Postdoctoral position in Spectroscopy for Environmental Catalysis

The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering promotes research and education for sustainable development, for improved health and quality of life. Our research ranges from natural science and bioscience, applied chemistry and biotechnology to chemical engineering. Our educational programs are characterized by technological solutions for improving people’s everyday life, and are continuously developed for meeting and promoting societal and industrial development.

We have approximately 400 employees, divided into five research divisions and one administrative unit. We are situated at campus Johanneberg.

Our department is characterized by stimulation of world leading research, in an environment where people develop and create new knowledge.
Information about the division
The Competence Centre for Catalysis (KCK) is since 1995 a successful interdisciplinary research centre within catalysis at Chalmers. KCK is funded by the Swedish Energy Agency, Chalmers and the member companies; AB Volvo, ECAPS AB, Haldor Topsøe A/S, Scania CV AB and Volvo Car Corporation AB. The activity at KCK is focused on three main areas of research namely i) catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides (NOx) under lean conditions, ii) catalytic oxidation at low temperatures and iii) catalytic techniques for sustainable energy systems.

The activity at KCK is closely integrated with the four research groups at Chalmers; Chemical Physics, Microscopy and Microanalysis, Applied Surface Chemistry and Chemical Reaction Engineering at the Departments of Applied Physics, and Chemical and Biological Engineering. KCK comprises 15 senior researchers, and 25 PhD students and postdocs with equal distribution between male and females.

Major responsibilities
A Postdoc position is now available within KCK. The Postdoc project is focused on time-resolved in situ/in operando studies of catalysts for environmental applications. In specific, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy techniques will be used and developed to determine active centres for challenging reactions in novel zeolite-based materials. In addition, X-ray spectroscopy at synchrotron facilities will be used. Fundamental questions on the role of solid-gas phase interactions and surface reactions will experimentally be addressed. Through these methods deep understanding of the materials functionality will be achieved paving the way for atomistic design of new catalysts.


The position is placed at the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Chalmers University of Technology. The majority of your working time is devoted to your own research. As a Postdoc you are expected to develop your own ideas and research skills, in cooperation with the other project partners and with your colleagues at KCK. 

Position summary
Full-time temporary employment. The position is limited to a maximum of two years.

Qualifications
To qualify for the position of postdoc, you must have a doctoral degree in Chemistry, Physics or Materials Science by the start of the appointment; the degree should generally not be older than three years. For this position we look for a candidate experienced in research at synchrotron facilities, and specifically in experimental surface characterization. Experience in spectroscopy and scattering methods, chemical reactions on surfaces, and visualization is meritorious. The candidate should have the ability to plan and organize the work, and be able to communicate the scientific results fluent, both orally and in writing, in English. We are looking for quality-conscious candidates with an innovative way of thinking. A problem-solving attitude and great ability to work in teams are qualifying for the position.

Application procedure
The application should be marked with Ref 20140023 and written in English. The application should be sent electronically via Chalmers webpage.

Application deadline: February 25, 2014

For questions, please contact:
Prof. Magnus Skoglundh Applied Chemistry/Competence Centre for Catalysis, skoglund@chalmers.se, +46-31-772 2974
Assoc. Prof. Per-Anders Carlsson, Applied Chemistry/Competence Centre for Catalysis, per-anders.carlsson@chalmers.se, +46-31-772 2924



Chalmers continuously strives to be an attractive employer. Equality and diversity are substantial foundations in all activities at Chalmers.