Postgraduate Chemistry 2023-2024

Hydrogen is considered to be one of the key chemicals in our future energy landscape.  It can be produced from water but then also yield water as the by-product when used as a fuel.  It therefore lends itself to a circular economy which does not generate waste (i.e., H2O - H2 - H2O). 

Renewables is a key theme in the development of a sustainable future. This topic will be split into two themes – renewables for harnessing energy and renewables for chemical production. 

A second more advanced laboratory module will take place in this term. Students will use the skills learnt in Lab Skills and develop them further by applying them to modern energy conversion devices. 

This lecture course will cover a range of existing battery technologies from lithium ion batteries used in electric vehicles, to redox flow batteries utilised in large scale stationary storage.

This module is designed to help students gain experience and confidence in using a variety of skills that are of importance for a professional chemist. 

Fuel cell technology is an important consideration for an advancing hydrogen economy. These devices convert chemical energy into electrical energy by utilising a wide range of fuels, with efficiencies of > 80% and limited harmful emissions. 

Gas separation, storage and utilisation represents one of the key challenges within a sustainable energy transition.  For too long, energy production/consumption has been accompanied by greenhouse gas emission. 

This module is entirely laboratory based and will aim to introduce students to fundamental experimental techniques and practises which are widespread across the energy sector. 

In the first term, students were able to develop both their research skills and lab skills.  However, it is often the application of these skills within a team environment that is of greatest importance for many business sectors.  Therefore, in this module students will need to work as part of a small team in order to study a research problem. 

To gain experience in research applicable to Sustainable Energy Transitions, students undertake a clearly defined individual project requiring literature reviewing, project design and definition, experimental activities, data processing and interpretation and reporting.