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EPSRC 2020 VACATION INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME

The University, in conjunction with EPSRC, has a number of summer vacation internship awards available for

undergraduate students. The vacation internship scheme gives undergraduate students a taster of what it is like to

do research. The students are given practical, first-hand experience of working on and carrying out research in a UK

university. The awards are aimed at Home/EU undergraduate students in the middle years of their degree

programme (i.e. have completed their 2nd year of study on a 3 year degree course, or have completed their 2nd or 3rd

year of study on a 4 year degree course) who are undertaking their degree in a subject that falls within the remit of

EPSRC (https://www.epsrc.ac.uk/research/ourportfolio/).

Application forms should be completed and returned to Debbie Henderson, PGR Student Team, by email to

(pgrstudentships@liverpool.ac.uk) no later than 4.30pm on Thursday 27th February 2020. Successful applicants will

be employed as interns and receive a minimum payment rate equivalent to the National Living Wage for a period of

up to ten weeks.

The following research projects are being offered by the School of Electrical Engineering & Electronics and Computer

Science, School of Physical Sciences, the School of Engineering and the School of Environmental Sciences:

School of Electrical Engineering & Electronics and Computer Science

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING & ELECTRONICS

1. Project Title: Control system design for a low-cost programmable DC power supply

Supervisors: Dr Roberto Ferrero, Department of Electrical Engineering & Electronics

Description: This project is in collaboration with a local company that has designed an initial prototype of a low-cost

programmable DC power supply that could suit a large variety of low-power applications, with significant savings

compared to the existing commercial products. The power supply converts the AC power from the mains to DC

power, and it regulates the output voltage or current to meet the different requirements of different loads.

The hardware (i.e. the electrical/electronic circuit) has already been designed and assembled, but the control

algorithm still requires some research and it is the objective of this project. The student will have to identify a simple

but effective control strategy to meet the converter design specifications. Then, the algorithm will have to be

implemented in a simple micro-controller (e.g. MSP430) and thoroughly tested.

The student should have a basic knowledge of control systems and good programming skills in C language, ideally

with previous experience of programming a micro-controller. Knowledge of power converters is desirable but not

essential.

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The student will be supervised directly by Dr Roberto Ferrero, a Senior Lecturer in the department of Electrical

Engineering & Electronics, but they may work also with PhD students in Dr Ferrero’s team. All the experimental work

will be carried out in the labs in the EEE building.

2. Project Title: Implantable sensor for knee movement monitoring during rehabilitation

Supervisors: Dr Roberto Ferrero, Department of Electrical Engineering & Electronics

Description: This project is in collaboration with a local company that has designed an initial prototype of a low-cost

programmable DC power supply that could suit a large variety of low-power applications, with significant savings

compared to the existing commercial products. The power supply converts the AC power from the mains to DC

power, and it regulates the output voltage or current to meet the different requirements of different loads.

The hardware (i.e. the electrical/electronic circuit) has already been designed and assembled, but the control

algorithm still requires some research and it is the objective of this project. The student will have to identify a simple

but effective control strategy to meet the converter design specifications. Then, the algorithm will have to be

implemented in a simple micro-controller (e.g. MSP430) and thoroughly tested.

The student should have a basic knowledge of control systems and good programming skills in C language, ideally

with previous experience of programming a micro-controller. Knowledge of power converters is desirable but not

essential.

The student will be supervised directly by Dr Roberto Ferrero, a Senior Lecturer in the department of Electrical

Engineering & Electronics, but they may work also with PhD students in Dr Ferrero’s team. All the experimental work

will be carried out in the labs in the EEE building.

3. Project Title: Gas Sensing with Zno Thin Film Transistors

Supervisors: Dr Ian Sandall, Department of Electrical Engineering & Electronics

Description: Over the last few decades, with the rapid development of industrialization and urbanization, the severe

air pollution primarily attributed to automobile exhaust and factory emission has become a great threat to human

survival and development. Meanwhile, a leakage of flammable and explosive gases may result in loss of life and

property damage. So, real-time and effective detection of those harmful gases via using gas sensors is in pressing

need at present. Off all the numerous semiconductor gas sensors, semiconducting metal oxide based gas sensors

have received wide research around the globe by virtue of their high gas response, excellent selectivity, good

portability, and low fabrication cost.

Thin film and nano particle ZnO based transistors are highly sensitive to their surrounding environment. Chemical

compounds in the atmosphere are able to bind and modify the surface potential of the ZnO resulting in measurable

changes in the transistors electrical performance (i.e. causing a shift in the turn on voltage). As such these devices

make promising candidates for low cost and portable gas sensing devices. As well as environmental and industrial

based gases as described above, the ability to monitor gases also has applications in medical diagnosis and

treatments. One gas of particular interest is ketone (acetone), this is produced in people with diabetes and as such

the reliable and accurate monitoring of ketone in breath samples offers a potential route to develop non-invasive

diagnosis for diabetes, eliminating the need for repeated blood finger prick based tests, and long term creating the

possibility of utilizing a mobile phone sensor and app to monitor glucose levels. . In this project the student will

fabricate ZnO thin film Transistors, via thin film deposition techniques and characterize their electrical properties

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both under ambient conditions and when exposed to gases such as acetone. The selectivity and sensitivity of the

devices will be evaluated, with an aim to determine the optimum device design.

4. Project Title: Design and Construction of an Electrochemical Impedance System

Supervisors: Dr Ian Sandall, Department of Electrical Engineering & Electronics

Description: Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy is a characterization tool used to diagnosis charges and

changes on the surface of a material. Electrochemical impedanceis the response of an electrochemical system (cell)

to an applied potential. The frequency dependence of this impedance can reveal information concerning the

underlying chemical processes. Commercial systems to measure the impedance in this way are often relatively large

and expensive, however the underlying principle only involves applying signals of differing frequencies and measuring

a phase shift. Which can easily be achieved using micro-controller. The aim of this project is to identify and make use

of suitable micro-controller (i.e. Arduino, Raspberry Pi, etc.) to design and build a low cost and portable

Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy System.

5. Project Title: Investigation of InAs(Sb) Nanowires for potential use in next generation electronic and

optoelectronic devices.

Supervisors: Dr Ian Sandall, Department of Electrical Engineering & Electronics

Description: Semiconductors are able to efficiently convert electrical energy into light; this is the basis of light

emitting diodes (LEDs) and semiconductor lasers as well as convert light back into an electrical signal as a photodiode.

