Postdoctoral Researcher on CO2 Solid Adsorbent Shaping and Degradation

Postdoctoral Researcher on CO2 Solid Adsorbent Shaping and Degradation

Empa - Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology

Dübendorf, Switzerland

Your tasks

As part of the NCCR-Network, you will contribute to the project aims in the areas of shaped CO2 adsorbents and sorbent ageing. Within the framework of the NCCR project with well-defined objectives, you will be encouraged to develop independent ideas, propose new concepts, and test them experimentally and/or computationally. The role is ideally suited to strengthen your pre-existing expertise and enhance your academic track record.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Help coordinate project activities and develop synergies within the team and between project partners;
• Supervise intern students contributing to the project;
• Elucidate chemical as well as structural ageing mechanisms of structured and pure solid sorbents under different ageing conditions;
• Develop accelerated and high throughput sorbent ageing protocols;
• Help define mitigation strategies for sorbent ageing;
• Develop versatile, upscalable sorbent shaping/coating procedures;
• Help shape new, emerging scientific research lines within the project scope and publish/communicate your scientific results.

Your profile

• A high level of curiosity, independence, teamwork skills and motivation;
• Doctoral degree or equivalent research experience in porous materials, surface or adsorption/separation science or a closely related field;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.

Experience or familiarity with one of the following topics:

• Characterization of sorbent/porous materials characterization e.g. nitrogen sorption (BET, BJH, NLDFT), breakthrough measurements, SEM, TEM, TGA, FTIR, NMR, thermal conductivity measurements;
• Synthesis and/or shaping of solid sorbents;
• Sorbent modelling and prediction of performance or ageing.