This role is part of the UK Catalysis Hub where the practical work will take place at the 69色情片 Complex at Harwell (RCaH), working within the Hub laboratories.

The UK Catalysis Hub is a national consortium of 46 universities, 15 companies, the STFC Harwell science facilities, and 13 international partners established in 2013 to coordinate and advance UK catalysis research and connect it internationally. Now in its third phase of funding, its priority research areas include sustainability and net zero, digital chemistry, and advanced characterisation methods. One of its core missions is to support the training and career development of early career researchers via community events.

This is an exciting opportunity for a skilled and motivated postdoctoral researcher to work at the interface of heterogeneous catalysis, in situ spectroscopy, and computational modelling to understand molecular behaviour in zeolite catalysts for sustainable aviation fuels.

This one-year project brings together complementary expertise in catalytic testing and in situ spectroscopy (Lezcano Gonzalez, UK Catalysis Hub/Manchester) with atomistic modelling and simulation of microporous catalysts (O’Malley, Bath). The work will focus on the alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) process, a key route to sustainable aviation fuels, and aims to establish how adsorption, diffusion, and competitive site interactions within zeolite micropores govern catalytic performance, selectivity, and stability.

The project will involve catalytic testing in fixed-bed reactors and in situ FTIR/DRIFTS spectroscopy to probe adsorption, acid-site interactions, and reaction intermediates, alongside computational studies using density functional theory and molecular dynamics simulations. The successful candidate will be based at Harwell and will work closely with both experimental and modelling teams, gaining experience across multiple techniques.

This role offers a unique opportunity to develop an integrated experimental–computational skillset, with strong links to national facilities (ISIS and Diamond) and future large-scale research programmes. There will also be opportunities to engage with industrial partners working on sustainable aviation fuels and advanced catalyst materials. 

Both the UKCH and University of Bath are strongly committed to ED&I and RRI, with comprehensive strategies to tackle long-standing issues facing under-represented groups and key ethical issues, focusing on empowering, inspiring, connecting and upskilling more diverse leaders.

About you

Ideal candidate will have experience in the use of vibrational spectroscopy to study the adsorption of molecules into porous materials, and experience of collaborating with expertise in quantum mechanical calculations or using such methods directly. 

Apart from excellent technical skills, good organisational, communication and presentation skills are essential for this role, as is the ability to work well in an interdisciplinary environment. 

Interaction with partners of the UK Catalysis Hub and participation in their events will be expected.

Further information

This is a full time (36.5 hours per week) fixed term role with an expected start date of September 2026 for 12 months. 

For an informal discussion regarding the role please contact Alexander O'Malley at aom36@bath.ac.uk.

We consider ourselves to be a university where difference is celebrated, respected and encouraged. We have an excellent international reputation with staff from over 60 different nations and have made a positive commitment towards gender equity and intersectionality receiving a Silver Athena SWAN award. We truly believe that diversity of experience, perspectives, and backgrounds will lead to a better environment for our employees and students and encourage applications from all genders, backgrounds, and communities, particularly from under-represented groups, and value the positive impact that will have on the university. We are committed to maintaining a safe and secure environment for our students, staff, and community by reinforcing our Safer Recruitment commitment.

We're very proud to be a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant. an accredited Disability Confident Leader; autism friendly university, committed to building disability confidence and supporting disabled staff. 

What we can offer you

We're continually expanding our benefits package to better support you and enhance your experience with us and the below is just an example of some of the many great benefits we offer:

• Free counselling services through Health Assured
• Cycle to work scheme
• Electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme
• Staff discount at Team Bath gym
• Staff discounts on postgraduate tuition fees
• Staff discount on language courses
• Generous employer contributory pension schemes
• Generous annual leave allowance with an additional 5 discretionary days so that you can enjoy a positive work life balance
• A wide range of personal and professional development opportunities including Apprenticeships, LinkedIn Learning and more
• Free entry to the Holburne Museum in Bath
• Local discounts and more
• A family-friendly workplace 
• An excellent reward package that recognises the talents of our diverse workforce

Find out more about our benefits and watch the video to hear from our staff about what makes the University of Bath a great place to work as well as following us and .

