Rosixing Elliott

Biography:

Rosi graduated from the University of Leeds in 2017 with a Bachelor’s in Chemistry. As well as enabling her to develop a strong knowledge of chemical processes and analytical techniques, it also introduced her to flow chemistry which she developed a strong interest in.

PhD: Impact of Particle Surface Properties and Molecular Dynamics on Powder Caking, Flow and Formulation Performance

The manufacture of high value materials requires high reproducibility of physical characteristics and performance. However, changes in manufacturing conditions are commonplace in commercial production and can lead to unpredictable changes in material properties that may disrupt product manufacture. These are often manifested as poor filtration, bulk powder consolidation, poor granule/tablet dispersion or sedimentation in suspensions. These shifts in behaviour, outside of the designed process operating window, are not easily rectified on commercial timescales and can inflict serious financial and operational consequences ranging from low productivity (e.g. throughput, down time and re-work), potentially hazardous interventions, to catastrophic product quality failure and withdrawal.

Controlling surface and interface properties appears to be of central importance, but a lack of analytical techniques that determine molecular level properties has prevented progress in this field. With the advent of modern X-ray technologies for molecular-level surface and interface analysis of particulate products under environmental control we can now realistically hope to make progress in this field. This project will employ experimental techniques such as environmental XPS at Leeds and synchrotron radiation techniques such as environmental near-edge X-ray absorption fine-structure (NEXAFS), pair-distribution function (PDF) determination by total scattering and high resolution X-ray imaging and tomography to obtain insight into changes in the interfacial properties of particles in powders as a function of time while varying process and storage conditions. In situ experiments will be designed to understand the molecular basis better, and an important part

Research Project(s) during degree:

• Final year - Improving Reaction Efficiency Through Flow Processing with Professor John Blacker, Chemistry
  Working with continuous flow reactors, Rosi explored methods to improve the selectivity of an acylation reaction of disubstituted amines over traditional batch methods. Using a multitude of reactor types such as miniaturised CSTRs and more standard tubular reactors, she was able to gain experience in optimisation and investigate a wide range of reaction variables within a short space of time.

Outreach, training and other activities:

• Student Ambassador for School of Chemistry for duration of degree
  Providing guidance to applicants who had obtained an interview as well as answering their queries about the course and university in general.
• Lab demonstrator on Year 12 Outreach Days
  Helping to introduce students to working in a laboratory as well as assisting them with their experiments.

Masters research project in year 1 of CDT:

• ‘Molecular Modelling of Vapour Phase Nucleation of Organic Co-crystals’ with Dr Robert Hammond, Chemical & Process Engineering