Second supervisor: Prof. David A. Leigh FRS
This is a tax-free stipend covering tuition fees for a successful UK/EU/Swiss applicant and living expenses at the standard EPSRC rate (commencing at ~£13,590 per year from the 1st September 2011 for a period of 3 years). Scholarships are also available to outstanding applicants from outside the UK/EU/Switzerland as detailed below.
Project:
Non-covalent interactions are fundamental aspects of almost all chemical and biological processes. Solvent effects coupled with the precise positioning of interacting functional groups may be essential for the astonishing ligand binding affinities observed in biology. However, previous experimental studies concerning the influence of solvent shape and geometric positioning of interacting functional groups have been particularly limited. The aim here is to design and synthesise new supramolecular complexes quantifying the interplay of geometry and solvation effects on non-covalent interactions. Particular attention will be paid to solvent-excluded hydrogen-bonding.
The student working on this project will receive training in a range of modern experimental and analytical techniques associated with physical organic chemistry including:
• organic synthesis
• theoretical background in molecular recognition
• NMR spectroscopy
• quantitative structure activity relationships
• computational modelling and ab initio calculations
Applications:
Applicants should express a keen interest in organic synthesis, supramolecular chemistry and molecular recognition. Applicants should be in possession of (or expecting to obtain) a first class or upper-second class degree (or equivalent) in chemistry or other cognate discipline before the 1st Oct ‘11. All applicants should email a copy of their CV to scott.cockroft@ed.ac.uk. Please include a brief description of previous research experience, and the contact details of two referees.
Applications should be made as soon is as possible such that scholarship applications can be prepared where appropriate (deadlines 1st Feb ‘11). However, applications received as late as 1st March ‘11 may still be considered.
UK/EU/Swiss applicants, should ideally apply for an EaStChem research excellence scholarship before the 1st February deadline in addition to the application procedure detailed above:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/student-funding/postgraduate/uk-eu/science-engineeering/chemistry/eastchem
Outstanding applicants from outside of the UK/EU/Switzerland, may be eligible for overseas scholarships that will either fully cover overseas tuition fees or reduce them by £5,000 per annum, and they should contact scott.cockroft@ed.ac.uk as soon as is possible to explore these possibilities.
Further information: http://homepages.ed.ac.uk/scockrof/research.php
Informal enquiries should be directed to scott.cockroft@ed.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)131 650 4758.