Surface engineering of polymer sorbents for efficient PFAS capture

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a family of manufactured and highly persistent chemicals that have been detected in almost all environments, however existing approaches for removal of PFAS from the environment are inefficient. This project will innovate and evaluate novel and reusable ion-exchange resins enabling superior efficient, selective and continuous sorption of PFAS, while maintaining excellent environmental stability for long-term implementation of PFAS capture. This project will revolutionize the conventional methods to remediation of PFAS with high technical, economic and environmental feasibility, create a pathway to a PFAS-free world, and ultimately protect human health and the natural environment.

The project is to be conducted as a collaboration between the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) and Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS) within UQ, creating an outstanding intellectual and infrastructural environment to support the project. 

Laboratory - AIBN: The extensive synthesis and characterization of the new resins will be conducted within the office and laboratory complex AIBN (169,000 ft2). To support the proposed research, the AIBN has, within world-class laboratories, a range of advanced characterization facilities for determining the properties and solution behavior of polymers. The AIBN also houses the Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis (CMM), and the Queensland node of the Australian Nanofabrication Facility (ANFF-Q), which provide world-class facilities for nanoscale characterization of polymeric devices. A full time floor manager is appointed. Laboratory - QAEHS: The QAEHS is a leading institution in the field of ultra-trace analysis of organic pollutants in Australia (150,000 ft2). PFAS analysis will be performed at QAEHS. 

This project is supported by the Research project scholarship.

Learn more about the Research project scholarship.

You must contact the principal supervisor for this project to discuss your interest. You should only complete the online application after you have reached agreement on supervision.

Always make sure you are approaching your potential supervisor in a professional way. We have provided some guidelines for you on how to contact a supervisor.

Your application will be assessed on a competitive basis.

We take into account your:

• previous academic record
• publication record
• honours and awards
• employment history.

A working knowledge of nanotechnology and materials characterisation would be of benefit to someone working on this project.

You will demonstrate academic achievement in the fields of materials science and environmental engineering and the potential for scholastic success.

A background or knowledge of polymer chemistry, organic chemistry and materials science is highly desirable.

To be considered for this scholarship, please email the following documents to Dr Ch:

• Cover letter
• CV
• Academic transcript/s
• Evidence for meeting UQ's English language proficiency requirements e.g. TOEFL, IELTS

Please note the following: Submitting the above documents does not constitute a full application for admission into The University of Queensland's PhD program. If you are selected as the preferred applicant, you will then be invited to submit a full application for admission. You can familiarise yourself with the documents required for this process on the UQ Study website.