Electrochemistry and its application in electrochemical engineering is an increasingly important area of science and technology, with relevance to energy (batteries, fuel cells and solar cells), corrosion, sensors, waste treatment, metal finishing and the electronics industry. This new programme will provide students with a background in both the fundamental and applied aspects of electrochemistry, enabling them to pursue a variety of rewarding careers.
The Southampton Electrochemistry Group is known worldwide for its excellence in research and education, the latter through the Electrochemistry summer school, a one-week course that started in 1969 and has run annually since.
Pursuing a research degree at the School of Chemistry could be one of the best experiences of your life.
In addition to gaining research skills, making friends, meeting eminent researchers and being part of the research community, a research degree will help you to develop invaluable transferable skills which you can apply to academic life or a variety of professions outside of academia.
The Chemistry/Biology Interface
This is a broad area, with particular strengths in the areas of protein structure and function, mechanistic enzymology, proteomics, peptide and protein synthesis, protein folding, recombinant and synthetic DNA methodology, biologically targeted synthesis and the application of high throughput and combinatorial approaches. We also focus on biophysical chemistry, the development and application of physicochemical techniques to biological systems. This includes mass spectrometry, advanced spectroscopy and microscopy, as applied to proteins, enzymes, DNA, membranes and biosensors.
Experimental & Theoretical Chemical Physics
This is the fundamental study of molecular properties and processes. Areas of expertise include probing molecular structure in the gas phase, clusters and nanoparticles, the development and application of physicochemical techniques such as mass spectoscropy to molecular systems and the EaStCHEM surface science group, who study complex molecules on surfaces, probing the structure property-relationships employed in heterogeneous catalysis. A major feature is in Silico Scotland, a world-class research computing facility.
Synthesis
This research area encompasses the synthesis and characterisation of organic and inorganic compounds, including those with application in homogeneous catalysis, nanotechnology, coordination chemistry, ligand design and supramolecular chemistry, asymmetric catalysis, heterocyclic chemistry and the development of synthetic methods and strategies leading to the synthesis of biologically important molecules (including drug discovery). The development of innovative synthetic and characterisation methodologies (particularly in structural chemistry) is a key feature, and we specialise in structural chemistry at extremely high pressures.
Materials Chemistry
The EaStCHEM Materials group is one of the largest in the UK. Areas of strength include the design, synthesis and characterisation of functional (for example magnetic, superconducting and electronic) materials; strongly correlated electronic materials, battery and fuel cell materials and devices, porous solids, fundamental and applied electrochemistry polymer microarray technologies and technique development for materials and nanomaterials analysis.
Students attend regular research talks, visiting speaker symposia, an annual residential meeting in the Scottish Highlands, and lecture courses on specialised techniques and safety. Students are encouraged to participate in transferable skills and computing courses, public awareness of science activities, undergraduate teaching and to represent the School at national and international conferences.
Our facilities are among the best in the world, offering an outstanding range of capabilities. You’ll be working in recently refurbished laboratories that meet the highest possible standards, packed with state-of-the-art equipment for both analysis and synthesis.
For NMR in the solution and solid state, we have 10 spectrometers at field strengths from 200-800 MHz; mass spectrometry utilises EI, ESI, APCI, MALDI and FAB instrumentation, including LC and GC interfaces. New combinatorial chemistry laboratories, equipped with a modern fermentation unit, are available. We have excellent facilities for the synthesis and characterisation of bio-molecules, including advanced mass spectrometry and NMR stopped-flow spectrometers, EPR, HPLC, FPLC, AA.
World-class facilities are available for small molecule and macromolecular X-ray diffraction, utilising both single crystal and powder methods. Application of diffraction methods at high pressures is a particular strength, and we enjoy strong links to central facilities for neutron, muon and synchrotron science in the UK and further afield. We are one of the world's leading centres for gas-phase electron diffraction.
Also available are instruments for magnetic and electronic characterisation of materials (SQUID), electron microscopy (SEM, TEM), force-probe microscopy, high-resolution FTRaman and FT-IR, XPS and thermal analysis. We have also recently installed a new 1,000- tonne pressure chamber, to be used for the synthesis of materials at high pressures and temperatures. Fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy instruments are available within the COSMIC Centre. Dedicated computational infrastructure is available, and we benefit from close links with the Edinburgh Parallel Computing Centre.
In the master's degree programme Technical Chemistry at TU Graz, you put your chemical and technical knowledge into practice. Through the programme’s modular structure, you can choose individual specialisations to match your interests. Whether you improve construction materials, optimise chemical processes in industry or work on the further development of batteries and other possibilities for chemical energy conversion – after your master's degree programme, countless career opportunities in Austria and abroad will be open to you.
