PhD Chemistry

University of Reading

Our research is driven by our desire to help solve some of society’s greatest scientific challenges. 100% of our research is of international standing (REF 2021, combining 4*, 3* and 2* submissions – Chemistry) and 100% of our research impact has been classed ‘outstanding’ or ‘very considerable’ (REF 2021, combining 4* and 3*submissions – Chemistry).Our Department carries out research in three main areas of excellence:
• Chemistry for Health
• Materials for Energy and the Environment
• Polymers and Soft MatterWe work together to make life better for everyone, and our students are actively involved in our world-class research.Our researchers are generating knowledge that is helping to develop sustainable technologies for energy production and improve healthcare, among other applications. We want society to benefit from our research, both locally and globally, and work with industry to translate knowledge into products and processes.Chemistry for HealthWe have world-leading expertise in the development of analytical methods to identify and characterise important (bio)molecules, from health/disease biomarkers to medical target compounds.We synthesise and test anti-microbial glassy materials, as well as hybrid inorganic-organic materials with molecular-sized channels suitable for drug storage.In addition to the experimental work, we use computational methods based on quantum chemistry and molecular dynamics to aid the design of new drugs.Materials for Energy and the EnvironmentResearch in this theme focuses on materials for sustainable energy and environmental applications.We study thermoelectric inorganic materials for recovering energy from waste heat, photo- and electro- catalysts for hydrogen production or carbon dioxide reduction, among other applications.State-of-the-art X-ray diffraction instruments for structure determination under non-ambient conditions are available in our Chemical Analysis Facility and play a key role in establishing structure-property relationships.We use computational techniques, based on quantum chemistry and machine learning, to accelerate the design and understanding of novel energy materials.Polymers and Soft MatterWe develop polymeric materials that are used for cosmetics, ink formulations for 3D printing, and many other applications.Our researchers have done pioneering work in the field of self-healing polymers, creating materials that can repair themselves after damage.We study the chemistry that occurs around and within membranes and lipid bilayers, to enhance our understanding of how the stimuli-responsive membrane proteins work in biological conditions.We use a range of X-ray spectroscopy technique to understand the physical properties and reactivity of liquids, including ionic liquids and electrolytes.