Semiconductor based nanowire devices have received considerable attention over the last few years due to their

unique one-dimensional structure which gives rise to unique electrical and opto-electrical properties. This has

resulted in the demonstration of a variety of devices including; photodiodes], light emitting diodes], and transistors.

Furthermore due to an intrinsic reduction of strain during the epitaxial growth, it has been possible to realize

nanowires from a variety of compound semiconductors on differing substrates, including silicon, graphene and glass

opening a potential routes to so called silicon photonics for integrated photonic circuits, flexible circuits and low cost

manufacturing.

In this project a range of differing nanowires will be fabricated into electrical devices, exploring differing metallic

contacts and then evaluated to help understand their properties and potential performance.

Capacitance-Voltage measurements will be undertaken on different samples and over a range of temperatures to try

and determine the electrical doping within the nanowires, in terms of both its concentration and polarity. These

results will then be compared to the growth parameters for the different samples to try and establish relationships

between growth conditions and device performance.

Additionally Current-Voltage measurements will be performed to determine turn on voltages, ideality factors and

saturation currents. These will again be compared to the differing growth and fabrication procedures to determine

the relationships between the manufacturing conditions and the final device performance.

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6. Project Title: Wireless Charging of Mobile or Implantable Medical Devices

Supervisors: Dr. Jiafeng Zhou Department of Electrical Engineering & Electronics

Description: Length: 10 weeks from 1 June 2020

Every year in the UK, more than 40,000 people will have a pacemaker fitted. The battery of the pacemaker usually

lasts up to about six years. More advanced pacemakers tend to use more energy so have a shorter battery life. There

are many other types of implantable electronic devices as well, such as nerve stimulator, glucose monitoring sensors

and capsule endoscope that are widely used worldwide. The batteries in these devices need to be replaced surgically

when they become depleted. Typically a patient will need to stay in hospital for a few days due to potential risks

associated with the surgery.

This project will develop techniques to charge the batteries wirelessly to extend the lifespan of implantable and

wearable devices. Such techniques can also be used for wireless communication of these devices. During this project,

a prototype of wireless power transfer system will be constructed and evaluated for the suitability for implantable

devices. After the project, the candidate will gain the knowledge of wireless power transfer, energy harvesting and

the application of medical implantable devices. The candidate should ideally have some experience of electronic

circuit design. This is desired but not compulsory. You will be supported by PhD students who are carrying out

research in this area.

The same technology can also be applied to the charging of mobile phones, electrical vehicles or drones etc. The

candidate can choose any of the topics during the project.

Informal enquires can be emailed to jiafeng.zhou@liveprool.ac.uk.

7. Project Title: Development of Microwave Devices for Satellite Communications

Supervisors: Dr. Jiafeng Zhou Department of Electrical Engineering & Electronics

Description: Length: 10 weeks from 1 June 2020

The UK has a thriving space sector with significant capability in manufacturing satellites and using the information

they collect to drive innovation in other sectors ranging from healthcare to finance. Microwave and radio frequency

(RF) signals serve as the backbone of communication between space systems, such as satellites and spaceports, and

the ground. It is crucial to develop RF devices capable of transmitting, receiving or utilising radio signals.

This project will look into the design of such devices, including low and high power amplifiers, filters or mixers etc.

During this project, you will understand the fundamental elements of satellite communications, and then develop

one of these devices by considering its size, weight and performance. For example, waveguide filter offers sharp

selectivity up to millimeter wavelengths and has the ability to handle high powers. However, they are generally higher

in cost, heavier in size and naturally greater in size. In this project, a high-performance filter can be developed which

is cable of delivering high power and sharp selectivity, but with much reduced size and weight. The candidate should

ideally have some knowledge and experience of radio frequency technology. This is desired but not compulsory. You

will be supported by PhD students who are carrying out research in this area.

Informal enquires can be emailed to jiafeng.zhou@liveprool.ac.uk.

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8. Project Title: Deep Learning-based Wireless Device Classification

Supervisors: Dr. Junqing Zhang Department of Electrical Engineering & Electronics

Description:

(1) Overview

There are many notorious wireless attacks in recent years, in particular to low cost Internet of Things devices. Device

authentication is essential for allowing legitimate devices to access the network while declining malicious users.

Conventional schemes rely on MAC addresses, which are not secure; the MAC addresses can be tampered easily even

by amateurs. A secure yet lightweight device authentication scheme is thus strongly required.

Similar to the biometric fingerprints of human being, wireless devices also have their intrinsic features, termed as

radio frequency fingerprinting (RFF). Therefore, RFF identification can be used to classify wireless devices based on

the received signals [1,2].

(2) Objective

This intern project will investigate WiFi-based RFF identification and build a prototype system. As shown in the figure,

FiPy1 platforms, serving as the WiFi devices to be classified, will emit WiFi signals. A PlutoSDR2 will collect extensive

wireless signals from different FiPy devices at different locations. The PlutoSDR will then adopt deep learning

algorithms to train a network and classify devices.

(3) Expected Procedures

a. Conduct a literature review into RFF identification.

b. Learn WiFi protocol.

c. Learn deep learning methods such as CNN.

d. Build a PlutoSDR-based prototype system.

Besides the supervision from the supervisor, the student will be assisted by the PhD student who is working in this

area. Sufficient and efficient supervision will thus be provided.

1 https://pycom.io/product/fipy/ 2 https://www.analog.com/en/design-center/evaluation-hardware-and-software/evaluation-boards-kits/adalm-pluto.html

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(4) Requirements

a. Strong interests in the wireless communications and security

b. Strong Python/Matlab programming skills.

(5) Reference

[1] Deep Learning Based RF Fingerprint Identification Using Differential Constellation Trace Figure, IEEE Transactions

on Vehicular Technology, 2019

[2] Design of a hybrid RF fingerprint extraction and device classification scheme, IEEE Internet of Things Journal, 2019.

9. Project Title: Instrumentation for bioreactor to monitor artificial muscle constructs

Supervisors: Dr Kai Hoettges, Department of Electrical Engineering & Electronics

Description: This project will be alighted to MicroAge, a UK space agency funded research project.

https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/ageing-and-chronic-disease/microage-in-partnership-with-the-uk-space-agency/

MicroAge studies ageing of artificial muscles in microgravity and is designing a bioreactor system to fly on the

international space station. Due to the restricted size and weight for space experiments, a novel electrical monitoring

technique was developed for this project allowing to sense that the artificial muscles are contracting and measure

the contraction strength. However for benchmarking a different set of electronics will be needed that allows to

integrate the current electrical technique with mechanical force measurements and optical monitoring, this

enhanced version of the electronics will also be used for outreach demonstrations.

