We're offering a PhD studentship funded by the James Watt Scholarship supported by Heriot-Watt University as part of the EPSRC project Astrocatalysis: In Operando Studies of Catalysis and Photocatalysis of Space-abundant Transition Metals. Based at our Edinburgh campus, the succesfull applicant will utilise unique ultra-high vacuum (UHV) apparatus to study adsorption and reaction on, and desorption from, relevant materials (sized-selected clusters deposited on a suitable substrate) under UHV conditions. In addition, through collaboration with the Diamond Light Source (DLS) at Harwell near Oxford, we are planning equivalent investigations using beamline B-07 near-ambient pressure using X-ray absorption and photoemission spectroscopies to help us cross the catalytic pressure gap.

This PhD provides the opportunity to combine cutting edge laboratory surface science with astrochemistry to push forward our understanding of catalysis and the role it plays in the evolution of the cosmos. All those interested are encouraged to contact Prof. Martin McCoustra (m.r.s.mccoustra@hw.ac.uk) for further details or visit https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/astrocatalysis-at-near-ambient-pressure-transition-metal-clusters/?p166458