Department of Chemistry
Faculty of Science
University of Copenhagen The Department of Chemistry invites applicants for a 2-year postdoctoral fellowship in electrocatalysis.

Attention: The position will take place at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark (1 year) and at the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2) in Barcelona, Spain (1 year). The employment at University of Copenhagen covers both years, with a ‘transfer of place of duty’ to ICN2 in the second year.

The position is one of the open positions in the 2024 CAPe X Postdoc cohort call . CAPe X is a 13-year and 300 MDKK “Pioneer Center for Accelerating P2X Materials Discovery”, funded by Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science, the Danish National Research Foundation, the Carlsberg Foundation, the Lundbeck Foundation, the Novo Nordisk Foundation, and the Villum Foundation. CAPe X is hosted by the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and co-hosted by Aalborg University (AAU), and unites leading experts from DTU, AAU, University of Copenhagen, Aarhus University, and the University of Southern Denmark with international partners from Stanford University, Utrecht University, and the University of Toronto to form a truly Pioneering Center on P2X. You can read more about the CAPe X research themes and X-trails, our organization, and the other open Ph D and postdoc cohort positions at http://www.capex-p2x.com .

Project:

This project is part of the X3 trail of CAPe X , “Sustainable Commodity and Specialty Chemicals”, led by ICN2-supervisor Professor Maria Escudero Escribano. New chemical processes are needed for sustainable production of commodity chemicals in a post-fossil society. This includes many chemical building blocks containing nitrogen and carbon such as alanine and other amino acids, urea, methylamine, and acetonitrile, to name a few. Direct electrochemical synthesis of these compounds by C-N bond formation is a growing field, but for sufficiently selective and efficient processes, we need better understanding of the catalytic mechanisms.

The post-doc’s duties will include synthesis and preparation of electrocatalyst materials, electrochemical testing and product quantification, in-situ and ex-situ materials characterization, and data treatment. Focus will be on mechanistic insight obtained via model systems such as single crystals, in-situ spectroscopic techniques and electrochemistry - mass spectrometry.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for candidates within the field(s) of experimental electrochemistry, analytical chemistry, physical chemistry and kinetics, and/or inorganic synthesis and characterization. Applicants can have a background from Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Physics, Nanotechnology, Materials Science and Engineering or Renewable Energy. Applicants should have a solid grasp of thermodynamics, be comfortable thinking quantitatively, and work well in a group setting. Experience with data science using python and/or SQL is an advantage.

Our group and research- and what do we offer?

The position will take place at the University of Copenhagen (1 year) and at the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2) in Barcelona (1 year). Both locations offer creative and stimulating working conditions in dynamic and international research environments.

Copenhagen: supervision will be with asst. Professor Soren B. Scott as part of the Energy Conversion Interfaces Group. Our group is within the Nano Chemistry Section, and we collaborate closely with the other groups in the section, especially those of Prof. Jan Rossmeisl ( Theoretical Catalysis ), assc. Prof. Kirsten Jensen ( Nanomaterial Structure ), and asst. Prof. Rebecca Pittkowski ( Nanoparticals in Electrocatalysis ). Our research facilities include modern laboratories housing potentiostats, x-ray diffraction, gas chromatography – mass spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma - optical emission spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy among other equipment. Additional techniques including electrochemistry – mass spectrometry are available through our CAPe X partners at DTU.
During the time in Copenhagen, the position includes teaching duties.

Barcelona: supervision will be with Professor María Escudero-Escribano, ICREA Professor at ICN2 in Barcelona and Leader of the Nano Electrocatalysis and Sustainable Chemistry (Nano ESC) Group . Our research facilities include new laboratories of (spectro)electrochemistry, in-situ spectroscopic and microscopic techniques, and nanofabrication. We combine electrochemical methods (cyclic voltammetry, rotating disc electrodes, gas diffusion electrodes) with in-situ Raman and infrared spectroscopy, scanning electrochemical microscopy and electrochemical scanning tunnelling microscopy and online gas chromatography. In addition, at ICN2, we have access to the core labs, and numerous specialised facilities, services, and equipment, including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, ICP, as well as a Nanofabrication Facility Lab). A full list can be found at https://icn2.cat/en/industry-services/services . Moreover, our group benefits from an excellent connection with ALBA synchrotron facilities for i n-situ and operando chemical, compositional and structural analysis. Some techniques of interest for this project include X-ray spectroscopies such as in-situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy and ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy as well as in-situ surface X-ray diffraction (SXRD).

Further information on the Department of Chemistry is linked at https://chem.ku.dk/ . Inquiries about the position can be made to Assistant Professor Soren B. Scott, sbs@chem.ku.dk , p hone: +45 51627117.

The position is open from 1 January 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The University wishes our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

Terms of employment

The position is covered by the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff.

Terms of appointment and payment accord to the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State.

Negotiation for salary supplement is possible.

The application, in English, must be submitted electronically by clicking APPLY NOW below.

Please include

• Curriculum vitae
• Diplomas (Master and Ph D degree or equivalent)
• Complete publication list
• Letters of reference (if available)

The deadline for applications is 6 October 2024, 23:59 GMT +2 .

After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the Interview Committee.

You can read about the recruitment process at https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/ .

Interviews will be held in week 44 (28 October to 3 November) .