Join a school that is finding solutions to global problems. We're working on cleaner energy, sustainable materials and safer healthcare. We're looking for passionate research students to help us make a difference to people and the environment.

Our research themes are: molecular bonding and spectroscopy; materials; synthesis and catalysis; biological chemistry; projects and supervisors are available in each group.

An example of our research is combating Campylobacter infections in poultry farming. We discovered iron complexes that have potent antibacterial activity against Campylobacter in poultry. This bacterium is a major cause of food poisoning from undercooked chicken. The complexes are suitable for the treatment of poultry used in the food industry and are currently undergoing trials.

Another project discovered that a carbon-based porous material made from non-biodegradable cellulose acetate in discarded cigarette butts has an extremely high surface area. This led to an unprecedented capacity for storing hydrogen gas.

Careers

A chemistry research degree can lead to research chemist jobs working in industries such as pharmaceuticals and petrochemicals.

If you want to pursue an academic career, most graduates will move into a postdoctoral research position or other junior academic appointment after completing their PhD.

A research degree gives you transferable skills in communication, problem-solving, time management and analysis.