2x PhD students on the development of new battery materials

The transition to a renewable energy economy will necessitate the deployment of a massive amount of energy storage to integrate renewables and balance demand and supply. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop battery technologies that can be scaled-up to fulfill the stringent requirements of the grid, and most important, store electricity at very low cost.  FAIR-RFB (Engineered Porous Electrodes to Unlock Ultra-low Cost Fe-air Redox Flow Batteries) is an ambitious research project funded by the European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant) and we are currently building a team of talented and enthusiastic researchers to tackle this challenging research program. The main aim is to develop a low cost and long-duration energy storage system (e.g. a 'giant battery') for large scale energy storage. In this project, we will focus on the fundamental science of porous electrodes, which are the core of next-generation battery technologies and determine their performance, durability and cost.

In this project, we are looking for two PhD students to unravel fundamental phenomena in porous electrodes. The specific roles of each vacancy are:

• PhD position 1 (porous electrodes): the PhD researcher will work on developing new porous electrodes by using polymer phase separation. The researcher shall develop a deep understanding of polymer dynamics and phase separation thermodynamics to be able to predict the resulting polymer structures and their relationship to the final battery performance. Our ultimate goal is to build an experimental pipeline, supported by theory, to synthesize porous electrodes with controlled three-dimension structures and composition for metal-air redox flow batteries. This multidisciplinary project will leverage principles of polymer chemistry and physics, electrochemical engineering, and transport phenomena.

• PhD position 2 (surface science): the PhD researcher will develop functional electrode interfaces for next-generation redox flow batteries. The research shall develop fundamental understand about the relationship between electrode interface and resulting electrochemical performance (i.e. kinetic activity, selectivity, stability). The researcher will regularly employ a new state-of-the-art electrochemical scanning microscope to map out electrochemical phenomena at the nanoscale. This multidisciplinary project will build upon principles in chemistry, surface science, electrochemistry, and microscopy.

Please include your preferred position in your cover letter. It is also acceptable to be interested in both positions.

• A master's degree (or an equivalent university degree) in Materials Science, Physics, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, or related disciplines.
• We are looking for a talented, motivated and enthusiastic researcher. Analytical skills, initiative and creativity are highly desired.
• You are a naturally curious person who is eager to learn more and has a strong interest in research.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English are a prerequisite.
• We prefer candidates with a good team spirit, who like to work in an internationally oriented, social environment.

An interview, a scientific presentation and a writing assignment are part of the selection procedure.

A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university, in an interdisciplinary setting and within an international network. You will work on a beautiful, green campus within walking distance of the central train station. In addition, we offer you:

• Full-time employment for four years, with an intermediate evaluation (go/no-go) after nine months. You will spend 10% of your employment on teaching tasks.
• Salary and benefits (such as a pension scheme, paid pregnancy and maternity leave, partially paid parental leave) in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities.
• A year-end bonus of 8.3% and annual vacation pay of 8%.
• High-quality training programs and other support to grow into a self-aware, autonomous scientific researcher. At TU/e we challenge you to take charge of your own learning process.
• An excellent technical infrastructure, on-campus children's day care and sports facilities.
• An allowance for commuting, working from home and internet costs.
• A Staff Immigration Team and a tax compensation scheme (the 30% facility) for international candidates.