The student will design circuits based on the fight hardware but will add additional capabilities to allow more flexible

use of the system. As well as allowing to synchronise the electrical characterisation circuits with image acquisition

and force data in parallel.

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DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE

10. Project title: Reachability Problems for Dynamical Networks

Supervisors: Prof. Igor Potapov, Department of Computer Science

Description: Reachability is a fundamental problem that appear in several different contexts. In Theoretical

Computer Science (TCS) a description of processes that we need to analyse is typically given in form of transition

functions, rewriting rules, transformations, iterative functions, logical formulas and the reachability questions related

to understanding of the dynamics of such processes. Informally speaking the standard reachability problem is to

check whether a given set of target states can be reached starting from some initial states. Other variants can be

defined about the questions of reaching from at least one initial state or from all possible states, deterministically

reachable or with a certain probability, synchronously from different states as well as reachable or not reachable

under some control.

Currently there is a high demand on understanding dynamic trends, information spreading, epidemic chains,

migration processes and this project aims to look at the such next-generation reachability problems through the

prism of TCS models and abstractions such as temporal graphs [1], probabilistic models of computation [2], automata

and matrix theories [3,4], etc.

The project may be either focused on combined abstractions or can consider reachability problems in individual

concepts:

Project A: Reachability in Dynamical Networks

Project B: Reachability in Temporal Graphs

Project C: Reachability in Probabilistic Models

Project D: Reachability in Automata and Matrix Semigroups

References: [1] A. Deligkas, I. Potapov. Optimizing Reachability Sets in Temporal Graphs by Delaying. Thirty-Fourth AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence, AAAI-20, 2020 [2] Stefan Kiefer. Probabilistic Models of Computation https://stekie.blogspot.com/2018/03/probabilistic-models-of-computation.html [3] Vincent D Blondel, Raphaël M Jungers, Alex Olshevsky. On primitivity of sets of matrices Automatica Journal, Vol. 61, 2015 [4] Sang-Ki Ko, Reino Niskanen, Igor Potapov: Reachability Problems in Nondeterministic Polynomial Maps on the Integers. DLT 2018: 465-477

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11. Project title: Speeding up bioinformatics algorithms by GPU programming

Supervisors: Mr Thomas Carroll, Prof. Prudence Wong, Department of Computer Science

Description: In bioinformatics, we look to use computational approaches in solving biological problems. For example,

we can use specialized pattern matching on strings to match-up a DNA sample to a database record.

GPU computing is to use GPU (graphics processing unit) together with CPU to accelerate computation. It is

particularly useful when we need to process massive amount of data, e.g., biological data. The project involves

* understanding of the GPU architecture * learning of CUDA * learning of a bioinformatics problem and algorithms to solve it * implementing the algorithms learnt to exploit the speed up of GPU * running experiments to analyse the degree of speed up achieved

The student taking this project would have access to machines with NVIDIA GPUs installed. This is a great opportunity

for students to learn to program on these machines with cutting edge technology. This project requires students to

be strong in programming and be able to pick up a new language in a short time.

12. Project title: Speeding up network visualisation using GPU programming

Supervisors: Mr Thomas Carroll, Prof. Prudence Wong, Department of Computer Science

Description: In order to gain information from a graph or network, it is often desirable to display it on the screen.

The positioning of the nodes on the screen can affect how the graph is interpreted – one positioning may show

something that is jumbled up with many overlapping edges, whereas another positioning may show a clear layout or

pattern to the information.

GPU computing is to use GPU (graphics processing unit) together with CPU to accelerate computation. It is

particularly useful when we need to process massive amount of data, e.g., data represented as graphs. The project

involves

* understanding of the GPU architecture * learning of CUDA * learning of the graph drawing problem and algorithms to solve it * implementing the algorithms learnt to exploit the speed up of GPU * running experiments to analyse the degree of speed up achieved

The student taking this project would have access to machines with NVIDIA GPUs installed. This is a great opportunity

for students to learn to program on these machines with cutting edge technology. This project requires students to

be strong in programming and be able to pick up a new language in a short time.

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School of Physical Sciences

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

13. Project Title: Visible light accelerated photocatalysis in-the-flow: direct harvesting and re-use of visible light energy

Supervisors: Dr. Konstantin Luzyanin, Department of Chemistry

Description: Visible light-induced reactions have since recently emerged as a powerful tool in organic synthesis.

Three types of photocatalytic reactions include (i) conventional photocatalysis based on photosensitisation by a

photocatalyst enabling the transformation via redox-, atom transfer-, or energy transfer pathway,1 (ii) dual

photocatalysis, combining photosensitisation by a photocatalyst with subsequent transition metal catalysis,2 and

exceptionally rare examples of (iii) self-photosensitising transition-metal photocatalysis, in which a metal catalyst

itself serves as both photo-absorbing species and enables catalysis.3

While advantages of the latter type system can be easily recognised, one of the first ever reported catalysts of this

type based on the rationally designed organometallics, was recently discovered in our group.4 We demonstrated its

application for the hydrosilylation catalysis under visible light irradiation in the batch reactor, and in the current

project, we would like to combine its efficiency with advantages of a specially designed in our group photocatalytic

flow setup. Project will involve a basic programming of the setup and optimization of the flow conditions leading to

direct harvesting and re-use of visible light energy in the new photocatalytic process in-the-flow.

References 1. D. M. Schultz and T. P. Yoon, Science, 2014, 343, 1239176. 2. X. Lang, J. Zhao and X. Chen, Chem. Soc. Rev., 2016, 45, 3026–3038. 3. M. Parasram and V. Gevorgyan, Chem. Soc. Rev., 2017, 46, 6227–6240 4. a) J. C. Gee, B. A. Fuller, H.-M. Lockett, G. Sedghi, C. M. Robertson and K. V. Luzyanin, Chem. Commun., 2018, 54, 9450–9453; b) M. A. Kinzhalov, M. V. Kashina, A. S. Mikherdov, E. A. Mozheeva, A. S. Novikov, A. S. Smirnov, D. M. Ivanov, M. A. Kryukova, A. Y. Ivanov, S. N. Smirnov, V. Y. Kukushkin and K. V. Luzyanin, Angew. Chem., 2018, 57, 12785–12789.

