PhD student (m,f,x) for 3 years, full-time, E13 (TVL) on Co-Catalyst
The group of Atomic-scale Characterization in the Institute for Materials (at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering) is offering a PhD position for the sub-project ‘Exploring the role of defects on the active site evolution in Co-based spinels and hydrous oxides under OER conditions by correlative microscopy’ in the framework of the collaborative research project, SFB/TRR 247 ‘Heterogeneous Oxidation Catalysis in the Liquid Phase’ between Ruhr University Bochum, University of Duisburg-Essen, MPI for Chemical Energy Conversion, Kiel University, Fritz Haber Institute. The focus of the PhD project is to develop a correlative approach that can link the oxidation state, surface morphology and chemical compositions of Co-based spinels and hydrous oxides with their local activity toward oxygen evolution reaction. The new multimodal method will enable the correlation of scanning electrochemical cell microscopy (SECCM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and atom probe tomography (APT) measurements on the same local features that are pre-identified by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The PhD candidate will be responsible for the SEM, APT and XPS characterization, and she/he will cooperate closely with another PhD student working on SECCM and AFM analysis in the group of Analytical Chemistry II at the Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry.
The Ruhr-Universität Bochum is one of the leading research universities. The university draws its strengths from the diversity and the proximity of scientific and engineering disciplines on a single, coherent campus. This highly dynamic setting enables students and researchers to work across traditional boundaries of academic subjects and faculties. The successful candidate will be working in the new research center for interface-dominated highperformance materials (ZGH) at Ruhr University Bochum, which houses a large and comprehensive suite of equipment dedicated to nanostructure analysis; the center is among the best facilities of its kind in the world. She or he will have access to a world-class set of laboratories and more than 10 major microscopy platforms, including the state-of-the-art atom probe, aberration-corrected TEM, focused ion beam etc. The successful PhD candidate will be integrated into the SFB/TRR 247 research school (UnoCat), which provides a supporting infrastructure of soft skills training and international/national scientific workshops.
The candidate must have:
• an excellent master's degree in electrochemistry, materials science, or inorganic chemistry
• can independently conduct potentiostat measurements, including cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, chronopotentiometry, chronoamperometry etc
• a high level of spoken and written English
• self-motivated and eager to learn
• proven ability to plan, organize and achieve work targets, sometimes in demanding circumstances
• can work both independently and as part of an interdisciplinary team
The candidate may have:
• experiences in analyzing X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data
• experiences in operating scanning electron microscopy
• experiences in working on a project about Co-based spinel oxides for oxygen evolution reaction
Please send your complete and informative application documents (informative cover letter, CV with certificates) as one pdf document by e-mail to: Prof. Dr. Tong Li, email: atomicjobs-mb@ruhr-uni-bochum.de
Application deadline: 29 July 2022 23:59 pm
If the position is funded by third-party funds the employee has no teaching obligation. Travel expenses for interviews cannot be refunded. At Ruhr-Universität Bochum, we wish to promote careers of women in areas in which they have been underrepresented, and we would therefore like to encourage female candidates to send us their applications. Applications by suitable candidates with severe disabilities and other applicants with equal legal status are likewise most welcome |