Jobs in Eletrochemistry
February 2023
Position Summary: The Group Leader is responsible for performing essential tasks necessary for the daily operation of the laboratory. They lead a small team of chemists/technicians and act as a senior resource for lab team members to consult on projects. Support the Commercial organization and other ancillary groups.
Job Accountabilities:
- Manage, distribute and prioritize laboratory work requests and projects according to business strategies/demands.
- Review laboratory reports for accuracy and consistency. Issue reviewed reports to the PAM/SPLM team and provide recommendations and guidance based on the results of the analysis.
- Lead a small team of chemists/technicians to ensure the timely completion of day-to-day tasks and projects. Communicate with relevant stakeholders to set priorities and provide visibility for project completion timelines.
- Support the Commercial organization as a technical liaison to aid with troubleshooting and problem resolution. Visit customers when required to assist the Commercial team, develop and deliver presentations, and engage in discussions on complex matters with customers.
- Design, develop, and implement specified tests and determinations, in order to answer questions and address problems of customers. Develop and perform customer requested product analysis and testing.
- Independently select and execute analytical tests in order to determine quantitative and qualitative composition of raw materials, formulations, competitive products and other chemical (field) samples.
- Determine performance characteristics of competitive products using physical, instrumental and wet analysis techniques.
- Clearly and orderly record all observations and data. Report results in a clear and concise manner to enhance technical exchange. Provide legal and archival documentation for patent applications.
- Provide assistance to manufacturing in order to improve the quality and efficiency of the manufacturing process. Assist manufacturing and the quality assurance lab in solving quality and production problems.
- Train and guide more junior level chemists and trainees in executing routine analysis at the Development Laboratory. Deliver internal trainings for new hires or employees when needed.
Work Environment/Physical demands
- Work in a laboratory and administrative office setting, w/ some travel as required.
- Ensure a safety mindset throughout designated area of responsibility.
- While performing the duties of this job the employee may be exposed to fumes or airborne particles and toxic or caustic chemicals. The employee is occasionally exposed to work near moving mechanical parts. The associate must be able to safely work in a variety of potentially hazardous situations. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
- While performing the duties of this job the employee is regularly required to carefully, and precisely manipulate samples, apparatus, and sensitive instruments. The employee is frequently required to stand and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to walk sit and talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, or no more than local or country regulations allow. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and ability to adjust focus.
Education, Experience, Skills & Competencies:
This position requires at least a bachelor’s degree in a scientific discipline, preferably Chemistry.
5+ years related chemistry experience required. Equivalent combination of education (minimum bachelor’s degree) and experience will be considered. Previous supervisory experience is preferred.
A good command of the English language is mandatory. Ability to read, analyze and interpret common scientific and technical journals. Strong writing skills are essential in order to coherently convey information to the Commercial & Technical teams.
To perform this job successfully, an individual should have knowledge of Word Processing software; Spreadsheet software; Internet software and Database software.
Coach, mentor and train both direct and indirect reports. Perform supervisory duties for direct reports.
Good communication skills, effectively works in a team environment, well organized, change resilient, takes initiative, strong analytical skills.
While performing the duties of this job the employee may be exposed to fumes or airborne particles and toxic or caustic chemicals. The employee is occasionally exposed to work near moving mechanical parts. The associate must be able to safely work in a variety of potentially hazardous situations. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
While performing the duties of this job the employee is regularly required to carefully, and precisely manipulate samples, apparatus, and sensitive instruments. The employee is frequently required to stand and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to walk sit and talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, or no more than local or country regulations allow. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and ability to adjust focus.
March 2022
PhD-Student / Scientist (f/m/d) Simulation of Gas Evolution in Electrolyzers
Helmholtz Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) / Institute of Fluid Dynamics in Dresden, Germany invites applications as PhD-Student / Scientist (f/m/d) Simulation of Gas Evolution in Electrolyzers. The position will be available from 1 May 2022. The employment contract is limited to three years. The deadline for Applications is March 31, 2022.