14. Project Title: Designing new molecular semiconductors

Supervisors: Prof. Alessandro Troisi, Department of Chemistry

Description: This is a theoretical computational project suitable for chemistry students with interest in the most

quantitative aspects of chemistry and don’t mind working with numbers and computers. It can also be of interest to

physics students. The student will use one of the following either (i) quantum chemistry software or (ii) python

programming to contribute to our research in the design of new semiconducting materials. The student can also

select what type of methodology they are more interested in learning/developing.

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15. Project Title: Automated continuous flow nanoprecipitation of polymeric nanoparticles for drug delivery

Supervisors: Dr Anna Slater, Prof. Steve Rannard, Department of Chemistry

Description: Polymeric nanoparticles (PNP) have great potential for cancer therapy. Systems using PNP offer benefits

over conventional therapies such as enhanced targeting, reduced side effects, and controlled release. The

mechanism of action and clearance from the body of PNP nanomedicines can be controlled by tuning the properties

of the system, but many challenges remain. For example, PNP systems designed to target the acidic environment of

tumour cells may also accumulate in stomach epithelial cells. The immune system is primed to remove foreign bodies

from the body; any nanomedicine must run a gauntlet of defence mechanisms before reaching the target drug

delivery site. Nanomedicine researchers seek to understand the relationship between PNP structure and ultimate

behaviour of the nanomedicine in the body.

Several factors affect a PNP system’s behaviour, including i) the properties of the polymer used, and ii) the properties

of the nanoparticle itself: size, shape, density, and stabilization. Highly reproducible methods of nanoparticle

formation are required in order to build robust structure/property relationships. Furthermore, scalable methods of

nanoparticle production are needed to produce large scale PNP batches that are homogenous and have the same

properties as those made on a small scale. This project will investigate the use of continuous flow nanoprecipitation

to achieve reproducible, scalable polymer nanoparticle formation.

The student will start by synthesising polymers and carrying out their batch nanoprecipitation under the supervision

of Prof. Rannard. Then, they will be taught how to use commercial and custom flow reactors and, with the supervision

of Dr Anna Slater, develop an automated flow nanoprecipitation process. They will systematically investigate the

effect of changing flow rate, polymer concentration, and residence time on the composition of the PNP. They will be

trained to fully characterise PNP using the equipment in the Rannard group and the Materials Innovation Factory.

16. Project Title: Developing Predictive Models for the Mechanical Properties of Solid Electrolytes

Supervisors: Dr Matthew S Dyer, Department of Chemistry

Description: Although recent advances in the discovery of new materials has revealed inorganic compounds with

ionic conductivities high enough to function as electrolytes in all solid-state batteries, there are still significant

materials challenges to overcome. For instance, there does not yet exist a solid state electrolyte material with the

ideal mechanical properties to enable simple processing during cell construction. Oxide materials (e.g. derivatives of

Li7La3Zr2O12 and LiTi2(PO4)3) are too hard and brittle, whereas the leading sulphide materials (e.g. Li6PS5I) are

considered too soft. It would be very helpful to be able to predict compositions which are likely to have intermediate

mechanical properties to these oxides and sulphides.

In this 10 week internship, we propose to develop and test mathematical models to predict the elastic constants of

candidate material compositions. Data on existing materials will be extracted from the materials project database

(https://materialsproject.org/) using the connected python API. This data will then be used in connection with simple

fitting and machine learning approaches to develop models capable of predicting the elastic constants of potential

new compounds without knowing their crystal structure. These models will then be tested and their accuracy

evaluated.

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This project forms part of a wider project funded by the Faraday Institution on the development of all solid state

lithium ion batteries. It will be supported by colleagues in the Leverhulme Research Centre for Functional Materials

Design, hosted in the Materials Innovation Factory, who will add their knowledge and understanding of data analytics

to the computational materials chemistry expertise of the supervisor.

17. Project Title: Hybrid Porous Glasses

Supervisors: Dr Becky Greenaway, Department of Chemistry, Collaborator: Dr Tom Bennett (University of

Cambridge)

Description: Porous organic cages are discrete molecules which contain an internal, permanent cavity accessible

through windows, and are typically formed using dynamic covalent chemistries such as imine condensations. The

individual cages can pack together in the solid state to form interconnected pore networks, making the materials

porous. This means they can have applications in gas uptake and molecular separations. Alternatively, they are ideal

candidates with which to form porous liquids – a liquid that contains permanent, empty, pores.

Typically, porous organic cages decompose before melting, so a number of design strategies have been investigated

to induce and lower the melting point. This includes reduction of the imine bonds and subsequent post-modification,

or the addition of alkyl groups on the cage exterior. These approaches successfully converted solid porous cages into

the liquid state – however, reduction of the imine bonds leads the cages to be more flexible and lack shape-

persistence, and whilst increasing the alkyl group length lowered the melting point, the longer alkyl chains began to

occupy the cavities of neighbouring cages,1,2 meaning in both cases, porosity was lost in the solid and liquid states.

However, these meltable cages did exhibit a glass transition which had not been reported previously.

This project will look to exploit these liquid cages which exhibit a glass transition to investigate the formation of

porous hybrid glasses in collaboration with Dr Tom Bennett (Cambridge) – by using meltable cages as the non-porous

‘glass former’, in the presence of a porous material, such as a metal-organic framework, a hyper-crosslinked polymer,

or cage microparticles, the formation of hybrid glasses will be investigated, and their porosity subsequently studied.3,4

This project will provide training and experience in the synthesis, characterisation, and sorption properties of porous

materials, and will provide an introduction into the use of mechanochemistry (ball-milling).

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References: (1) Chem. Sci., 2012, 3, 2153 – 2157; (2) Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2014, 16, 9422 – 9431; (3) JACS, 2016, 138, 3484

– 3492; (4) Nature Commun., 2018, 9, 5042.

18. Project Title: Branching Out: From Cages to Dumbbells to Frameworks

Supervisors: Dr Becky Greenaway, Department of Chemistry, Collaborator: Dr Mike Bennison (University of

Cambridge)

Description: Supramolecular synthesis is a powerful tool for assembling complex molecules such as organic cages.

Typically, this involves combining two precursors in a one-pot dynamic covalent reaction, although the use of an

increased number of precursors can lead to more complex structures.1 In recent years, the controlled assembly of

cage species into other assemblies has also been of interest, for example, the interlocking of organic cages to form

catenanes,2 and a ‘cage-to-framework’ strategy to realise crystalline cage-derived covalent-organic frameworks.3

However, in both of these cases, the cage units were synthesized prior to the assembly process.

