Author Archives: Faul Research Group - Functional Polymers

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About Faul Research Group - Functional Polymers

This is the official website for the Faul Research Group, based in the School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK. Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charl-fj-faul-付强/

Mid-Autumn Festival and Group Celebrations!

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It’s been a joyful week for the FRG, marked by the cultural festival and group brithday celebrations!

On Tuesday 16th August of Lunar Calendar, three members of the group took part in the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival event held at the Global Lounge, where they shared experiences of traditional customs associated with this important cultural occasion of family reunion.

Later in the week, the entire group gathered for a shared evening meal to celebrate the birthdays of three group members, including Charl Faul, Ben Harker, and Yuerong Tian! It was a wonderful opportunity to relax and enjoy good food!.

China Scholarship Council-University of Bristol PhD Scholarships!

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国家留学基金委 (CSC) 与英国布里斯托大学 (UoB) 合作奖学金 – 博士研究生项目:

The annual 4-year fully funded CSC/UoB PhD Scholarship round for 2026/2027 entry is now open for application to join the FRG!

Sixty full PhD scholarships are available at the University of Bristol this year. The University of Bristol provides full tuition fees for each PhD programme, while the China Scholarship Council provides monthly stipend.

Please check the CSC official website for eligibility and details for domestic and overseas applicants. Please contact Prof. Charl F. J. Faul directly (with CSC/UoB PhD Scholarship in the subject line) for further information and to discuss your application. The FRG’s internal deadline for discussion of any applications is Monday, 24th of November.

See the UoB’s website for all application details here. Please note that the PhD programme application with a valid English language certificate must be submitted to the University of Bristol by 12 noon (UK time) on Monday, 1st of December 2025.

EPSRC Postdoctoral Pathway Fellowship

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2-year funded EPSRC Postdoctoral Pathway Fellowships, which support EPSRC-funded PhD graduates who are starting their independent research, are now open for application!

The Postdoctoral Pathway Fellows will propose their own bespoke programme to conduct innovative research at the frontiers of Science and Engineering. Project proposals are invited across the full range of topics in the EPSRC research portfolio. Successful applicants will receive funding for up to 2 years. Please contact Prof. Charl F. J. Faul directly (with EPSRC Postdoctoral Pathway Fellowship application in the subject line) for further information and to discuss hosting you. 

See application details here. Please note that the closing date for applications will be at 23:59 UK time on Sunday 2nd November 2025.

Conference activities

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It has been a busy and productive time for the Faul Research Group over the past week, with members actively participating in two key events: the EPoMM Conference in Bath and VIVO Hub research workshop in Bristol!

At the 2nd Conference on Engineering Porous Materials at Multiple Scales (EPoMM), held at the University of Bath, PhD students Jerry Mintah, Aya Abdo, Mary Donkor, and MRes student Jun Yao presented their research posters, contributing to the growing dialogue on porous material design and applications.

Meanwhile, Charl Faul, Research Associate Xinzhen Fan, and PhD student Junru Chen attended the VIVO Hub two-day research workshop at the Engineering House Conference Venue in Bristol. It was a fantastic opportunity for fruitful discussions and to connect with researchers across a wide range of disciplines!

EPoMM at Bath
VIVO Hub workshop at Bristol

Viva success! Congratulations to Dr Ulia!

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An important milestone reached for FRG member Ulzhalgas (Ulia) Karatayeva – passed her viva with flying colours on Sep 11th!

Many congratulations to Dr Ulia, and well done for the fantastic job, and excellent research output focussed on the capture and conversion of CO2 to useful fuels and feedstocks!

Thank you to external examiner Prof. Deepa Khushalani, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, and internal examiner, Dr Avinash Patil!

Faraday Discussions 2025 at Oxford

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PhD students Jerry Mintah and Junru Chen attended the Faraday Discussions 2025 – Polymerisation and depolymerisation chemistry: the second century held in Oxford, where both presented posters showcasing their latest research.

This year’s Faraday Discussions brought together leading researchers from around the world and focused on four key themes: (1) novel feedstocks for sustainable polymers; (2) catalysts for polymerisation and depolymerisation; (3) closing the loop; (4) computational methods for polymer processes.

It was a fantastic opportunity to present the work of the Faul Research Group, gain new insights, and learn from others in the rapidly evolving field of polymer science!

China conference season!

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Charl is back in China, attending two conferences to speak about the groups work. The first is in Enshi, in a beautiful part of China, close to Chengdu – POPs 2025!

After Enshi, Charl will be heading to Jilin University (JLU) in Changchun and then to ChinaNano 2025 in Beijing. JLU is a close partner of the University of Bristol, and the School of Chemistry, and sent almost 40 students to Bristol for the advanced chemistry summer school!

Feiyang returning to Tsinghua University

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We are very pleased to have hosted Feiyang Li, a visiting undergraduate student from the Tsinghua Xuetang International Chemistry Exchange Programme. Feiyang joined the Faul Research Group for a two-month research experience, and is now heading back to Beijing!

During his time here, Feiyang worked alongside PhD student Jerry Mintah on porous polyimide materials for CO2 capture and conversion. His contribution to the project and enthusiasm were greatly appreciated!

As he returns to China, we wish him all the best in his future studies, and hope to see him in Bristol soon again!

Paper published in Communications Materials!

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Continuing from previous work, a paper has just been published Open Access in Communications Materials, entitled “Biocompatible low-voltage electrothermal actuators with biological operational temperature range“. This new study is authored by Adéla Slavíková, Benjamin C. Baker, Marcos Villeda-Hernandez, undergraduate contributors Annabel Coekin and Julia Kwasniewska, collaborators from NHS and Bristol Medical School within the emPOWER project, and Charl Faul.

This study presents a low-voltage (3.6 V) electrothermal actuator, Bio35, that operates at mild hyperthermic temperatures (38.9 °C). Bio35 features facile synthesis, high chemical stability, excellent cyclic actuation performance, and non-cytoxicity. Two systems have been demonstrated: a simple gripper and a sphincter-like valve, showcasing Bio35‘s potential for use in treating conditions like urinary incontinence, where precise, muscle-like actuation is critical for function.

Check the paper for more details!