Tasks:
• Numerical simulation of multiphase flows in electrochemical energy devices
• Focus on growth/dynamics of gas bubbles in supersaturated solutions
• Development of advanced simulation tools
• Interaction with experimental groups and industry partner
• Opportunity to prepare a PhD thesis
Requirements:
• Master's or Diploma degree in Mathematics, Physics, Mechanical or Chemical Engineering or similar
• Experience in modeling multiphysics flow problems
• Coding experience (C, C++, script languages)
• Useful are experiences with OpenFOAM/basilisk/Comsol/CFX/Fluent
• Very good communication skills in English, of advantage would be communication skills in German
• Cooperating with project partners including industry
More details:
https://www.hzdr.de/db/Cms?pNid=490&pOid=65442&pContLang=en
February 2022
O2 and CO2 as sustainable energy sources: to boost the performances of hybrid nanomaterials by coupling electrocatalysis and plasmonics
The activation of O2 and CO2 through electrochemical reduction (ORR and CO2RR) is highly promising for developing sustainable and alternative energy conversion technologies. The electrochemical reduction of these abundant feedstock requires strong electrocatalysts in terms of i) efficiency, ii) selectivity and iii) durability.
We have recently demonstrated that metallic nanoparticles (Au, Ag, Pt) functionalized wit a covalently-bound monolayer of molecular cavities exhibit better performances toward ORR and MOR as nanocatalysts, with, notably, better selectivity and durability. The immobilized organic ligands allow a tuning of the interfacial reactivity which has positive impact on the selectivity of the reaction while increasing the stability of the catalysts under operation (Adv. Mat. Interf. 2020 DOI 10.1002/admi.202001557,ChemElectroChem, 2020, DOI 10.1002/celc.202000132).
The goals of this PhD project will be to even enhance the efficiency and selectivity of the target reactions, namely comcerning the CO2RR reaction which is highly challengin nowadays. In addition to a specific design of the organic cavities inspired from metalloenzymes for the development of nanohybrid catalysts, we will also take benefit from the properties of the nanoparticles (Ag, Au, Cu) by coupling electrocatalysis with plasmonics. We will then evaluate the synergy of such an approach through a plasmon-mediated electrocatalysis (Adv. Mat. 2020, doi.org/10.1002/adma.202000086).
The research work will be run at Institut des Sciences Chimiques de Rennes in the framework of a collaborative project funded by the french national research agency (project MARCEL, ANR 2021). The nanomaterials will be synthesized and characterized in the host laboratory by employing a combination of available techniques (IR, Raman, XPS spectroscopies, SEM, TEM, ATG, etc). The electrochemical performances will be evaluated by using the state-of-the-art techniques (RDE, RRDE) and electrochemical microscopy (SECM). Complementary techniques such as gas chromatography will help in the products identification. All facilities are available in the host laboratory.
Required skills
The recruited PhD will be in charge of the preparation, characterization of the hybrid nanoparticles and of the evaluation of their electrochemical performances toward ORR and CO2RR. The recruited PhD will analyze the data and will monitor bibliographic literature.
The applicant should complete or hold a Master’s degree. The candidate should be enthusiastic and has interest in at least one of the following fields: electrochemistry, physical chemistry of surfaces, synthesis and characterization of nano-objects.
Funding : 36-months contract from CNRS (french scientific research organism) with gross monthly salary of 2135 € (netto 1715 €).
Interested applicants are invited to send a CV and a letter of motivation before June, 15, 2022.
Contact
Corinne Lagrost corinne.lagrost@univ-rennes1.fr
Yann Leroux yann.leroux@univ-rennes1.fr
February 2022
Post-doctoral research position in Analytical Chemistry is for the manufacturing and development of low-cost integrated chemical sensors for application in the field
Summary
The Electronic Tongue and Chemical Sensor Laboratory at the Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo (USP) – Brazil (https://www.iq.usp.br/trlcp/) are seeking to hire one post-doctoral researcher to work on a project entitled “Development of low-cost integrated chemical sensors for point-of-need applications.” The scholarship will be granted by the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), and the research is linked to the Thematic Project “Integrated miniaturized chemical sensors: novel fabrication platforms for biological, health and environmental applications” (Grant Number # 2018/08782-1), whose coordinator is Prof. Mauro Bertotti. The position is for the Thiago Paixão’s Lab.