Previously, we developed a high-throughput workflow for organic cage synthesis that included a range of capsular

cages formed using an imine condensation strategy – these cage molecules consisted of two tri-topic and three di-

topic building blocks (top scheme).4 These capsular imine cages have a simple and fairly rigid trigonal geometry that

lends itself to the design of more complex assemblies, and we exploited this in the successful formation of organic

cage dumbbells – two organic cages covalently connected by a strut (middle scheme).5 This cage dumbbell was the

first example of covalently connecting two cages together in a controlled manner by self-sorting, thus providing

proof-of-concept for more complex and controlled architectures involving more than a single cage species.

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This project will look to build on this, moving towards higher architectures such as cage-derived covalent organic

frameworks (bottom scheme) in collaboration with Dr Mike Bennison (Cambridge). A number of different approaches

will be investigated – a ‘cage-to-framework’ cross-coupling strategy, direct self-assembly of the precursors, and

formal transamination. The incorporation of solubilising groups and different reaction conditions will also be

screened, and the structure and porosity of the resulting materials studied. This project will provide training and

experience in the synthesis, characterisation, and sorption properties of porous materials.

References: (1) Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2019, 131, 16421; (2) Nature Chemistry, 2010, 2, 750; (3) J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2019,

141, 3843; (4) Nature Commun., 2018, 9, 2849; (5) ChemRxiv, 2019, DOI: 10.26434/chemrxiv.10107074.v2

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DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES

19. Project Title: Mathematical analysis of the delay differential equation models of the mammalian circadian

clock

Supervisors: Dr. Mirela Domijan, Department of Mathematical Sciences

Description: The circadian clock in mammals affects many processes, from sleep and metabolism to immunity. Since

its role is so significant, it is important for us to understand the mechanisms behind its behaviour and the factors that

affect it. There are proteins, such as NRF2 and Lamin A, whose own mutations are linked to a myriad of diseases, and

which are known to affect the clock, though it is not known how these proteins do this (i.e. which components of the

clock network they target). The aim of this project is to use mathematical modelling to try to answer this question.

Project description: The student will explore the dynamics of several delay differential equation models of the

circadian clock, such as [1,2,3]. They will program the models in XPPAUT [4] in order to do this.

Candidate specifications: The candidate is expected to have a strong applied mathematics background and ideally

some computing skills or at least a keen interest in acquiring basic computing skills. Prior knowledge of biology is not

required, but a genuine interest in the biological application is a must.

Outline: Literature survey and familiarization with the XPPaut toolbox (3 weeks), data analysis and modelling (6

weeks) and report writing (1 week).

Contact: Mirela Domijan, mirela.domijan@liverpool.ac.uk

References:

[1] Korenčič et al. Timing of circadian genes in mammalian tissue, Sci Rep, 2014.

[2] Pett et al. Co-existing feedback loops generate tissue-specific circadian rhythms, Life Sci Alliance, 2018.

[3] Mavroudis et al. Modeling circadian variability of core-clock and clock-controlled genes in four tissues of the rat,

PLOS One, 2018.

[4] Ermentrout, Simulating, Analyzing, and Animating Dynamical Systems: A Guide to XPPAUT for Researchers and

Students (Software, Environments and Tools), SIAM, 2002.

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School of Engineering

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

20. Project Title: Bio-inspired morphing solutions for aeroelastic problems.

Supervisors: Dr Sebastiano Fichera, School of Engineering

Description: Aim: This PhD project will explore morphing designs as redundancy systems for actively controlled

aeroelastic structures.

Aircraft fuel efficiency can be improved by unlocking the potential of aeroelasticity in the aeronautical design.

However, same levels of safety of the ‘conventional design’ need to be guaranteed at all time. To do so, we propose

to use bio-inspired structures that react to off-design changes in the dynamic or unsteady aerodynamics loads by

morphing the geometry of the structure or the aerodynamic shape. By doing so, the morphed structure falls back

within the design safety boundaries. It is foreseen that such solutions will be passive (i.e. no actuation required) and

will morph their shape thanks to the intelligence embedded in the structural design.

Two morphing strategies will be explored: 1) the load bearing structure is designed with breaking points that collapse,

in a controlled fashion, if the dynamic loads rise above a certain threshold. By doing so, the morphed structure falls

back into a stable condition. It is foreseen that for this approach wing-span morphing will be explored, and 2) the

aerofoil internal structure features auxetic or origami structures that, if loaded with off-design unsteady aerodynamic

loads, passively morph the aerofoil shape. The resulting geometry produces unsteady aerodynamic loads that do not

have a destabilizing effect on the aerostructure. The project is both numerical and experimental and the wind tunnel

(WT) facilities of the UoL will be used.

The student will be required to review the literature related morphing for aeroelastic models [1 week], complete the

conceptual and preliminary design of one of the two morphing solutions [2 weeks], manufacture and assemble it in

the wind tunnel of the University of Liverpool [4 weeks], conduct an experimental campaign to validate it [2 weeks],

and write a report [1 week].

21. Project Title: Design, manufacturing and experimental validation of a gust generator for aeroelastic

model.

Supervisors: Dr Sebastiano Fichera, School of Engineering

Description: A deeper understanding of the aeroelastic behaviour of aeronautical linear and non-linear structures is becoming more and more important over the last decades. The path to the goal of having lighter and more efficient aircraft (i.e. maximise the payload) passes through the ability of controlling the flutter/LCO instabilities to a great extent. Closely related to this research area, there is the ability to reduce the gust effects. Over the past years, two aeroelastic

models have been built within the School of Engineering of the University of Liverpool to be used as experimental

rigs for testing different control algorithms.

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Figure 1 – MODFLEX Figure 2 - 2D Rig

To push further this research, it is necessary now to extend the wind tunnel facility to accommodate a gust generator.

The gust generator will be composed mainly by two parallel aerofoils with rotating-slotted-cylinders (actuated

through brushless motors) at the trailing edges and controlled in close-loop (by encoders) by a real-time system.

Figure 3 - gust generator [1]

The student will be required to review the literature related to gust generator for aeroelastic models [1 week],

complete the conceptual and preliminary design of the gust generator [2 weeks], manufacture and assemble it in the

wind tunnel of the University of Liverpool [4 weeks], conduct an experimental campaign to validate it [2 weeks], and

write a report [1 week].

[1] D. M. Tang, P. G. a. Cizmas, and E. H. Dowell, “Experiments and analysis for a gust generator in a wind tunnel,”

Journal of Aircraft, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 139–148, Jan. 1996.

