Imperial College London
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1 month ago
Departmental PhD Scholarship
PhD Scholarship in Lignin Valorisation for the Circular Economy at Imperial College London Imperial College London in United Kingdom
Degree Level
PhD
Field of study
Chemistry
Funding
Competition funded PhD project with Departmental PhD Scholarship and Departmental DTP Scholarship funding notes. Funding is for a PhD project; no stipend amount or tuition details are stated in the post.
Deadline
Oct 31, 2026
Country
United Kingdom
University
Imperial College London

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About this position
PhD Scholarship Project: Lignin valorisation for the circular economy at Imperial College London, Department of Chemical Engineering.
This PhD project focuses on the valorisation of lignin, the most abundant renewable source of aromatic carbon on Earth. The research will convert lignin into well-defined aromatic and aliphatic building blocks using reductive catalytic fractionation, mechanocatalysis, and related depolymerisation strategies applied directly to lignocellulosic biomass.
You will work on catalyst design and characterisation, lignin structure and coupling chemistry, and the translation of laboratory findings into scalable biorefinery processes that integrate lignin upgrading with cellulose and hemicellulose utilisation. The project sits at the interface of chemical engineering, chemistry, catalysis, and sustainable materials/chemicals.
The department offers advanced experimental and computational facilities, including the Automated High-Throughput Platform Suite, the Sargent Centre for Process Systems Engineering, and the Sustainable Futures Lab. The post is described as a competition-funded PhD project for students worldwide.
Funding notes mention a Departmental PhD Scholarship and Departmental DTP Scholarship. The post does not state a stipend amount or detailed tuition coverage.
Applicants should be interested in challenging chemical and engineering problems, careful experimentation, and interdisciplinary research. Interested candidates are encouraged to contact Assoc Prof Roberto Rinaldi before applying.
Applications are accepted all year round, but the page lists three deadline rounds for entry in October 2027: 31 October 2026, 31 December 2026, and 28 February 2027.
Funding details
Competition funded PhD project with Departmental PhD Scholarship and Departmental DTP Scholarship funding notes. Funding is for a PhD project; no stipend amount or tuition details are stated in the post.
What's required
Applicants should have a strong interest in challenging chemical and engineering problems, careful experimentation, and interdisciplinary research at the interface of chemistry and engineering. The project is suitable for candidates interested in catalytic biomass conversion, lignin chemistry, heterogeneous catalysis, and biorefinery processes. The department offers a 3-4-year research degree; applicants must submit a PhD application through the online admissions system and are encouraged to contact the supervisor before applying.
How to apply
Contact Dr Roberto Rinaldi before applying. Submit a PhD application for admission through Imperial College London's online admissions system. Use the project enquiry option if you want to register interest.
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