The selected candidate will conduct research involving the development of chemical sensors for later use in the field using a low-cost and scalable procedure. To improve the sensitivity and selectivity of the response of chemical sensors manufactured, strategies based on modifying the surface of the transducers will be employed, if necessary.
USP is the largest Brazilian public university (90.000 enrolled students) and is highly recognized for its fundamental role in advancing research (currently, USP is responsible for more than 20% of all scientific production in Brazil). USP comprises several campuses, and our laboratory is located in the campus of the city of São Paulo, which is the main port of entry to Brazil. FAPESP is an independent public foundation to foster research and the scientific and technological development of the State of São Paulo.
Needed skills and experience
We want to have a motivated and creative researcher capable of designing and carrying out experiments, presenting papers at meetings, and writing scientific articles. Candidates must submit academic competitiveness at an international level, attested by publications in journals indexed in the topics of interest to the research project. Advanced training in Analytical Chemistry focused on the fabrication of sensors using different techniques, including 3D printed devices and a combination of detection techniques, will be considered a significant differential. Experience with microscopic and macroscopic scale simulation of sensors operation will also be a differential, in addition to the possibility of printing via inkjet technique using DIMATIX series printers (Fujifilm: https://www.fujifilm.com/us/en /about/region/affiliates/dimatix). The selected candidate is expected to help mentor undergraduate, graduate, and laboratory technicians as needed.
Contract Period and Project Start
The scholarship duration is 24 months. It can be extended for up 2 more years, depending on the evaluation of the work performed during the current period and the research plan for the extended period. The starting date for the successful candidate is flexible but is expected to start on April 1st, 2022.
Values and Conditions
1. Monthly grant (free of taxes) of R$ 7,373.10 (around U$ 1,228.00), plus 10% of the annual value for contingency expenses in items directly related to the research activity (Technical Reserve);
2. Financial support for travel and installation expenses may be requested for the selected applicant who lives out of São Paulo;
3. The candidate must have completed a Ph.D. not more than 5 years before starting the stipend.
Full details can be found at: http://www.fapesp.br/en/5427.
How to Apply
The submission deadline is March 14th, 2022, and interested candidates should apply exclusively by email (trlcp@iq.usp.br), including "FAPESP post-doctoral fellowship" as subject, followed by his/her name. The applicant must include the following documents in a single PDF file):
1. Summarized CV (maximum 2 pages), including published papers attesting the competence to develop the project;
2. A text in English, with a maximum of 2 pages, describing the previous experience in the field and suggestions to make the research more innovative and challenging.
3. Two recommendation letters.
Selection
Screening of applications will start as soon as they are received. The selection will be made based on the CV of the candidates (experience in the area of research of the project and the quality of publications), motivation, and evaluation of the recommendation letter. A Skype interview may be required for some applicants during the selection process. Candidates will receive the list of applicants and the result of the selection process until March 31st, 2022, by email. The selected candidate must submit the necessary documents for the FAPESP scholarship application within 15 days of his/her approval.
February 2022
Applications are invited for the position of Postdoctoral research associate in the field of Plasmonic contributions to N2 and CO2 co-electrolysis.
This position is part of a project aimed at gaining a fundamental electrochemical insight supporting the rational catalyst design plasmonic contributions to N2 and CO2 co-electrolysis.
The major challenges in electrochemical ammonia synthesis are related to the low activity and selectivity of currently available electrocatalysts for N2 reduction. Therefore, significant improvements to cell materials, including electrocatalysts and electrolytes, would be needed to achieve those targets. Therefore, this is an encouraging aspect for addressing the challenge related to the urea synthesis via CO2 and N2 co-electrolysis. This topic is totally new in literature and just now has been reported with a faradaic efficiency of ca. 9%, and it will be final target of this project. Here, it is proposed the use of bimetallic and oxide nanoestructures developed in our laboratories together with ILs in order to investigate this very hot topic. The decoration of the nanoestructures with plasmonic materials is also planned to investigate the effect of surface plasmonics on these reactions.
Candidates skills required:
Electrochemical techniques
Electrocatalysis background
Characterization techniques: XPS, SEM, TEM, Raman Spectroscopy, XRD.
