Research Fellow (Photo(electro)catalysis)

The School of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) provides a vibrant and nurturing environment for staff and students to carry out inter-disciplinary research in key areas such as Computational Materials Science, Characterisation Materials Science, Defence Composite Materials, Functional Composite Materials, Energy, Nanomaterials, Low Dimensional Materials, Biomaterials Materials, Biological Materials, Bioinspired Materials and Sustainable Materials.

The Andrei laboratory develops unconventional approaches to renewable energy harvesting, focusing on solar-driven conversion of small building blocks into useful fuels and chemicals. To this end, our team specializes in rational (photo)electrocatalyst design to increase device efficiency and steer product selectivity, moisture encapsulation techniques to improve stability, as well as reactor engineering towards real-world applications. Our recent highlights include the introduction of floating artificial leaves, pixelated oxide-based photocathodes for long-term hydrogen production, thermoelectric modules for solar waste heat harvesting, or perovskite-silicon devices for light-driven chemical synthesis.

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We are seeking to hire a Research Fellow to develop photo(electro)catalytic (PEC) systems for unassisted solar fuel and chemical synthesis. The role will focus on developing PEC artificial leaves and nanoparticle photocatalysts for water splitting, CO2 reduction and oxidative organic reactions. The successful candidate will contribute to setting up a state-of-the-art photo(electro)catalytic characterization platform including a solar light simulator, potentiostat, customized PEC cell and gas chromatograph. The candidate will also contribute to establishing and maintaining reproducible procedures for gas and liquid product quantification, and benchmarking demonstrator devices under outdoor conditions. The applicant is expected to develop novel concepts in the areas outlined below, by combining their own expertise with the core capabilities of the lab.

Key Responsibilities:

• Participate in conducting research projects with team members to ensure completion of deliverables

• Produce high quality reports and documents that consolidate research findings

• Develop a bespoke photo(electro)catalytic characterisation setup and protocols for product analysis

• Maintenance of equipment and supplies that include procurement and liaison with suppliers

• Work together with internal and external collaborators on sustainable technologies

• Daily mentoring of junior group members

Job Requirements:

• PhD degree in Materials Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering or related fields

• Proficiency in perovskite device/oxide photoelectrode fabrication, or nanoparticle photocatalyst/quantum dot/nanocrystal synthesis is essential

• Expertise in photo(electro)catalytic experiments, catalyst synthesis, organic and gas product analysis (gas chromatography, NMR, HPLC) is highly desirable

• Expertise in 3D CAD rendering, reactor engineering or organic synthesis is desirable but not essential

• Competency in data analysis, plotting and interpretation, manuscript drafting

• Ability to work independently and in a team, excellent organizational and time management skills

We regret to inform that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

Hiring Institution: NTU