PhD Position in Designing Recyclable Electrocatalysts

Are you motivated to support the development of recyclable polymeric electrocatalysts for fuel cells and electrolyzers?
We are actively looking for a motivated Ph.D. student to join the Giovannitti group in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Chalmers University of Technology to develop recyclable polymeric electrocatalysts. If you are motivated to design and synthesize polymeric electrocatalysts for a circular economy and are enthusiastic about working in collaboration with other group members to solve timely research questions, we can offer you a position in our lab.

Project description
The project is part of a multidisciplinary research collaboration where you will collaborate with researchers at Chalmers and with national and international research groups. The tasks of the position include the design and synthesis of recyclable polymeric electrocatalysts. You will characterize the synthesized polymer electrodes using state-of-the-art chemical analysis tools and develop novel methods for purifying polymeric electrocatalysts using liquid chromatography. Furthermore, you will collaborate with team members of the electrochemistry subgroup to test the electrocatalytic activity of the polymeric electrode materials for oxidative and reductive electrochemical reactions. You will also be responsible for developing methodology for recycling polymer electrodes. Research visits to national and international research groups and facilities are encouraged and will enable you to learn from experts in the field.

Information about the research group
The research mission of the Giovannitti group focuses on the design and synthesis of next-generation polymeric organic semiconductors for electrochemical applications. We develop polymeric semiconductors for electrochemical devices, including bioelectronics, electrocatalysis, and electrochemical synthesis. We have strong expertise in designing tailor-made electrode materials that achieve high performance in electrochemical devices and have a broad knowledge of electrode fabrication.

Major responsibilities
The Ph.D. student is responsible for the design and synthesis of polymeric electrocatalysts based on polymeric semiconductors. The Ph.D. student will use state-of-the-art chemical characterization methods to characterize the chemical and physical properties of the polymeric semiconductors. The Ph.D student will develop new processes for recycling polymer electrodes and investigate the stability of pristine and recyclable polymer electrodes. 

The student will have the opportunity to study the physical properties and structure-property relationships of the fabricated electrodes at advanced characterization at national and international research facilities. In addition, 10 percent of your time will be dedicated to departmental duties with opportunities to develop your teaching skills for undergraduate courses. Read more about doctoral studies at Chalmers here.

Qualifications
The successful candidate must have a Master’s degree in Chemistry, Physics, Materials Science, or equivalent (or be in the process of completing a Master’s degree). Experience in organic chemistry and chemical characterization methods is required. Expertise and knowledge in electrochemistry of π -π-conjugated polymers is beneficial but not mandatory.

Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the work, the candidate is expected to have excellent collaboration skills to work with team members at Chalmers and collaborators located in Sweden and abroad. A very good capability of communicating scientific results in English, both orally and in writing is required.

Contract terms
Full-time temporary employment. The position is limited to a maximum of five years.

We offer
Chalmers offers a cultivating and inspiring working environment in the coastal city of Gothenburg. Read more about working at Chalmers and our benefits for employees.

Chalmers aims to actively improve our gender balance. We work broadly with equality projects, for example the GENIE Initiative on gender equality for excellence. Equality and diversity are substantial foundations in all activities at Chalmers.

Application procedure
The application should be marked with reference number 20240270 and written in English. The application should be sent electronically and be attached as PDF-files, as below. Maximum size for each file is 40 MB. Please note that the system does not support Zip files.

CV: (Please name the document: CV, Family name, reference number)
• CV
• Other, for example previous employments or leadership qualifications and positions of trust.
• Two references that we can contact.

Personal letter: (Please name the document as: Personal letter, Family name, ref.number)
1-3 pages where you:
• Introduce yourself
• Describe your previous experience of relevance for the position (e.g. education, thesis work and, if applicable, any other research activities)
• Describe your future goals and future research focus

Other documents:
• Copies of bachelor and/or master’s thesis.
• Attested copies and transcripts of completed education, grades and other certificates, e.g. TOEFL test results.

Use the button at the foot of the page to reach the application form. 

Please note: The applicant is responsible for ensuring that the application is complete. Incomplete applications and applications sent by email will not be considered.


Application deadline: 2024-05-22



For questions, please contact:
Prof. Alexander Giovannitti,
alexander.giovannitti@chalmers.se