22. Project Title: Study of Pathological Airways using Computational Fluid Dynamics

Supervisors: Dr Sebastian Timme, Department of Mechanical, Materials & Aerospace Engineering

Description: Airway stenosis is narrowing of the human airway which can result in severe breathing difficulty. Airway

stenosis can occur at different levels including the larynx, trachea or bronchi. A specific condition known as subglottic

stenosis occurs when there is a circumferential narrowing in the region of the upper trachea (and just below the

vocal cords) known as the subglottis. Patients typically complain of worsening breathlessness especially during any

exertion. Diagnosis is made with imaging and endoscopic assessment. In the first instance endoscopic treatment is

performed using laser and balloon dilatation to widen the airway. In severe cases the patient may require a

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tracheostomy to bypass the obstruction. In the long term the patient may require a resection of this part of the

airway if it recurs following endoscopic treatment.

It is important to analyse the amount of narrowing (stenosis) and to assess the patient’s symptoms before embarking

on invasive surgery. Understanding the relationship with airflow through the stenosis is relevant when planning the

patient’s treatment. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) will help determine the reasons for the patient’s symptoms

and potentially what percentage of airway narrowing requires intervention. Patients have imaging of their airway as

part of their workup to assess for underlying causes and level of stenosis. These images of the airway are either

computerised tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging. The images can be used to capture the geometry of

the stenosis and airway and to form a three-dimensional image matrix. From this matrix, CFD simulation can be

performed.

The student will explore the feasibility of the entire simulation chain including meshing, solving and post-processing.

The project is a collaboration with Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. A student would be able to

attend the operating theatre to see the surgery and how the airway stenosis is treated, and understand the symptoms

and impact on the quality of life.

23. Project Title: Artificial Muscle

Supervisors: Dr Ben Salem Bernard, Robotics - AI – Interactions, School of Engineering

Description: An artificial muscle based on Shape Memory Alloys (SMA) is being developed, in the School of

Engineering under the supervision of Ben SALEM, with the aim of providing a precise and rapid actuation of a

dexterous robotic manipulator. From 2018, a series of Artificial Muscle prototypes were developed using shape

memory alloy actuators (see Fig. 1). You are encouraged to make some improvements to the last design of the

Artificial Muscle as part of the preparatory work of your project. You are then invited to develop an effective actuator

that, in the future, will be integrated within an agile robotic manipulator.

Fig 1 – Artificial Muscle Prototypes (Version 1 to 4)

Sensor Technology- Various sensor principles were investigated (resistive, optical and ultrasounds). We have

developed our own capacitive sensors which rely on sliding tubes at the core of the Artificial Muscle mechanical

design. This variable capacity is used within a Monostable Multivibrator circuit. The drawback of this approach is the

requirement for the artificial muscle to be actuated along a single axis. Work on sensor principles that will allow the

Artificial Muscle to bend in many directions will be required.

Synopsis- Your work will be based on the improved engineering of the Artificial Muscle already developed. You will

conceive, develop, build and test a further improved design for the artificial muscle, over a minimum of two

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iterations. Once completed you will demonstrate your prototype, you will then implement an effective sensory

technology to monitor and control the manipulator.

Remarks- This project is research driven, a demonstration to industry is planned as well as a publication at a

conference on Robotics. The successful student will either have their name in the acknowledgments or if appropriate

as a co-author of any publications.

24. Project Title: LEARN - multi-LEvel Autonomy for Reconfiguration & Navigation

Supervisors: Dr Ben Salem Bernard, Robotics - AI – Interactions, School of Engineering

Description: We have been developing a system for IED localisation and other missions consisting of two modular sub-systems: an all terrain robot coupled with a command and deployment Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (see fig.1). Robot and drone are autonomously reconfigurable according to the mission, context, and status. They autonomously assemble and disconnect via connecting terminals (for airlifting and dropping the robot up to 2mtrs). The overall project is about the development of a up to 5 levels autonomy control for reconfiguration and navigation of the robot (see fig. 2).

Fig 1 – Current robot and drone Prototypes Levels of autonomy The robot as it currently stands feature a level of autonomy that is 0 (i.e. remote controlled) and 1 (i.e. programmed) and 2 (i.e. semi-automated) for some functions. We propose to further the autonomy of the robot to level 3 (i.e. automated) and 4 (i.e. with agency) for most functions and to level 5 (i.e. with volution) for some navigation functions. For the purpose of this project we are aiming to achieve level 3 and possibly level 4.

Fig 2 – Five levels of autonomy for reconfiguration and navigation

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Synopsis- Your work will be based on developing a control algorithm and its implementation for the reconfiguration of modular robot from 1 to 2 modules and the navigation of the robot with a level of autonomy 3 to 4 (see fig. 2). Remarks- This project is research driven, a demonstration to industry is planned as well as a publication at a conference on Robotics. The successful student will either have their name in the acknowledgments or if appropriate as a co-author of any publications. 25. Project Title: Developing Techniques for Low Cost Rapid Manufacturing of Perovskite Solar Cells

Supervisors: Dr Amanda Jane Hughes – Mechanical Engineering, Dr Laurie Philips – Stephenson Institute of

Renewable Energy, School of Engineering

Description: We are at a critical moment in the fight against climate change. It is essential that renewable alternatives

for energy production are highly efficient, cheap to produce at large scale, and with short energy payback times.

Metal-halide perovskites are a photovoltaic material that have seen a rapid rise in efficiency in recent years with the

latest record at 25.2%, approaching the top values achieved by the market leading silicon solar cells. With their high

efficiencies and suitability for low cost manufacturing methods, perovskites have shown great promise for

sustainable solar and the challenge now is to transition into commercial production.

Perovskite structured materials have the general formula ABX3, and can have very different properties depending

on the chemical mix used at the various sites; A (Cs, Rb, MA, FA), B (Pb, Sn), and X (I, Br, Cl), methylammonium lead

iodide (MAPbI3) being the most well studied. Tunable properties provide huge opportunities not available for most

thin-film solar absorbers, including the potential to stack perovskites with different bandgaps in a tandem cell to use

more of the solar spectrum and beat the Shockley-Queisser limit. The most developed tandems are perovskite-

silicon, which have reached an impressive efficiency (27.3% - Oxford PV), but still rely on an energy expensive

manufacturing process to create the silicon. Perovskite-perovskite tandem devices would allow for the increased

efficiency of multi-junction photovoltaics while retaining the benefits of the low-temperature processing.

