Summer 2015 I graduated from Warwick with a masters degree in chemistry. I was first introduced to diamond science during my masters project on boron doped diamond electrochemical sensors, this fuelled my interest in this area and in research, leading to my application to the DST CDT. The multidisciplinary nature of the course and the opportunity to be taught by leading diamond scientists will allow me to get more out of my PhD project than direct entry from my undergraduate degree. I gained experience in X-ray fluoresence spectroscopy and method development during two mini-projects with Bruker AXS in Germany.

PhD Title: Engineered Diamond for Spectroelectrochemistry

During my project I will develop an electrochemical pre-concentration technique to use with X-ray fluoresence spectroscopy (XRF) for the analysis of aqueous metals at low concentration. This will involve investigations into three main topics; mass transport during pre-concentration, design and development of an XRF optimised boron doped diamond electrode and the fundamentals of metal deposition in complex and multi-metal systems.

PhD Supervisor: Prof. Julie Macpherson
Institution: University of Warwick

Awards: Best overall performance in DST masters year

Teaching: I have demonstrated electrochemistry labs for my CDT and chemistry undergraduates as well as teaching chemistry undergraduate problem classes.

Outreach:

"Diamonds are for everything" DST CDT public lecture

Warwick University Science Gala 2018

Conferences:

EAP 2017 poster

Diamond Conference 2017 poster and flash talk

Warwick Postgraduate Symposium 2018 poster

BCA XRF Conference 2018 poster

Publications:

Controlled sp2 Functionalization of Boron Doped Diamond as a Route for the Fabrication of Robust and Nernstian pH Electrodes. Zoë J. Ayres, Alexandra J. Borrill, Jonathan C. Newland, Mark E. Newton, and Julie. V. Macpherson

Alex Borrill

Warwick Electrochemistry
Department of Chemistry
University of Warwick
CV4 7AL

A dot J dot Borrill at warwick dot ac dot uk