[Neutron] Available PhD position in materials science

[Orsolya Czakkel]

Dear Colleagues,


We are looking for a motivated PhD student to work on an international project related to the development of novel type of nanoporous materials. The PhD project is part of the European project CLAHY2 and co-financed by the Institute Laue Langevin (ILL). 

The main goal of the CLAHY2 project is the design of nanoporous materials (preferentially activated carbon materials and metal-organic frameworks – MOFs) with proper textural and chemical properties able to promote the nucleation and growth of hydrogen clathrate hydrates in a confined environment. By taking advantage of confinement effects in the inner cavities of these nanoporous materials, hydrogen clathrate's nucleation and growth will be promoted under milder pressure and temperature conditions than the bulk systems, and more importantly, under extremely fast kinetics. This nature inspired approach will open the gate towards hydrogen storage in solid form under mild pressure and temperature conditions to be applied in mobile (e.g., trains) or stationary devices.

The three years PhD period will be divided in two periods, i.e. a first period (18 months) at the University of Alicante (Spain), working under the supervision of Prof. Silvestre-Albero, and a second period (18 months) at ILL (France), working under the supervision of Dr. Czakkel. The first period will be mainly devoted to the synthesis and characterization of nanoporous materials and their preliminary testing in the adsorption of hydrogen under dry and wet conditions. During the second period at ILL, the most promising materials will be evaluated as a host structure to promote the nucleation and growth of hydrogen clathrates. Through the combined use of inelastic neutron scattering (INS) and neutron diffraction (ND), the characteristic vibrational modes of the enclathrated hydrogen and the crystal structure will be identified under different experimental conditions. If needed, there will be also the option to perform short secondments in the associated institution outside the proposed schedule. We are seeking for a motivated candidate with background in chemistry, chemical engineering or materials science. The PhD student will be engaged in one of the doctoral programs at the University of Alicante, and he/she will need to fulfil all the requirements defined by the University to get the PhD degree (international conferences, transversal courses, etc.).  Working language will be English. It is mandatory to have a Master degree in Materials Science or any related field. Some knowledge of computational simulation methods would be considered as an asset. Candidates who are finishing their Master degree in the first semester of 2023 are also welcome. Project starting date is summer 2023, but can be subject of negotiation.

Additional details about the specific conditions for the PhD and the recruitment procedure, please consult the following link:

https://www.ill.eu/careers/all-our-vacancies/phd-recruitment/phd-work-at-the-ill <https://www.ill.eu/careers/all-our-vacancies/phd-recruitment/phd-work-at-the-ill>
If you are interested in joining the CLAYH2 project, please send the CV and a motivation letter to the following email addresses (with including the reference ESP-3-2023 in the subject of the mail):

Dr. Orsolya Czakkel czakkelo at ill.fr <mailto:czakkelo at ill.fr>
Dr. Joaquín Silvestre-Albero, UA joaquin.silvestre at ua.es <mailto:joaquin.silvestre at ua.es> 

Application deadline: May 31st, 2023


Best regards,
Orsolya Czakkel 
 <http://www.ill.eu/>	
Orsolya CZAKKEL
Staff Scientist
Institut Max von Laue - Paul Langevin (ILL)
71, avenue des Martyrs - CS 20156
38042 Grenoble cedex 9 - France
+33 (0)4 76 20 71 82
czakkelo at ill.eu

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