During this project the student intern will join us in the lab as we investigate perovskite-perovskite tandem devices

for fabrication using ink-jet printing, to enable their low cost large scale manufacturing. This work will focus on

designing modified ink-jet printer components to suit the perovskite processing requirements and developing new

perovskite solutions with optimum properties for printing.

26. Project Title: Preventing ice formation on commercial barcodes

Supervisors: Dr Volfango Bertola, Laboratory of Technical Physics, School of Engineering

Description: The adverse effects of icing are a concern in many applications, including aircraft wings, helicopter

rotorcraft, power transmission cables, etc. A less studied problem, which however has a significant commercial

impact, is the formation of ice crystals on the barcode labels of frozen consumer goods, which hamper automatic

detection with optical scanners. This problem is more frequent since the recent introduction of miniaturised QR

codes and data matrices, where the information is encoded in the form of square dots, which frequently have the

same size as ice crystals.

The present project aims at testing suitable anti-­­icing technologies to mitigate or prevent the growth of ice crystals

on QR codes printed onto objects that are stored at low temperatures and periodically transferred to environments

at ambient temperature and humidity. In particular, two different approaches will be considered: (i) application of

coatings that change the surface wettability, ranging from hydrophilic to hydrophobic and super-­­hydrophobic

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coatings; (ii) modification of the surface geometry to create areas of preferential ice nucleation, so that ice tends to

accumulate on those surfaces instead of a uniform deposition over the printed area.

Tests will be carried out on sample QR codes and data matrices printed on different materials, using a high-­­speed

imaging kit equipped with microscope lens to visualize the ice nucleation sites. Samples will be cooled either in a low-

­­temperature store (­­30°C) or using a Peltier cooled stage (­20°C).

27. Project Title: 3D-printed Origami Solar Sails for Next Generation of CubeSats

Supervisors: Dr Stefania Soldini, Department Mechanical, Materials & Aerospace, School of Engineering

Description: Spacecraft deployable devices are generally large structures (i.e. solar arrays, antennas, ect) stowed

before launch, and deployed in-space utilising origami-based designs. To save mass and costs, these large structures

tend to be thin. Due to their high reflectivity, the Sun photon radiation causes undesired torque on spacecraft.

Therefore, attitude maintenance is required to counteract its effect. Conversely, solar sails are deployable structures

(“space mirrors”) specifically designed to enhance the effect of the sun’s radiation as a primary form of fuel-free

propulsion thus helping to facilitate a longer mission. However, all such large devices are currently designed to

maintain a fixed-shape once deployed and a single spacecraft usually mounts multiple deployable structures for

different purposes.

We propose Additive Manufacturing (AM) for next and future generations of deployable origami-based devices for

shape-changing CubeSats. A CubeSat mounting a 3D-printed morphing solar sail can potentially modulate the

intensity of the radiation for different mission purposes (i.e. fuel-free control manoeuvres or regulating thermo-

optical properties). The reconfiguration of a solar sail’s shape triggered by changes in the local sail reflectivity could

in turn pave the way to new missions. The intensity of the Sun radiation forces is proportional to changes in the

overall CubeSat area-to-mass ratio. Since the CubeSat mass is fixed, the controllability of the CubeSat depends on

the overall reflective area exposed to the Sun. Theoretical studies have shown that reflectivity changes in a sail

membrane can trigger a reshaped configuration in origami-based sails. The design and manufacturing flexibility

offered by AM techniques, together with its capability of combining multiple materials (structural, photo-voltaic,

conductive etc.) in a single pass, will enable new and more effective design of solar sails and, as a consequence, of

the whole CubeSat.

28. Project Title: Assessment of Immersive Environments in Flight Simulation

Supervisors: Prof Mark D White, Department Mechanical, Materials & Aerospace, School of Engineering

Description: The qualification of a flight simulator for training purposes involves a number of objective and subjective

assessments of the device prior to it being accepted as fit for purpose. Previous work undertaken in the Flight Science

and Technology Research group in the School of Engineering has shown that meeting the qualification criteria

contained within existing rotorcraft simulator standards does not necessarily guarantee production a device that is

fit for purpose for training. The group is coordinating an international effort addressing the shortcomings of existing

civil helicopter simulator qualification standards. In the current phase of work, the subjective assessment and the

level of immersion a pilot feels in a simulator is being considered. At the final stage of the simulator qualification

process a subjective evaluation of the simulator is undertaken by a pilot. One of the key influencing factors regarding

the acceptance process is the level to which the pilot “engages” or is immersed in a virtual environment. There is

little research available that quantifies the appropriate level of immersion, especially when using less complex

simulator devices. This project would aim at integrating and assessing new VR technologies into the existing flight

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simulation environments to assess their impact on the level of immersion a pilot feels. The project will involve the

design, testing and analysis of new simulation scenarios for rotorcraft flight simulators. The work would contribute

to the ongoing research programme to develop new metrics to quantify the level of immersion and provide guidelines

for future simulator qualification processes.

29. Project Title: Making programmable matter a reality

Supervisors: Dr Paolo Paoletti, School of Engineering

Description: Imagine hundreds of small units that can be programmed to selectively attach to each other to create a

bigger functional device (a table, a chair, etc.) at a flick of your finger; this is what is known as programmable matter

and it is akin to self-assembly processes that are at the basis of life in nature. Several recent theoretical results suggest

that realising such “matter” is actually possible, but no convincing physical demo has been proposed yet. The EPSRC-

funded project BEST-Man led by Dr Paoletti

(https://gow.epsrc.ukri.org/NGBOViewGrant.aspx?GrantRef=EP/T005432/1) is creating the first physical

implementation of 3D programmable matter and the undergraduate student will contribute to this project. For

reference, similar projects are: Kilobot (Harvard), Robot Pebbles (MIT), Millimotein (MIT), Catoms (Carnegie Mellon

University/INRIA France).

The student will work alongside the researchers working on this project and will be required to design an actuation

[4 weeks] and a sensing mechanism [4 weeks] to allow two units to attach to each other, move with respect to each

other in 3D and to sense the interaction force between them. Several of such devices will be designed using CAD first

and then manufactured using 3D printing and PCB milling. The last two weeks of the project will be devoted to

creating a simple demo where 10 devices will change their collective shape from a cube to a pyramid in response to

an external force applied to the original cube.

