The Materials Theme in SSPC is looking for a Physical Chemistry or Chemical Engineering graduate interested in a PhD in the area of crystallisation.
Host Institute: University of Limerick
Start Date: January 2021
Supervisors: Prof. Ake Rasmuson, Dr Sarah Hudson, Dr Michael Svard
How to Apply: Please send a cover letter, a CV and a transcript of your BSc and/or MSc degrees to [email protected] before 1st November 2020.
Project Title: Fundamental understanding of crystallization kinetics for the purpose of improved prediction and control of product crystal size distributions
Brief Project Description: At present, crystallization kinetics cannot be predicted from the properties of the crystallizing compound, and even experimental determination of kinetics for the purpose of model-based design of industrial processes is beyond the present capability. There is insufficient molecular level understanding of underlying processes such as molecular clustering in solution, nucleation of the crystalline phase, the crystal/solution interface, and the crystal growth process.
This project will improve the understanding of nucleation and the dependence on various conditions, in order to improve the predictability of product crystal size distributions, and will include investigation of molecular clustering in solution and its relation to primary nucleation.The project will include investigating the links between solution clustering, primary nucleation and the crystal growth behaviour for a range of crystallising compounds. The effects of excipients, substrates and solvents on these links will be probed and their influence on crystallisation kinetics quantified.
The Materials Theme in SSPC is looking for a Physical Chemistry or Chemical Engineering graduate interested in a PhD in the area of crystallisation.
Host Institute: University of Limerick
Start Date: January 2021
Supervisors: Prof. Ake Rasmuson, Dr Sarah Hudson, Dr Michael Svard
How to Apply: Please send a cover letter, a CV and a transcript of your BSc and/or MSc degrees to [email protected] before 1st November 2020.
Project Title: Nucleation control, stabilization and isolation of pharmaceutical nanoparticles
Brief Project Description: Depending on the conditions, nucleation rates can be controlled to generate nano-sized primary crystals. However, the use of additives to promote nucleation, and to stabilize the size distribution by inhibiting crystal growth, aggregation and polymorphic transformation, has to be found by trial and error, and methods for nano-particle isolation are very poorly developed. This project will develop methods by which additives can be selected on a rational basis and methods that enable solid-liquid separation of crystals to be carried out efficiently without decreasing the dissolution performance of the product.
The research work will include experimental determination and molecular modelling of the influence of various types of additives on nucleation and on crystal growth respectively and investigation into the use of functionalized carrier particles to assist product isolation.
