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A fully funded PhD studentship in the Department of Mechanical Engineering
PhD project description
Biological soft solids exhibit extraordinary dynamic functionalities, such as goosebumps for thermal regulation, prey detection in Venus flytraps, and cuttlefish color changes for camouflage. In contrast, engineered soft materials like rubber bands, foam, and sponges typically fulfill static, single-purpose roles. Smart materials with bio-inspired nano-topographies, which can sense, respond, and adapt to their environment, offer an opportunity to bridge this gap. These innovations have potential applications in intelligent microfluidic systems, soft robotics, and biomedical devices. Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) stand out in the field of smart materials due to their ability to dynamically alter their shape, stiffness, and color. Their capacity to respond quickly to stimuli makes them particularly promising for creating actuation mechanisms in advanced applications such as active self-cleaning surfaces for infection-prevention in intravenous lines. However, much work remains on improving their efficiency and developing scalable manufacturing methods to produce nanoscale features for advanced biomimicry.
Using a bioinspired approach, the candidate will investigate methods to create smart surfaces with active nano- and micro-topographies. To achieve this, they will adopt a multidisciplinary strategy to integrate novel molecular functionalities into the chemistry of LCEs, while leveraging their unique mechanical properties to fabricate dynamic nano-topographies. The candidate will collaborate with experts from various fields, including polymer physics, design engineering, healthcare, and other relevant disciplines. Throughout the project, the candidate will apply advanced design and experimental techniques, including nanofabrication, polymer chemistry, mechanical characterization, and additive manufacturing.
Person specification
- Applicants are preferred to have first-class undergraduate and master’s degrees (or equivalent) in Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline with interest polymer experimental mechanics, polymer synthesis, smart materials and nanofabrication.
- Excellent organizational, interpersonal and communication skills, along with a stated interest in interdisciplinary research, are essential.
- Background in either nano/micro scale fabrication or polymer synthesis is desirable.
- Fluency and clarity in spoken English as well as good written English in accordance with UCL English requirements (TOEFL>92 or IELTS>6.5).
Eligibility
Please note that the available funding supports tuition fees at the Home/UK rate (currently £6,215 per year). Students who are eligible to pay fees at the UK rate are welcome to apply (e.g. UK students or EEA or Swiss nationals who are “settled” or “pre-settled” within the UK in accordance with the EU Settlement Scheme). Please refer to our website for further information about Home tuition fee eligibility.
International students who are eligible to pay tuition fees at the Overseas rate (currently £33,000 per year) are also welcome to apply, however the tuition fees covered by the studentship will be limited to the Home/UK level. International students will be required to find additional funding for the remaining Overseas tuition fees.
Applicants whose first language is not English are required to meet UCL's English language entry requirements.
Please refer to this webpage for full eligibility criteria: Mechanical Engineering MPhil/PhD
How to apply
Eligible applicants should first contact Dr Morgan Barnes (morgan.barnes@ucl.ac.uk). Please enclose the following documents:
- A one-page statement outlining motivation and suitability for the project.
- Two-pages curriculum vitae (including contact details of two referees).
After discussing the project with Dr Barnes, eligible applicants should also submit a formal PhD application via the UCL website.
The supervisory team will arrange interviews for short-listed candidates.