Location

Campus Essen

Application area

Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Theoretical Inorganic Chemistry

Post Doctoral Position (f/m/d, No. 560-23)
salary group 13 TV-L

Start of employment

2023-11-01

Duration of employment

3 years

Working time

39 h 50 min (100 %)

Your main tasks

In the new research profile "Natural Water to Hydrogen" the research fields of "water research" and "hydrogen" are being brought together at the UDE. 14 research groups of the UDE and 22 associated partners from academia and industry are working together to increase the sustainability of hydrogen production through anion exchange membrane (AEM) water electrolysis. For the first time, a fundamental understanding is to be gained of how water quality, electrodes, and membranes influence each other. Using organic and inorganic lead substances, it will be quantified how or to what extent water needs to be purified before and during electrolysis.

We are seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher to join our team to work on the theoretical description of the water splitting process over Ni-based materials under alkaline conditions. Notably, we aim to comprehend the impact of ions on the electrocatalytic performance, applying electronic structure calculations in the density functional theory (DFT) approximation and molecular dynamics simulations. Our theoretical work is aimed to be connected to the experimental working groups, applying spectroscopic and electrochemical techniques to track Ni-based electrodes under operando conditions.

Responsibilities

• Contribution to work package 5 “Operando”, together with the groups of Profs. Campen, Domke, Andronescu, and Barcikowski
• Conducting DFT calculations and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations to comprehend the elementary steps of water splitting and ion effects on the atomic scale
• Cooperation with team members of “Natural Water to Hydrogen” and cooperation partners from academia and industry
• Analyze and interpret results, and communicate findings to the research team.
• Publish high-quality research papers in peer-reviewed journals and present at scientific conferences
• Participation in the acquisition of research funding
• Involvement in an international and interdisciplinary summer school, workshops and conferences as well as outreach activities
• As part of the activity, the opportunity for further academic qualification is offered

Your profile

• PhD in Theoretical Chemistry or Theoretical Physics with a specialization related to the description of electrocatalytic processes
• Committed researcher, demonstrated by publications in international refereed academic journals and academic publishers
• Good knowledge across multiple of these areas, such as electronic structure theory, electrochemistry, and molecular dynamics simulations
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python
• Experience with experimental data collection, analysis, and interpretation, experience in data management and application of FAIR principles
• Professional communication skills in oral and written English

We offer you

• a varied, multifaceted field of activity in a research-intensive environment
• an interesting, responsible job with great creative potential, where you will get to know the diverse tasks and developments of research transfer and have contacts with almost all areas of the UDE
• Interdisciplinary research at a very high level
• a non-discriminatory working environment with respectful, appreciative cooperation
• a pleasant working atmosphere in a dynamic team
• a broad range of further education and training opportunities, individual mentoring

Application deadline

2023-09-15

Code number

560-23

Application

Unfortunately, the application deadline for this position has passed.

Information about the job

For information on the faculty and the advertised position, please visit www.uni-due.de and https://www.uni-due.de/chemie/ak_exner/publication.