PhD Studentship in Nanostructured Silicon Thermoelectrics

University of East Anglia - School of Chemistry

This fully funded studentship is available to start in 2011, under the supervision of Dr Yimin Chao in the internationally recognised School of Chemistry, UEA Norwich; 100% of research activity classified as internationally leading, excellent or recognised.

Funding is available for UK/EU students. Funding awarded for this project will cover tuition fees and stipend for UK students. EU students may be eligible for full funding, or tuition fees only, depending on the funding source. International students will not be eligible for this funding however they are still welcome to apply for the project but would have to find alternative funding.

Project description :

Energy shortage and climate change are two of the most serious problems threatening our society. The proposed silicon nanocrystal thin film is a hitherto unknown "supra nanocrystallite" structure with extraordinary intrinsic thermoelectric properties. Their thermoelectric properties have not previously been investigated. We believe if the proposed novel silicon supra nanostructure could achieve thermoelectric efficiencies high enough to be used commercially, this could be a new approach towards solving current energy and climate problems. If the mechanism of boosting thermoelectric efficiencies in such supra nanostructures can be elucidated, we expect this would have a very significant impact upon current and future fundamental sciences and technologies. Currently approximately 90 percent of power is generated by heat engines that use fossil fuel combustion as a heat source and typically operate at 30-40 percent efficiency. If they could be made more efficient thermoelectric modules could potentially convert part of this low-grade waste heat to electricity, or act as an alternative to photovoltaic cells for converting solar radiation into electricity. Unfortunately, current thermoelectric materials are limited by figure of merit performance, and are toxic, expensive and have weight issues when implemented. Our intention is to address these problems by developing novel thermoelectric material technology with a high figure of merit and efficient transfer mechanisms between thermal and electrical energy for primarily power generation applications. At the end of this study, we will have a highly efficient thermoelectric module consisting of silicon nanoparticles thin film with large Seebeck coefficient, high electrical conductivity and low thermal conductivity. These studies will enrich science, lead to new understanding and identify novel thermoelectrics on nanoscale materials. Potentially the outcome will impact the thermoelectric materials market significantly and contribute towards tackling of climate change through sustainable power generation.

Contact:

For informal enquiries about this position please contact Dr Yimin Chao or the Faculty of Science Admissions Office at sci.pgr.admiss@uea.ac.uk or +44 (0) 1603 593002.

How to apply:

Apply online or download an application form from our website: www.uea.ac.uk/futurestudents/uk/postgraduates/admissions/pgradmissions
Completed application forms should be submitted to the Admissions Office, Faculty of Science, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ.

The deadline for receipt of completed applications is Friday 4th February 2011.