30. Project Title: Soft robotic touch

Supervisors: Dr Paolo Paoletti, School of Engineering

Description: Many of the challenges faced by robotics today deal with uncertainty in robot-robot, robot-human and

robot-environment interaction, and traditional robot struggle in most of these uncertain scenarios. Soft robots,

manufactured either with compliant mechanisms or using compliant materials such as silicone elastomers, is a

promising approach to tackle modern challenges. The inherent adaptability to the outer world may eradicate the

need of complex control strategies for highly precise, thus safe, movements. This is a typical example of “embodied

intelligence”, where the mechanical response alleviates the burden traditionally associated to real-time feedback

controllers. For these reasons, these robots are expected to revolutionise the field of robotics in the near future.

However, modelling and control of such compliant actuators are still in their infancy when compared to stiff robotics,

and this is mainly due to the lack of suitable soft sensors that can be integrated with these actuators.

Dr Paoletti is leading the Royal Society-sponsored project “Flex-Handle” which explores how advanced manufacturing

and materials can be exploited to create the required soft sensors, with particular focus on tactile sensors capable of

augmenting soft robots with the sense of touch. Two PhD students in Dr Paoletti’s lab are also designing soft robots

to automate chemistry labs (in the Material Innovation Factory) and to create rehabilitation devices (Doctoral

Training Network on Technologies for Healthy Ageing).

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The student will contribute to these activities by designing, manufacturing and testing new sensors to be embedded

in soft actuators. More specifically, the student will be asked to complete a literature review on soft-sensors [2

weeks], use CAD to design an actuator with integrated sensing [3 weeks] and manufacture the designed actuator [2

weeks]. A final demo where the actuator performs a pick-and-place task with fabric while collecting data via the

integrated sensors will be set up to showcase results [3 weeks].

31. Project Title: Automating road maintenance

Supervisors: Dr Paolo Paoletti, Dr Sebastiano Fichera, School of Engineering

Description: The construction industry is changing, as the time- and labour-intensive construction and repair

processes utilised nowadays are not sustainable in the long run. The next generation of construction processes

requires a dramatic reduction in cost and time needed to perform operations, an improved labour safety, a more

stringent quality control and a faster response time. Robots will play a big role in allowing the construction industry

to meet their future performance and efficiency goals.

The supervisors are developing a road-repairing robot, with a proof-of-principle robot capable of repairing crack and

pothole already demonstrated. The robot is capable of using machine vision to detect a crack/pothole on the floor

and to deposit cement or clay to fill such gap. However, the range of materials that can be handled by the deposition

system is still quite limited; more work is needed to refine the design to allow more controlled deposition of

construction materials such as concrete and asphalt.

The student will work on the design of the next generation of deposition system to address this need. The project

will involve performing a literature review of the few approaches proposed by other researchers [2 weeks], using

CAD to design the new deposition mechanism [4 weeks], manufacturing the device [2 weeks] and testing its

performance in handling of a wider range of materials compared to the current design [2 weeks]. If successful, the

outcome of this project will be integrated in the existing platform to create a demo where the robot will fill a pothole

with asphalt (or similar material).

32. Project Title: Vortex breakdown in pipe flow with growing swirl of fluids with shear-dependent viscosity

Supervisors Dr David JC Dennis, Department Mechanical, Materials & Aerospace, School of Engineering

Description: Vortex breakdown of swirling flows – the formation of a stagnation point upstream of a region of near-stagnant recirculating flow – has fascinated and intrigued many since its discovery over 60 years ago. One of the key reasons for such continued study is the inherent artistic beauty embedded within it (https://youtu.be/b0TylIqcEsQ), coupled with the non-trivial fluid dynamics at play. Vortex breakdown in swirling pipe flow was recently investigated experimentally and numerically using a Newtonian fluid [Dennis, D.J.C., Seraudie, C. and Poole, R.J., 2014. Controlling vortex breakdown in swirling pipe flows: experiments and simulations. Physics of Fluids, 26(5), p.053602, https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4875486] and for fluids with shear-dependent viscosity [Thornhill, T.O., Petit, T., Poole, R.J. and Dennis, D.J.C., 2018. Vortex breakdown in swirling pipe flow of fluids with shear-dependent viscosity. Physics of Fluids, 30(11), p.114107, https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5057409.]. The work using shear-dependent viscosity fluids revealed a new scaling using a Reynolds number with a viscosity based on a shear rate dependent on the rotational speed of the pipe (rather than the bulk flow), making it possible to very easily predict (with reasonable accuracy) the critical swirl ratio required to induce vortex breakdown, and the size of the recirculation bubble, for any fluid with shear-dependent viscosity. In the proposed project the EPSRC Vacation intern will extend the work on shear-dependent fluids by numerically simulating flows with growing swirl, which have not yet been studied. They will be using Fluent CFD software in ANSYS

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Workbench to simulate a wide range of fluids in order to test the new Reynolds number scaling. If work progresses well, there may also be the opportunity to validate the simulations by performing experiments in the fluids laboratory. The project would suit a student interested in fluid mechanics and numerical simulations."

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SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Department of Earth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences

33. Project Title: The stability of ferromagnetic droplets

Supervisors: Dr Greig Paterson, Department of Earth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences

Description: Magnetic nanoparticles are widely found in nature and their abundance and properties yield valuable

insight into the workings of the natural world. Inspired by nature, these nanoparticles are now being widely studied

for applications in industry, medicine, and biotechnology. Such tiny particles, however, are so small that they are

typically unable to remember any magnetic field that they experience, a phenomenon known as

superparamagnetism. As such, uses of these nanoparticles has been limited to applications using very strong

magnetic fields.

Recent work, however, has shown that when magnetite nanoparticles are arranged around the surface of an oil

droplet, the interaction of multiple nanoparticles produces a magnetic memory. That is, when the field is switched

off, the droplets remain magnetic. These droplets therefore have huge potential for use in deformable magnetic

storage, programable liquids, microfluid mixing/separation, among others. However, the mechanism behind this

memory is not well known and for how long the memory lasts has never been investigated.

In this project, we will model the fundamental physics (known as micromagnetic modeling) behind how individual

grains become magnetized to explore the fidelity of the magnetic memory of different configurations of

nanoparticles. This will be the first attempt to model and explain the mechanisms behind this intriguing and

potentially useful phenomenon.

The models will simulate the experiments of recent research that experimentally demonstrated that magnetic liquid

droplets could retain a magnetic memory and establish the longevity of this memory. Droplet morphology will be

investigated and novel approaches to improving magnetic memory will be explored.

The models will be run with existing code called MERRILL and computer competency is required for preparing model

inputs and analyzing outputs. Programing experience is favorable, and some familiarity with Linux/unix would be

useful.