PhD Studentship: Engineering Catalyst-Layer Microenvironments for Selective and Durable Acidic CO₂ Electrolysis

Overview

The University of Exeter Department of Engineering offers a full-time, fixed-term PhD studentship investigating how to engineer catalyst-layer microenvironments to enhance the selectivity and durability of acidic carbon dioxide electrolysis. The research addresses the challenge of hydrogen evolution competition and local environmental sensitivity in acidic systems, aiming to establish transferable microenvironment design principles for efficient low-carbon chemical manufacturing.

What you get

The studentship provides coverage of tuition fees alongside an annual stipend of £21,805 for the 2026/7 academic year. The successful candidate joins a growing cohort of three to four PhD researchers working on complementary projects and gains access to collaboration opportunities with Imperial College London, the Henry Royce Institute, and industrial partners such as Johnson Matthey.

Key dates

The closing date for applications is 2026-12-08.