The University of Manchester — Department of Materials
Dr Zhen Xu, Dr Jiashen Li
Applications accepted all year round
Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
About the Project
Achieving net zero will require carbon removal technologies that are not only energy-efficient, but also sustainable in the materials they use. At the same time, hundreds of millions of tonnes of plastic waste are generated globally each year, with only a small fraction currently recycled. Can we turn plastic waste from an environmental problem into a material solution for climate change?
UP-GREEN aims to address this challenge by upcycling waste plastics into high-value ion-exchange membranes for electrochemically mediated carbon capture. These membranes will be designed to selectively control ion transport within electrochemical cells, helping to improve CO2 capture performance while reducing energy losses and dependence on traditional virgin-polymer membranes.
The student will work at the interface of sustainable polymer materials, membrane science, electrochemistry and carbon capture. The research will involve: (i) converting and chemically functionalising waste polymers, such as PET, into ion-exchange materials; (ii) fabricating and optimising polymeric membranes; (iii) characterising their chemical structure, morphology, ion transport, mechanical properties and stability; and (iv) integrating the most promising membranes into electrochemical cells to evaluate CO2 capture capacity, rate, energy efficiency and cycling stability. Their performance will be directly compared with state-of-the-art commercial ion-exchange membranes provided by our industrial collaborator.
The ultimate goal is to demonstrate a membrane-enabled electrochemical carbon capture prototype using materials derived from plastic waste, while establishing fundamental relationships between polymer structure, ion transport and carbon capture performance.
This highly interdisciplinary PhD will be jointly supervised by Dr Zhen Xu and Dr Jiashen Li at the University of Manchester. The student will receive extensive hands-on training in polymer upcycling, membrane fabrication, electrospinning, spectroscopy and microscopy, membrane transport measurements, electrochemical techniques including cyclic voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy, flow-cell operation and CO2 analysis. The project will also involve interaction with an industrial collaborator, providing experience in commercial membrane benchmarking and technology translation.
This project is expected to start in September 2027.
Before you apply:
We strongly recommend that you contact the supervisors for this project before you apply.
How to apply:
To be considered for this project you must complete a formal application through our online application portal. If you already have an applicant account this link will directly open an application for PhD School of Natural Sciences Scholarships. If you don’t already have an applicant account, please follow the instructions here.
When applying, please specify the full title and supervisor/s of the project, details of your previous study, and names and contact details of two referees. You must also upload a Supporting Statement describing your motivation to apply to the project, your CV and transcripts of awarded and in-progress university qualifications. Please note late or incomplete applications will not be considered.
Equality, diversity and inclusion are fundamental to the success of The University of Manchester and central to all our activities. A diverse research community strengthens creativity, productivity and quality, while increasing the societal and economic impact of our work. We welcome applicants from all career paths, backgrounds and sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation or transgender status.
We welcome applications from candidates returning to study after a career break or experience in other roles. Flexible study arrangements may be available, including part-time study at 50%, 60% or 80%, subject to the requirements of the project and funder.
Eligibility: The standard academic entry requirement for this PhD is an upper second-class (2:1) honours degree (or international equivalent) in Materials Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Polymer Science, Electrochemistry, or a closely related discipline OR any upper-second class (2:1) honours degree and a Master’s degree at merit (or international equivalent) in Materials Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Polymer Science or Electrochemistry. The project is ideally suited to candidates who are interested in developing sustainable materials and technologies to address major environmental challenges.
This project will remain open until filled.
If your application is submitted by 1st November 2026, you can expect a decision by 18th December 2026.
If your application is submitted by 15th January 2027, you can expect a decision by 30th March 2027.
Self or externally funded students can also be considered for this project.
FSE_SoNS
Funding Notes
Funding covers tuition fees, an annual stipend at the UKRI minimum rate (currently £21,805 per year), and a research training support grant of up to £2,500 per year for the full 3.5-year programme.