 

Closing Date: 08 Jun 2026

Department: Education & 69色情片

Salary: £38,784 to £46,049

Vinyl plastics such as poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), polystyrene, and related materials underpin a wide range of high-value applications, yet their robust carbon–carbon backbones make them exceptionally difficult to recycle at the end of life. Current recycling routes are dominated by mechanical reprocessing or by high-temperature thermochemical methods that operate with poor selectivity and high energy demand. These limitations present a major barrier to achieving circularity for vinyl polymers and contribute significantly to the carbon footprint of the plastics sector.

In this project, you will play a central role in the chemistry-led work package investigating the fundamental mechanisms governing photo-depolymerisation of materials such as PMMA (Perspex). You will collaborate with colleagues in the Department of Chemical Engineering (Cavitation initiated depolymerisation) and the Department of Mechanical Engineering (systems analysis) at the University of Bath.

This mechanistic insight will directly inform process optimisation, reactor design, and extension of the methodology to additional vinyl polymers and mixed plastic systems. As part of a wider team, you will also interact with Chemical Engineers and Systems Analysis experts to assess potential technologies as scalable recycling concepts, contributing to a step-change in sustainable polymer chemistry aligned with Net Zero and circular-economy goals.

About you

Primarily, you will work under the supervision of Dr Simon Freakley, Dr Jon Husband and Prof. Matthew Davidson and be trained in polymer science, kinetic and mechanistic studies of reaction and photo–catalysis/chemistry - building on preliminary results published in Photo-initiated solvent-mediated depolymerization of consumer poly(methyl methacrylate) without chlorinated reagents. Nat Commun 17, 1235 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-67997-7

• PhD in Chemistry or associated discipline
• Knowledge in Photochemistry / Photocatalysis and / or (de)polymerisation chemistry
• Broader idea of non-thermal and non-mechanical plastic recycling or chemical recycling of plastics
• Excellent oral, interpersonal and written communication skills
• The ability to work well in an interdisciplinary environment
• Ability to organise and prioritise own workload to meet required deadlines
• Ability to write research reports and to effectively disseminate outcomes

Further information

This role is offered on a full time fixed term basis (36.5 hours per week for 36 months). 

For an informal discussion regarding the role please contact Simon Freakley at sf756@bath.ac.uk.

We consider ourselves to be a university where difference is celebrated, respected and encouraged. We have an excellent international reputation with staff from over 60 different nations and have made a positive commitment towards gender equity and intersectionality receiving a Silver Athena SWAN award. We truly believe that diversity of experience, perspectives, and backgrounds will lead to a better environment for our employees and students and encourage applications from all genders, backgrounds, and communities, particularly from under-represented groups, and value the positive impact that will have on the university. We are committed to maintaining a safe and secure environment for our students, staff, and community by reinforcing our Safer Recruitment commitment.

We're very proud to be a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant. an accredited Disability Confident Leader; autism friendly university, committed to building disability confidence and supporting disabled staff. 

What we can offer you 

We're continually expanding our benefits package to better support you and enhance your experience with us and the below is just an example of some of the many great benefits we offer:

• Employee assistance services through Health Assured, including access to the Wisdom app
• Generous annual leave allowance with an additional 5 discretionary days so that you can enjoy a positive work life balance
• Generous employer contributory pension schemes
• Cycle to work scheme
• Electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme
• Staff discount at Team Bath gym
• Staff benefits include discounted postgraduate tuition and language courses, alongside a wide range of personal and professional development opportunities such as apprenticeships, LinkedIn Learning, and more
• Local discounts, including free entry to the Holburne Museum in Bath
• A family-friendly workplace 
• An excellent reward package that recognises the talents of our diverse workforce
• Relocation allowance
• Visa reimbursement and Interest-Free Loan to help with the cost of some immigration expenses

Find out more about our benefits and watch the video to hear from our staff about what makes the University of Bath a great place to work as well as following us and .

Be Well at Bath

We’re committed to creating a health-supporting working environment where everyone can thrive and be at their best. We offer a range of resources to enable you to do that from your first day here, including:

• Staff support groups and networks
• A network of Staff Wellbeing Champions
• A suite of tools, resources and frameworks that enable you to be at your best and thrive

Find out more about being at your best at Bath.

 

Closing Date: 05 Jun 2026

Department: Education & 69色情片

Salary: £38,784 to £46,049