-Bed Reactors for the Pharmaceutical and Agrochemical Industries

Funding: Fully funded (stipend + Home fees), UK nationals and those with Settled Status only.

Supervisors: Professor Mick Mantle, Professor Lynn Gladden & Professor Andy Sederman

Project overview

Continuous manufacturing is reshaping pharmaceutical and agrochemical production, yet for many catalytic hydrogenations we still have limited insight into what is happening inside the reactor. This PhD, sponsored by Syngenta, will address that gap by developing and applying advanced NMR/MRI methods to look inside working micro trickle-bed reactors (TBRs) and convert those measurements into validated numerical and kinetic models.

Rather than relying solely on traditional exit-stream analytical methods (GC/MS/HPLC), you will build an integrated experimental/computational framework that captures what is happening within the packed bed, down to the catalyst pellet scale. The goal is to quantify and link the interplay between mass transport, adsorption, reaction, selectivity, and deactivation, enabling predictive scale-up and the development of digital surrogate models for process design and control.

You will work at the interface where magnetic resonance meets reaction engineering. The Magnetic Resonance Research Group in Cambridge has a proven track record of using NMR/MRI to map spatial variations in reactant/product composition and transport within operating reactors, and to exploit relaxation and diffusion methods (e.g., spatially resolved T1-T2 and D-T2) to probe surface interactions, competitive adsorption, and changes associated with catalyst deactivation. In addition, there will be opportunities to work with Syngenta's data scientists and numerical modellers to develop a numerical surrogate that can predict conversion/selectivity and how performance changes with catalyst choice and scale.

Depending on your background and interests, you will gain experience in:

• NMR/MRI experiment design for reactive, multiphase packed beds
• MRI image reconstruction, data processing, and relaxation/diffusion analysis
• Reaction engineering: multiphase flow in packed beds, heat and mass transfer, residence time distributions
• Kinetic modelling (mechanistic and/or parameter estimation)
• Numerical simulation (e.g., continuum modelling; potentially CFD or pore-/pellet-scale approaches)
• Building a "digital twin" style surrogate model for continuous process optimisation and control

Candidate profile

We are looking for a curious, hands-on scientist/engineer who is excited by interdisciplinary research. Applicants are likely to have a background in:

• Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, Materials Science, or a related field

Impact

This PhD will create a step-change in how we characterise and predict the performance of continuous catalytic hydrogenations. It will deliver methods and models directly relevant to sustainable, high-quality pharmaceutical and agrochemical manufacturing, and will train a researcher fluent in both advanced magnetic resonance techniques and reactor-scale modelling.

To apply for this studentship:

1. You must be a UK national or have Settled Status.
2. You must have a high 2.i or a 1st in your undergraduate degree and any subsequent study; please see the University's requirements if your degree(s) was completed outside the UK: https://www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/apply/before/international-qualifications
3. If you are able to meet the above criteria, you would need to submit a formal application for our PhD in Chemical Engineering, noting Vacancy Reference NQ48848 in the research proposal of your application. Full information about our PhD, as well as a link to the on-line application, is: https://www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/directory/egcepdcng

Please quote reference NQ48848 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

Key information

Department/location

Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology

Salary

Reference

NQ48848

Category

Studentships

Date published

13 February 2026

Closing date

31 March 2026