Angelina Eder, master's degree student in Technical Chemistry:
"Priority is given to improving and developing application-specific techniques. I particularly like the variety of topics and the application of practice-oriented problems in this degree programme."
For the individual courses, please see the semester plan.
Technical chemists work in the chemical industry and in industrial sectors where chemical processes are important, e.g. in material development, water resources management, environmental technology or waste management.
Our MSc Chemistry by Research combines advanced lecture modules in your area of specialisation with safety and professional skills modules and a significant period dedicated to an individual research project. It offers specialisation in characterisation and analytics, chemical biology, computational systems chemistry, electrochemistry, flow chemistry, magnetic resonance, organic and inorganic synthesis and supramolecular chemistry.
One of the fundamental challenges associated with hydrocarbon production is ensuring the integrity of the assets used to extract and transport process fluids, particularly from effects such as internal corrosion. As a result, the demand for qualified corrosion engineers with specific expertise in oilfield operations continues to grow.
This course is appropriate for professional engineers in industry who are seeking to expand their expertise, as well as graduate engineers or physical scientists looking to gain specialist knowledge relevant to the oil and gas sector.
The course develops your skills in measuring, predicting and managing corrosion as well as assessing asset integrity. Optional modules allow you to focus on topics relevant to your interests and career plans.
Taught by academic staff at the forefront of their fields, the course enables you to develop a range of skills and a solid knowledge base from which to launch an exciting career within the oil and gas industry.
You’ll learn in a stimulating research environment supported by world-class specialist facilities which support the individual project element of the programme. These include access to equipment such as high temperature/high pressure autoclaves, quartz crystal microbalance, erosion-corrosion rigs/flow loops, rotating cylinder electrodes/bubble cells, visualisation cells and potentiostats with AC/DC capabilities.
The projects are also supported by access to our corrosion lab’s own advanced surface analysis suite, containing optical microscopes, mini-sims, IR/UV spectroscopy techniques, atomic force microscopes and a nano-indenter.
This course is accredited by the Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) under licence from the UK regulator, the Engineering Council.
Core modules in each semester provide you with a thorough understanding of key aspects of oilfield corrosion engineering. You’ll study topics which cover aspects such as material selection, chemical inhibition, surface engineering technologies, the principles of physical metallurgy, electrochemistry and corrosion management strategies for new or mature assets.
You’ll also select from optional modules that allow you to focus on specific topic areas such as tribology and its impact on mechanism design or engineering computation. Modules are also available through Leeds University Business School covering aspects of operations management, to prepare you for a range of roles in industry.
Throughout the programme you’ll complete your Professional Project – an independent piece of research on a topic within mechanical engineering that allows you to demonstrate your knowledge and skills. In the two taught semesters you’ll review the literature around a specific topic (chosen from an extensive list provided) and plan the project, before completing the design, analysis, computation, experimentation and writing up in the summer months.
Want to find out more information about your modules?
Take a look at the Oilfield Corrosion Engineering module descriptions for more detail on what you will study.
Compulsory modules
Optional modules
Our groundbreaking research feeds directly into teaching, and you’ll have regular contact with staff who are at the forefront of their disciplines. You’ll have regular contact with them through lectures, seminars, tutorials, small group work and project meetings.
Independent study is also important to the programme, as you develop your problem-solving and research skills as well as your subject knowledge.
You’ll be assessed using a range of techniques including case studies, technical reports, presentations, poster sessions, in-class tests, assignments and exams. Optional modules may also use alternative assessment methods.
The professional project is one of the most satisfying elements of this course. It allows you to apply what you’ve learned to a piece of research focusing on a real-world problem, and it can be used to explore and develop your specific interests.
Most projects are experimentally based and linked with companies within the oil and gas industry to ensure the topic of research is relevant to the field whilst also addressing a real-world problem.
Recent projects for MSc Oilfield Corrosion Engineering students have included:
With this qualification, excellent career options are open to you to practise as a professional corrosion engineer and play a major role in ensuring the safe and efficient recovery of natural resources.
Graduates have gone on for a range of companies such as BP, Petronas, Wood Group Kenny and EM&I.
You’ll also be well prepared to continue with research in this field, either within industry or at PhD level within academia.
You’ll have access to the wide range of engineering and computing careers resources held by our Employability team in our dedicated Employability Suite. You’ll have the chance to attend industry presentations book appointments with qualified careers consultants and take part in employability workshops. Our annual Engineering and Computing Careers Fairs provide further opportunities to explore your career options with some of the UKs leading employers.
The University's Careers Centre also provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.
