Funded PhD position available

Posted on February 21, 2025 by Faul Research Group - Functional Polymers

A new PhD position starting in September 2025 is available within the Faul Research Group. We are seeking a highly motivated and skilled student to join a dynamic team working on the synthesis and application of smart functional materials for mobility assistance and digital healthcare technologies. This funded 3.5-year position is available for both UK and international students.

This role supports the £14 million EPSRC-funded project, “The VIVO Hub for Enhanced Independent Living”, co-led by Prof. Charl F. J. Faul, in collaboration with numerous partners, including the Song laboratories (UCL), the NHS, leading UK and international research institutions, and industry leaders.

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in chemistry or in a related discipline (materials science or engineering). Please see the details of the position here, or contact Prof. Charl F. J. Faul (charl.faul@bristol.ac.uk) directly for further information. Please ensure that your email subject line reads “PhD Application Enquiry – Vivo Hub”.

Please note that the closing date for applications will be on 17/03/2025.

Paper in Journal of Colloid and Interface Science

Posted on February 17, 2025 by Faul Research Group - Functional Polymers

A new paper titled ”Conductive hydrophobic graphene oxide films via laser-scribed surface modification” was accepted for publication in Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, led by Prof Shirin Alexander from Swansea and a team of researchers, including Dr Marcos Villeda Hernandez and Charl Faul. The study investigated the behaviour of a carboxylate functionalized graphene oxide with water repellent property and improved electrical conductivity.

Funded postdoc position available

Posted on February 11, 2025 by Faul Research Group - Functional Polymers

A new research associate position with fixed funding for three years is available within the Faul Research Group, as part of the new £14 million EPSRC-funded project “The VIVO Hub for Enhanced Independent Living”. This project within the Faul Research Group will focus on novel functional and smart materials synthesis for applications to soft robotics and digital healthcare.This position is open ended. Feel free to click here to watch a short animated video about the Vivo Hub!

Please note that the closing date for applications will be at 23:59 UK time on 25/02/2025.

Charl’s whirlwind conference tour of India!

Posted on February 5, 2025 by Faul Research Group - Functional Polymers

Charl spent last week in India and attended 3 conferences! The first was the very interesting QS India Summit 2025, exploring equitable partnerships, rankings and related matters. He then joined the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) 3rd Energy Transition Summit in New Delhi as panellist, and finally joined the PIE Live India Summit as panellist, hosted by the UK-India Business Council (UKIBC) – speaking on academia-industry interactions.

Thank you to colleagues from QS, FICCI, UKIBC, and The Pie for the kind hosting and invitations to contribute!

Paper now published!

Posted on January 31, 2025 by Faul Research Group - Functional Polymers

Ulia’s collaborative paper with Prof Ozlem Errol has now been published in ACS Applied Polymer Materials. Click here for the paper, published Open Access and available for free download!

Electrorheological fluids (ER) make up a class of smart materials that are distinguished by their capacity to alter their rheological characteristics in a controlled and reversible manner in response to an externally applied electric field (E). Three-dimensional (3D) conjugated microporous polymer (CMP) analogs of PAni have a nitrogen-rich porous and hierarchical structure, low density, and appropriate conductivity that can be used to explore ER performance and dispersion stability. Here, a carboxylic acid functionalized version was designed to obtain higher polarizability and appropriate conductivity without the need for a dedoping process and thus enhanced ER performance.

Paper accepted in ACS Appl. Polym. Mater.!

Posted on January 23, 2025 by Faul Research Group - Functional Polymers

A recent paper titled “Electrorheological Fluids Based on Porous Carboxyl-Functionalized Polytriphenylamines” authored by both Ulzhalgas Karatayeva and former postdoc Dr Ozlem Erol (now assistant professor at Gazi University, Ankara, Türkiye), and Charl Faul has been accepted for publication in ACS Appl. Polym. Mater.

Further information and more details to follow soon!

Front cover of Macromolecular Rapid Communications: Volume 45, Issue 23

Posted on December 13, 2024 by Faul Research Group - Functional Polymers

Maxi’s work on a series of dopamine-based polymers and introduced as non-cytotoxic, single-component bio-adhesives that outperform commercial options features on the front cover of Macromol. Rapid Commun. See article 2400345 for more details.