English level: Excellent rates in writing, listening, talking.
Documents required:
Complete CV with publications in the field.
Motivation letter
2 recommendation letters.
Availability for living in São Paulo city, Brasil.
Further information:
Start date: 1 April 2022
Please send your application until February 28th, 2022 to storresi@iq.usp.br
February 2022
Applications are invited for the position of Postdoctoral research associate in the field of batteries & supercaps.
This position is part of a project aimed at gaining a fundamental electrochemical insight of redox materials for electrochemical energy storage
The advent of nanotechnology enabled new electrode materials that flexibilization the limits between Electrochemical Capacitors and batteries. Whether it is a dual-layer electrochemical capacitor, be it a hybrid electrochemical capacitor, the use of nanostructured materials allowed these devices to achieve energy performance close to that of batteries.
In the present study, using electrochemical techniques, we will try to explore these limits between capacitors and batteries and to understand the origins of the electrochemical capacitance and behavior of the electrodes that make up the device. In this way, we will produce electrodes with good physical and electrochemical qualities and study their performance in ionic liquids that have been developed in the group with large electrochemical window and good transport property. Research will be carried out at the Institute of Chemistry of the University of São Paulo (IQ-USP), Brazil.
The need for high-power lithium-ion batteries and energy density leads to a safety-related problem due to problems related to the use of organic solvents typically used as electrolytes. It is known that ionic liquids (LIs) can be used as electrolytes because they are not flammable and have high thermal and electrochemical stability, however, it is necessary to have LIs with good transport properties that allow the easy diffusion of lithium.
=This opportunity is open to candidates of any nationality. The selected candidate will receive a Post-Doctoral fellowship from the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) in the amount of R$ 7,373.10 monthly and a research contingency fund, equivalent to 10% of the annual value of the fellowship which should be spent in items directly related to the research activity.
Candidates skills required:
Electrochemical techniques
Battery & Supercaps background
Characterization techniques: XPS, SEM, TEM, Raman Spectroscopy, XRD.
English level: Excellent rates in writing, listening, talking.
Documents required:
Complete CV with publications in the field.
Motivation letter
2 recommendation letters.
Availability for living in São Paulo city, Brasil.
Further information:
Start date: 1 April 2022
Please send your application until February 28th, 2022 to rtorresi@iq.usp.br (Roberto M. Torresi)
February 2022
PhD Position, Chemistry and Physics of Materials, Paris-Lodron University Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria:
Stability and efficiency of photoelectrochemical devices for solar water splitting
Your tasks:
This PhD work will explore mesoscale degradation of photoelectrochemical devices. An important part will be the synthesis of semiconducting metal oxide powders by solid state chemical methods and transfer them onto conductive substrates in order to fabricate photoanodes. He/she will characterize powders and electrodes by XRD, SEM, UV-vis and optical microscopy. The electrochemical properties of the photoanodes will be assessed by a broad set of photoelectrochemical characterization techniques like chronoamperometery, cyclovoltammetry etc. under varying conditions. Some of the characterization results will be acquired with the purpose to deliver input for device modelling in the frame of a collaborative project with two Swiss universities. The gained knowledge will be used to fabricate photoelectrodes with prolonged lifetime.
Your qualifications:
Master degree in chemistry, physics, chemical engineering, materials science or similar
Strong background in laboratory skills
Expertise in solid-state characterization techniques (XRD, SEM etc.) and in electrochemistry
Team player and interest in taking part in an international project
Interest in energy materials and devices
Languages: German and English
Further information:
Got to: https://www.plus.ac.at/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/PhDS1_Ausschreibung_englisch-1.pdf
Start date: 1 May 2022
Please send your application until March 1 to simone.pokrant@plus.ac.at
January 2022
Applications are invited for the position of Postdoctoral research associate in the field of renewable energy storage.
This position is part of a project aimed at gaining a fundamental electrochemical insight supporting the rational catalyst design for renewable electricity storage.
