Research

The institute conducts research into materials for a wide range of applications, chief among which is developing low cost, sustainable renewable energy solutions. The institute has developed world leading non-vacuum Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) manufacturing processes for Copper-Indium-Gallium-Selinide and Copper-Zinc-Tin-Sulphur solar cells, achieving near record efficiency while dramatically lowering the cost of these devices.

Healthcare is another priority. Across the UK around 2 million people will undergo dialysis in their lifetime, yet this procedure has not fundamentally changed in 50 years, and outcomes for long term recipients remain bleak. The IMD, working with Japanese collaborators, the Royal Free Hospital and the UCL Centre for Nephrology is in the process of revolutionising this procedure. Conventional dialysis machines us hollow fibres to remove urea and excess liquid from the blood, however cannot remove protein bound toxins. Our aim is to use our patented coating technology to coat the hollow fibres with a toxin absorber, boosting waste removal rates, capturing key toxins and making dialysis cheaper and quicker.

Read more about this and much, much more on our research page.

Study

Interested in studying Material Science? The MSc in Advanced Materials run by the IMD will train you in cutting edge materials discovery, manufacturing and characterisation. Delivered by world leading researchers, you will gain practical experience in working with materials for applications across healthcare, manufacturing, renewable energy, transport, optoelectronics and consumer products. The course is an ideal fit for students from a wide range of backgrounds, including Material Science, Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Biology. Find out more here. The IMD also hosts a number of PhD students working on key issues across material science: in particular coatings for biomedical, structural and functional applications. For an idea of the type of projects available, see the profiles of our current PhD students here. For current vacancies, see our recruitment page. 

Collaborate

Part of the core vision of the Institute for Materials Discovery is to bring researchers together across disciplines, across industry and across academia to identify and address key challenges in material science. To this end, we work with over thirty companies across the globe, and collaborate closely with hospitals and leading academic groups worldwide. We are always looking for new partners, so whether you represent a company or you’re an academic researcher, get in touch to see how we can work together.

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