The electrochemistry group, as part of the Heterogeneous Catalysis and Sustainable Chemistry Group (HCSC), is searching for a motivated candidate to work for the Carbon capture and utilisation – historical context, technological challenges and societal acceptability project.
 

Climate change brings with its urgent challenges, especially for the carbon cycle. The CO2 problem can be addressed through Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS) and/or Carbon Capture & Utilisation (CCU). Chemistry and physics can provide us with technological solutions (e.g., storing CO2 in aquifers or its electrochemical conversion into value-added products), but technology alone is not enough here. History, social sciences and political science are needed to understand the societal impacts of the various solutions. This understanding is essential for a successful implementation and acceptance of the new technologies.

We will explore and evaluate CCS, CCU and CCUS technologies and develop them into conceivable socio-technical scenarios, with special emphasis on electrochemistry as an enabler of CCUS. 

Social sciences aspects of the project will be aligned with the experimental part. The experimental part of this project is devoted to integrating CO2 capture and utilization in an electrochemical reactor. CO2 will be electrochemically converted into valuable C2+ products. 
 

What are you going to do?

• Work in the related projects.
• Provide general assistance from time to time with other research related activities.
• Write progress reports and prepare results for publication and dissemination via journals, presentations and the web.
• Oversee, supervise and train, in association with the supervisor, undergraduate and postgraduate students.
• Supervise practical work and advise students on techniques. 
• Assist with the management of the laboratory.
• Participate in maintaining a safe, clean and healthy laboratory working environment. 
• Read, understand and regularly update self and members of the laboratory on health and safety regulations.
• Participate in ordering laboratory items (equipment and consumables). 
• Maintain accurate records of experiments.
• Undertake any necessary training and/or development. 
• Attend relevant meetings.

What do we require of you?

A recent PhD degree or previous postdoc in chemistry or electrochemistry.

Your experience and profile:

• good communication skills in oral and written English.
• take initiative and have good time management skills.
• interest in collaborating with students and colleagues in within and outside the institute.
• experience in electrochemistry.
• experience with analytical techniques like gas chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography.
• experience with spectroscopic techniques like in situ infrared, Raman and mass spectrometry is a plus. 
• write articles for publication and present papers/ posters at national and international conferences as directed by the head of laboratory.

Fixed-term contract: 18 months.

A temporary contract for 38 hours per week, preferably starting on 1 May 2022, for the duration of 18 months.

Based on a full-time contract (38 hours per week) the gross monthly salary will range from €2,790 to €4,402 (scale 10) in the last year. This is exclusive 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus. A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities is applicable.

The UvA offers excellent possibilities for further professional development and education.

What else do we offer
•    A function in which initiative is strongly valued.
•    An enthusiastic team that welcomes new members.
•    An inspiring academic and international environment in the heart of Amsterdam.

University of Amsterdam

With over 6,000 employees, 30,000 students and a budget of more than 600 million euros, the University of Amsterdam (UvA) is an intellectual hub within the Netherlands. Teaching and research at the UvA are conducted within seven faculties: Humanities, Social and Behavioural Sciences, Economics and Business, Law, Science, Medicine and Dentistry. Housed on four city campuses in or near the heart of Amsterdam, where disciplines come together and interact, the faculties have close links with thousands of researchers and hundreds of institutions at home and abroad.  

The UvA’s students and employees are independent thinkers, competent rebels who dare to question dogmas and aren’t satisfied with easy answers and standard solutions. To work at the UvA is to work in an independent, creative, innovative and international climate characterised by an open atmosphere and a genuine engagement with the city of Amsterdam and society.

Faculty of Science - Institute for Molecular Sciences

The Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences (HIMS) is one of eight institutes of the University of Amsterdam (UvA) Faculty of Science (FNWI). HIMS performs internationally recognized chemistry and molecular research, curiosity driven as well as application driven. This is done in close cooperation with the chemical, flavor & food, medical and high-tech industries. Research is organized into four themes: Analytical Chemistry, Computational Chemistry, Synthesis & Catalysis and Molecular Photonics.

The HCSC Group’s mission is to discover new catalysts and materials for sustainable chemistry and energy applications.

To work at the UvA is to work in a discerning, independent, creative, innovative and international climate characterized by an open atmosphere and a genuine engagement with the city of Amsterdam and society.