This position is available at the J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry on March 1st, 2022, or as soon as possible thereafter. The successful candidate should hold a PhD degree (at the time of the project commencement) in Chemistry, Physics or Material science. Expertise in electrocatalysis and rational material design as well as previous postdoctoral experience is highly desirable; experience with X-ray absorption spectroscopy would also be advantageous. The person appointed will be expected to work in a collaborative team, including regular liaison with the collaborating groups in Denmark (University of Copenhagen), Germany (Ulm University) and USA (Northeastern University), and should have effective written and verbal communication skills in English.
Full details can be found here: https://www.jh-inst.cas.cz/recruitment/postdoctoral-researcher-renewable-energy-storage
How to apply
To apply, please send your CV, List of publications and Motivation letter to recruitment@jh-inst.cas.cz .
Please, write in the subject line of your email SC2022_02.
Informal e-mail inquiries prior to making an application are welcome and should be addressed to Prof P.Krtil
January 2022
PhD topic on “Nanostructured electrode architecture for high efficiency Fuel Cells”
PhD position in in the group of Professor Philippe Vereecken at imec and the University of Leuven (KU-Leuven), Leuven, Belgium. (4-year period to be filled in asap).
Website: https://www.imec-int.com/en/energy-technologies/power-to-molecules-p2m
State-of-the-art hydrogen Fuel-cell technology relies on carbon-based membrane electrode assemblies with catalyst coatings for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR). Recently, our group has established a fabrication process for a three-dimensional metal nanomesh by combining anodization and electrodeposition processes. Unique to this nanomesh is its very large internal surface area of around 30x per micron in mesh thickness combined with a very high porosity of 70-80 % allowing easy transport of gasses through the regular spaced nanocages. Furthermore, the fully interconnected metal nanowire array has low resistance as compared to the carbon current collectors reducing Ohmic drop. In this PhD topic, a membrane electrode assembly or MEA based on this nanomesh will be designed for increasing efficiency of the fuel cell. A few micrometers thin electrodes already provide an effective catalytic surface area exceeding 100x while having excellent accessibility of reagents and products. The compact MEA leads to Fuel cells with high energy density while having low catalyst loading. A systematic investigation of transport and the confinement of reaction products in the nanomesh will provide the necessary insights for further optimization of the nanomesh architecture for maximum performance. Also, the catalytic properties of the nanomesh itself will be investigated, e.g., next to having a catalytic nanomesh material, 2D thin-film coatings will behave intrinsically different than nanoparticle decorated current collectors. The catalytic nanomesh is believed to be more durable than nanoparticle decorated current collectors. Finally, ionic coupling and ion transport within the nanomesh architectures will be addressed. This radical new design in electrocatalytic electrodes is expected to boost performance of gas diffusion electrodes for fuel cells and other vapor based electrochemical devices.
This PhD position is part of the BE-HyFE project, a training network with 16 PhD researchers working on hydrogen technology at Belgian universities and research institutes. The design, development, manufacturing, and electrochemical characterization of the materials will be performed at imec. This specific project will be in collaboration with the University of Liège where PEM-FC test benches will be used to characterize complete MEAs. Several trainings and workshops will be organized each year for the PhD students and their advisors within the training network.
(https://mobile.twitter.com/behyfe).
Please direct inquiries and application to Prof. Dr. Philippe Vereecken (philippe.vereecken@imec.be) and Dr. Rico Rupp (rico.rupp@imec.be).
January 2022
Applications are invited for postdoctoral researchers to join Prof. Shoji Hall’s group at Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the Johns Hopkins University. The research in the Hall laboratory focuses on addressing problems in renewable energy storage and conversion by developing nanostructured electrocatalysts and by controlling interfacial dynamics at electrified metal-solution interfaces.
For more information, please visit: engineering.jhu.edu/hall
Potential projects in these directions include:
• Developing nanostructured ordered intermetallic materials with controlled morphology at low temperatures via electrochemical synthesis.
• Developing methods to form C-C bonds by electrochemically deprotonating molecules with C-H bonds.
• Modulate the transport of water (or other relevant proton donor) to electrified metal-solution interfaces to control reaction selectivity.
The applicant(s) is expected to hold a doctoral degree in a related field, such as materials science & engineering, chemistry, or chemical engineering. Applicants should email Prof. Hall at shoji@jhu.edu