Opportunities

PhD in Transport Phenomena in van der Waals Nanocapillaries

We invite applications for a PhD position to investigate transport phenomena in 2D van der Waals (vdW) nanocapillaries. This project lies at the interface of nanofluidics, condensed matter physics, and materials science, and is expected to deliver high-impact publications, technological innovation, and strong career development.

VdW–assembled nanocapillaries provide the ultimate confinement limit, reaching sub-nanometre dimensions. Under such extreme confinement, fluids and ions exhibit transport regimes inaccessible in conventional nanochannels. For example, water confined between two-dimensional materials can display anomalous flow, modified viscosity, enhanced permeability, and strong selectivity arising from molecular ordering and interfacial effects. Understanding water and ion transport in this regime is central to applications ranging from membrane desalination and electrochemical energy harvesting to next-generation batteries, as well as to biological transport processes.

This PhD project will systematically explore water and ionic transport in vdW nanocapillaries using electrostatic gating and pressure-driven flow. Key research questions include:

·       How do water structure, dynamics, and phase behaviour evolve under atomic-scale confinement?

·       How can ion transport and selectivity be tuned via electrostatic gating?

·       What new transport regimes emerge from the coupling of pressure, confinement, and surface charge?

The experimental programme involves the design and fabrication of nanocapillary devices integrated with microfluidic lab-on-chip platforms, enabling precise in-operando control of flow, pressure, and electrical gating. These devices are compatible with microelectronics fabrication and offer clear routes toward CMOS-integrable, scalable lab-on-a-chip technologies.

The project spans both fundamental and applied transport phenomena, including selective Li⁺/Mg²⁺ separation relevant to lithium extraction, controlled Na⁺/K⁺ transport inspired by biological ion regulation, and gate- and pressure-tunable ion sieving and water permeation in atomically thin channels. Outcomes will be directly relevant to industrial lithium enrichment, advanced membrane technologies, and the reverse engineering of biological transport systems, while addressing foundational questions in nanoscale fluid and ion transport.

PhD in Molecular Sensing Based on van der Waals Nanocapillaries

We invite applications for PhD positions to develop molecular sensing technologies based on two-dimensional van der Waals (vdW) nanocapillaries. This project is expected to deliver high-impact scientific publications, technological innovation, and excellent career development for successful candidates.

Molecules confined to nanometre and sub-nanometre dimensions can exhibit structures, interactions, and dynamics that differ fundamentally from their bulk behaviour. Despite their importance, experimental studies of spatially confined molecules remain rare and technically challenging. Gaining direct insight into molecular behaviour under extreme confinement is of fundamental significance and underpins the development of next-generation lab-on-a-chip nanofluidic technologies for applications ranging from trace-amount chemical sensing to medical point-of-care diagnostics and environmental monitoring.

This PhD project aims to identify and characterise the signatures of spatially confined molecules and to determine how extreme confinement alters molecular structure, interactions, and dynamics. Nanochannel devices fabricated on silicon-based substrates will be integrated with microfluidic platforms to enable precise control of molecular delivery. A suite of complementary electrical, spectroscopic, and electrochemical measurements will be employed to probe confined molecules in situ. Changes in spectroscopic and electrical fingerprints arising from steric confinement, surface charge effects, and externally applied electric fields will be used to elucidate the internal dynamics of individual molecules.

By combining atomic-scale confinement with multimodal readout, the project will enable trace-level molecular detection inside nanocapillaries. This approach opens pathways toward highly sensitive and selective sensing technologies for biologically relevant molecules, including biomarkers and pharmaceutical compounds.

The project builds on our established expertise in vdW nanocapillaries and their characterisation [1–3], which has resulted in high-profile publications. It will benefit from state-of-the-art cleanroom microfabrication facilities and the University of Manchester’s internationally leading position in two-dimensional materials research. Drawing on long-standing strengths in nanofabrication and near-field and nanoscale spectroscopy, the work will advance fundamental chemistry and physics while contributing to more efficient sensing technologies.