The climate targets set by the EU with the goal of climate neutrality by 2050 require a transformation of all sectors of the economy towards the use of renewables-based electricity, calling for joined forces between EU countries in order to achieve a more resilient energy system. In the e-ChemIn we are united by the idea of applying a new paradigm in designing energy devices, which shifts the current approach of creating individual materials towards engineering electrochemically ACTIVE MATERIALS INTERFACES. Working together we will 1) design multiple sets of electrochemical interfaces using renewable, abundant, and circular materials and optimize them for new generations of energy conversion and storage devices. Created lab-scale prototypes which outperform characteristics of current benchmarks and will be ready for further developments at high TRLs (5-9); 2) develop multimodal approaches for the characterization of interfaces operando at the nanoscale, providing unprecedented insights into interfaces in action and making the characterization of active interfaces accessible to the broader scientific community; 3) successfully establish processes for the recovery of critical raw materials from end-of-life devices and apply them at the industrial scale.
Job description - Objective
You will develop operando scanning TEM (STEM) and EELS approaches to characterize adsorption phenomena and the formation of the electric double layer with the highest spatial resolutions reported. You will use room-temperature ionic liquids (ILs) as electrolytes and test their:
Spatially resolved data from STEM and EELS will be correlated with volumetric measurements from NMR and operando XPS, enabling direct observation, and quantification of charge storage mechanisms in electrode materials and processes of electrolyte degradation. In cooperation with DC5, who performs complementary atomistic simulations, you will work towards obtaining a comprehensive insights in the structure and dynamics at S-L interfaces at different states of charge.
Expected results:
(1) Deep understanding of electrolyte behavior in nanometer confinements.
(2) Design of a correlative setup (EELS, XPS) to study the electronic structure of interfaces.
The selected candidate will be required to enroll in a PhD program at Saarland University.
Supervisors - Benefits - Qualifications:
Main supervisor: Prof. Nadja Tarakina (INM, https://www.leibniz-inm.de/en/innovative-elektronenmikroskopie/)
Co-supervisor: Prof. R. Mom (ULEI, https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/staffmembers/rik-mom/publications#tab-2)
Co-supervisors from secondments:
Dr. N. Krans (Protochips, https://www.protochips.com/),
Prof. Dr. P. Yushmanov (P&L Scientific, https://plscientific.se/)
You will study interactions between IL and carbon anodes under biasing conditions in an NMR cell at P&L (5 months); as well as design the correlative TEM and XPS to reveal the electronic structure of IL-carbon anode interfaces at ULEI (3 months).
Applicants must not already hold a doctoral degree at the date of recruitment. Applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Germany for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the recruitment date.
Eligibility will be verified at the time of recruitment.
Skills/Experience
Master’s degree or equivalent in Materials Science, Electrochemistry, Chemistry, Applied Physics or closely related disciplines.
The deadline for applications is 20 September 2026.
