PhD student position in Materials for sustainable battery technology

Would you like to look into materials for next generation sustainable energy technology and become an expert in sustainable materials and advanced characterization techniques? Join us at Chalmers in our quest to develop materials and understand structure and process in next generation batteries on the molecular level using state-of-the-art experimental methods.

Information about the project
Wallenberg Wood Science Center (WWSC) is a research center striving for scientific excellence with a focus on new materials from trees. The center creates knowledge and builds competence for an innovative and sustainable future value creation from forest raw materials. WWSC is a multidisciplinary collaboration between KTH, Chalmers, and Linköping University. The base is a donation from Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, and the forest industry is supporting WWSC via the national platform Treesearch.

This WWSC project will be conducted at the Department of Physics, the division of Materials Physics.
Stimulated by major needs and challenges in science and a sustainable society, the ambition of the Department of Physics is to foster a creative environment for academic research, learning and outreach. We provide a competitive advantage by linking our top-level international and interdisciplinary academic performance in the areas of material science, nanotechnology and energy research with world-leading industrial R&D&I projects. We address a wide array of experimental, computational, methodological and theoretical challenges, from fundamental physics research, through the development of new materials to direct industrial projects generating new inventions. We have a strong learning commitment on all levels from undergraduate to PhD studies where physics meet engineering.

The research at the division of Materials Physics is directed towards fundamental molecular level understanding of structure and dynamics of materials in relation to macroscopic function. A particular focus is energy related materials for next generation batteries, including nano-structured materials for high capacity and high-rate electrodes, novel electrolyte systems and stabilisation of metal anodes. We work with both theory/modelling and experiments, both at in-house laboratories and at synchrotron and neutron facilities.

The aim of the project is to pave way for next generation sustainable battery technology by building understanding of fundamental processes and based on that design new biobased materials for next generation batteries. In the project you will apply advanced characterization methods (spectroscopy and imaging techniques) to follow processes on the molecular level in real time in working battery cells. We will exploit unique possibilities to tailor bio-based materials for Na-, Zn, or Mg-metal batteries. This PhD-project gives you the opportunity to develop your ideas and to work on how to tailor nanostructure of electrodes and solid electrolytes using nanocellulose and bioploymers to obtain stable and reversible metal deposition during cycling. The project is part of the Wallenberg Wood Science Center (WWSC) where you will have the opportunity to collaborate with world leading experts on bioplymers and nanomaterials from wood raw materials. You will have resources and possibilities to access state-of-the-art experimental tools, the opportunity to be part of international collaborations and to present your work to the national and international scientific communities.

Major responsibilities
You will be a part of the division of Materials Physics at the Department of Physics at Chalmers University of Technology and the Wallenberg Wood Science Centre. The major part of your time will be devoted to your research project, where you will be expected to plan, perform and disseminate your work in large and small collaborative constellations . You will work in a cross-disciplinary environment and have large freedom to form your own research within the scope of the project. You will also be required to complete a course program (60 higher education credits), and participate in teaching activities and other duties at the Department of Physics (up to 20% of your time). As a member of the Wallenberg Wood Science Center you will also have the opportunity to participate in the Wallenberg Wood Science Center Academy courses and activities, which take place at different locations in Sweden and the Nordic Countries.
Supervision of BSc and MSc students can also be a part of the work. Full-time temporary employment. The position is limited to a maximum of five years.

Qualifications
To qualify as a PhD student, you must have a Master's level degree corresponding to at least 240 higher education credits in Materials Science, Chemistry, Physics or equivalent. You should have an interest in materials science and energy technology, and very good communication and collaborative skills. Experience of battery research, materials characterization at the molecular level, data analysis, electrochemical methods are all considered an advantage. Fluency in written and spoken English is required.

If Swedish is not your native language, Chalmers offers Swedish courses.

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.

Read more and apply here

For questions, please contact:
Professor Aleksandar Matic, Materials Physics
E-mail: matic@chalmers.se

*** Chalmers declines to consider all offers of further announcement publishing or other types of support for the recruiting process in connection with this position. ***