Cyanoacrylate adhesives, known as “super glues,” are composed of cyanoacrylate monomers which rapidly polymerize in the presence of moisture. These adhesives are renowned for high tensile strength and fast setting times, and are used in diverse applications such as household repairs, industrial applications such as assembly of parts and components in the electronics, automotive and luxury goods sectors and even in the medical field for sutureless wound closure.

However, there are drawbacks to the cyanoacrylates currently utilized and the processes that underpin them. Traditional cyanoacrylates often form brittle polymers that are sensitive to moisture and high temperatures, and current industrial production of such monomers has a high energy demand and limits their scope due to the requirement to thermally “crack” oligomers formed during the synthesis.

In this project, the candidate will explore and design new cyanoacrylates and related monomers suitable for use in adhesive applications. The project will involve the synthesis of these materials through existing and new ‘crackless’ synthetic routes, and also explore more contemporary synthetic technologies such as continuous flow best suited to the new routes. Once synthesised, the candidate will characterize materials using advanced spectroscopic methods. Electron-deficient olefins are also attractive and common intermediates in organic synthesis, so new methods for their formation will be highly valuable beyond the adhesive field. There is a significant opportunity to create both new intellectual property and research publications based on the results of the project.

This project is a collaboration between the Knipe Lab – a synthetic chemistry lab based in Queen’s University Belfast – and Aeardis – an industrial consultancy with over three decades of experience in the field of polymers and adhesives. The project will be primarily hosted in the Knipe Lab.

Candidate Requirements

Applicants should hold, or expect to receive, an honours degree at 2.1 or 1st in Chemistry or a closely associated discipline.

A Master’s degree and experience in synthetic chemistry would be advantageous.

Enquiries and Applications

Informal enquiries are welcomed and should be directed to Dr Peter Knipe (p.knipe@qub.ac.uk).

Formal applications should be made via Queens University Belfast’s online application portal https://dap.qub.ac.uk/portal/user/u_login.php

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

We value a diverse research environment and aim to be an inclusive university, where difference is celebrated and respected. We welcome and encourage applications from under-represented groups.

If you have circumstances that you feel we should be aware of that have affected your educational attainment, then please feel free to tell us about it in your application form. The best way to do this is a short paragraph at the end of your personal statement.

Keywords

Electron-deficient olefins; cyanoacrylates; adhesives; superglue; organic synthesis; organic spectroscopy; continuous flow; industry.

Funding Notes

The project is fully funded inclusive of tuition fees (for students from NI, ROI or GB, see “Eligibility” section), stipend at the UKRI rate (£18,622 in the first year), travel and consumables.

Eligibility

The project is funded inclusive of fees for students from Northern Ireland,¹ the Republic of Ireland² and Great Britain.¹ Students from outside these jurisdictions will be ineligible for the position.

The fee will be calculated on a monthly basis, pro-rated for the academic year, based on the month a student commences study.

¹ EU citizens in the EU Settlement Scheme, with settled or pre-settled status, will be charged the NI or GB tuition fee based on where they are ordinarily resident. Students who are ROI nationals resident in GB will be charged the GB fee.

² ROI nationals resident in ROI will be eligible for NI tuition fees, in line with the Common Travel Agreement arrangements. 

The prevalence of microplastics in the environment is a source of real concern. Detecting, identifying and measuring microparticles which are present at low concentrations is hugely challenging but is important because  such measurements underpin efforts to understand the nature and extent of the problem and to support remediation efforts.

This project will bring together a well-known academic team working in vibrational spectroscopy with a commercial partner who have a strong track record in producing water sensors for industrial applications. The aim is to make a step change in the capabilities of water quality sensors and develop the next generation of instruments will allow detection and identification of microparticulates in the field with accuracy and sensitivity that is well beyond what is currently possible. The aim will be to develop fieldable remote sensors for continuous monitoring that can be deployed and operated in harsh conditions. The work will involve a combination of spectroscopy developed in an academic laboratory with optical instrument development work which will be carried out in collaboration with the partner company at their site. It will be complemented an ongoing project funded by the European Space Agency (ESA) that is centred on investigating a different aspect of this same problem. This is an opportunity to both carry out leading edge science and to contribute to bringing the benefits of that research to an important real-world challenge.

For more information please contact: Professor Steven Bell (S.Bell@qub.ac.uk)