Would you like to make the current production of everyday chemicals and materials more sustainable? Are you willing to overcome technological challenges and create scientific insights into electrocatalytic conversions of renewable feedstocks? Then join the Biobased Chemistry and Technology (BCT) chairgroup at Wageningen University as PhD candidate.

In your role as PhD candidate, you will advance the development of porous 3-d electrocatalysts for the upgrading of renewable feedstocks (biomass). Electrocatalysts enable the use of renewable electricity to drive chemical reactions and thus allow a truly sustainable production of chemicals and materials from renewable feedstocks. A major challenge in the development of electrocatalysts for biomass upgrading, however, is the large size and structure of the bio-based molecules. This leads to complex transport and diffusion within the porous electrocatalysts. Efficient electrocatalysts thus need to fulfil multiple requirements at the same time: they need to offer a large surface area for high productivity, provide an open architecture to allow fast transport of the molecules, and deliver high electric conductivity for high efficiency. Your goal is to explore the outlined tradeoffs, and design and fabricate effective 3-d electrocatalysts for biomass upgrading based on scientific insights. Overall, you will make a major contribution to the field of electrocatalytic biomass upgrading, and the transition towards a circular, bio-based economy.

Currently, we are looking for 2 PhD candidates for a joint project on the development of electrocatalysts for biomass upgrading. The project is embedded within the Netherlands' ElectroChemical Conversion & Materials (ECCM) initiative. Both positions will include experimental and modelling tasks. While one position focusses on multiscale modelling of mass, charge, and heat transport in porous 3-d electrocatalysts, the other position focusses on synthesis, characterization, and fabrication of 3-d electrocatalysts.

For the PhD position with focus on multiscale modelling of transport in electrocatalysts:

• You hold a university degree (MSc) with excellent track record in (electro)chemical engineering, electrocatalysis/heterogeneous catalysis, or a related field;
• you have experience in modelling of mass, charge, and heat transport (e.g., Computational Fluid Dynamics), as well as in programming (e.g., with Python, C++);
• ideally you have first experience in (electro)catalysis, transport in porous materials, or reactive systems.

For the PhD position with focus on synthesis and fabrication of electrocatalysts:

• You hold a university degree (MSc) with excellent track record in electrocatalysis/heterogeneous catalysis, chemistry, or (electro)chemical engineering;
• you have experience in synthesis and characterization of (electro)catalytic materials;
• ideally you have first experience in chemical kinetics of (electro)catalysts and basic modelling/programming (e.g., with Python).

In any case:

• You are highly motivated and determined to overcome scientific and technological challenges;
• you are driven by the "how?" and "why?" and transform scientific results into fundamental knowledge with a clear application in mind;
• you have excellent oral and written communication skills in English;
• this position requires an excellent English language proficiency (a minimum of CEFR C1 level). For more information about this proficiency level, please visit our special language page.

We offer you a temporary position for a period of 1.5 years with extension of 2.5 years after successful evaluation. Gross salary per month € 2,395 in the first year rising up to € 3,061 per month in the fourth year for a full working week of 38 hours in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement for the Wageningen University.

In addition, we offer:

• 8% holiday allowance;
• a structural year-end bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent training opportunities and secondary employment conditions;
• flexible working hours and holidays can possibly be determined in consultation so that an optimal balance between work and private life is possible;
• excellent pension plan through ABP;
• 232 vacation hours, the option to purchase extra and good supplementary leave schemes;
• a flexible working time: the possibility to work a maximum of 2 hours per week extra and thereby to build up extra leave;
• a choice model to put together part of your employment conditions yourself, such as a bicycle plan;
• a lively workplace where you can easily make contacts and where many activities take place on the Wageningen Campus. A place where education, research and business are represented;
• use the sports facilities on campus.

Wageningen University & Research stimulates internal career opportunities and mobility with an internal recruitment policy. There are ample opportunities for own initiative in a learning environment.
We offer a versatile job in an international environment with varied activities in a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

Wageningen University & Research

The mission of our University is to explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life. Within Wageningen University & Research, nine specialised research institutes from the Wageningen Research Foundation and Wageningen University have joined forces to help answer the most important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment.

With approximately 30 locations, 6,500 employees, and 12,000 students, it is one of the leading organisations in its domain worldwide. An integrated approach to problems and the cooperation between various disciplines are at the heart of the unique approach of Wageningen. We have been named Best Employer in Education category 2019-2020.

You will be a member of the Biobased Chemistry and Technology chairgroup, which is part of the Agrotechnology & Food Sciences Group at Wageningen University & Research. At Biobased Chemistry and Technology, we are determined to enable the transition towards a sustainable and circular production of chemicals and materials through the utilization of renewable feedstocks (biomass). Therefore, we develop heterogeneous catalysts and electrocatalysts, reactors, and processes with an interdisciplinary team of experimental and computational chemists, and chemical engineers. We are driven by fundamental understanding of catalytic systems and the application of scientific insights for a sustainable future.

Click here for more information about working at Wageningen University & Research.

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