Francesco Iacoviello

Fully funded PhD studentship at University College London (UCL), Chemical Engineering. This project is titled Multi-length scale characterisation of critical materials for optimised extraction and recycling and focuses on the structure and behaviour of critical materials used in wind turbines, electric vehicles, smartphones, and other technologies that depend on lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper, rare earth elements, and platinum group metals. The research sits at the intersection of Chemical Engineering , Materials Science , Physics , and Computer Science . It will use X-ray computed tomography , correlative microscopy , and potentially synchrotron beamtime to study materials across length scales from microns to nanometres. A key aim is to understand how internal architecture, phase connectivity, and boundaries affect extraction and recycling performance. The project also explores AI-driven image reconstruction and recognition and aims to move beyond static snapshots toward capturing materials as they respond to processing conditions. The studentship is co-supervised by Dr Vassilis Charitopoulos from the Sargent Centre for Process Systems Engineering, linking microstructure research to national resource security and process systems engineering. Funding: 4 years, fully funded. UK-equivalent fees are covered. International applicants are welcome if they can self-cover the fee gap. Eligibility: Applicants should have a background in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, or Earth Sciences, with a first-class MEng/MSc or equivalent. Prior experience with tomography, electron microscopy, image analysis, or programming is helpful but not essential. How to apply: Apply via UCL's portal. Nominate Dr Francesco Iacoviello as supervisor and include a statement of interest.