PhD Studentship: Smart Electrolytes for Next-Generation Zinc-Ion Batteries

The University of Edinburgh

How do we build grid batteries that are cheap, safe and made from abundant materials?

Zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) are a promising answer – zinc is low-cost, non-toxic and works in water-based electrolytes. But current ZIBs still suffer from limited lifetime and efficiency because the electrolyte, cathode and their interface are not optimised together.

This PhD will tackle that challenge head-on. You will design “smart” aqueous or gel electrolytes and matched cathode coatings that work as a single system to:

• control how Zn²⁺ is solvated and transported,
• suppress dendrites and cathode dissolution, and
• build stable, self-healing interphases for long-life cycling.

Working jointly between the University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University, you will combine:

• Molecular simulations (to see how different salts and additives organise around Zn²⁺),
• Materials synthesis and coating design, and
• Full electrochemical testing in coin cells.

By the end of the project, you will have created and tested prototype zinc-ion cells with significantly improved performance, and developed design rules that can be applied across future grid-scale storage technologies.

Training and environment

You will be based in the School of Engineering at UoE, with access to:

• Advanced electrochemical testing facilities
• Battery fabrication labs
• Materials characterisation (XRD, SEM/TEM, spectroscopy)

You will also work closely with Prof Biggs’s group at HWU, gaining complementary expertise in interfacial engineering and simulation. The project includes opportunities to present at international conferences and to collaborate with industrial and academic partners.

Start date: September 2026

How to apply:

Please do not submit a full PhD application at this stage.

Instead, email the following as a single PDF to Dr Peisan (Sharel) E (sharel.e@ed.ac.uk):

• A CV (max 2–3 pages), including degree classifications (or predicted grades), relevant projects and publications (if any).
• A 1-page cover letter explaining:
  • why you are interested in zinc-ion batteries and this specific project;
  • how your background meets the essential/desirable criteria;
  • whether you would in principle be willing to be considered for a switch of principal supervisor to HWU if offered an HWU-funded studentship.

Please also provide contact details for two academic referees

Application deadline for initial consideration:

We encourage applications as soon as possible and no later than before 23 January 2026.

Shortlisted candidates will be contacted to arrange interviews.

Principal Supervisor Peisan (Sharel) E

Assistant Supervisor Professor Mark Briggs

Eligibility

Essential Experience:

• BSc and/or Masters Degree in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science, Data Science, Machine Learning or Artificial Intelligence
• a minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent)
• Excellent spoken and written English and good communication skills
• Experience using modelling and simulation techniques
• Literature surveys, documentation and reporting

Funding

This studentship is funded through the ERPE Joint PhD Studentship scheme.

• Duration: 42 months (3.5 years)
• Stipend: Enhanced above standard UKRI rate
• Research & Training Grant: £5,000 total (for research costs, travel, training)
• Tuition fees: Covered at the home-fee rate

Important:

***Open to candidates with UK “home” fee status only. This normally includes UK nationals and applicants with settled or pre-settled status, or indefinite leave to remain, who have been ordinarily resident in the UK/EU/EEA for at least 3 years.***

Informal Enquiries

Sharel.e@ed.ac.uk

Closing date: Wed, 15/04/2026 - 17:00