Nowadays, Lithium-Ion batteries are inevitable in our daily life. But still, safety hazards remain an issue and incidents of burning electric vehicles and laptops are reported. The main reason for this is the usage of inflammable organic liquid electrolytes. Solid state electrolytes provide the option to increase not only the safety, but also the long term stability and energy density.
The challenge in solid state batteries are the interfaces, as a solid-solid contact is more difficult to maintain during cycling. The interfaces are exposed to mechanical stress but also chemical reactions and diffusion may occur.
In the framework of the US-German project „Interfaces and Interphases in Rechargeable Li Based Batteries: Cathode/Solid Electrolyte – Phase 2 " (CatSE²) the influence of “internal” (grain boundaries) and “external” (Solid Electrolyte – Cathode) interfaces on the ionic conductivity should be evaluated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and the correlation to microscopic investigations including diffraction to evaluate the local crystallographic structure and spectroscopic techniques for local chemical analysis (Energy dispersive X-ray Spectrocops (EDS) and Electron Energy-Loss Spectroscopy (EELS)). If possible microscopic impedance of selected interfaces will reveal, how the structure and chemistry at the interfaces influences the ion transfer. The analysis of pristine and cycled cells should reveal the origin for the degradation of the electrochemical performance and yield to the development of more powerful solid state batteries.
Your tasks:
- Preparation of samples for electrochemical and electron microscopic investigations
- Electrochemical Impedance spectroscopy (EIS) on macroscopic scale
- Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopy (SEM and TEM) of solid state electrolytes and the Cathode-Solid Electrolyte Interface
- Local chemical analysis by Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDS)
- Electrochemical Impedance spectroscopy (EIS) on microscopic scale
- Evaluation and Interpretation of the data
- Presentation of activities and successes in internal meetings, public presentations and scientific publications
Your Profile:
- Masters degree in physics, material science or chemistry
- Basic knowledge of electron microscopy and crystallography
- Practical skills and the will for working in the lab
- Independent and reliable style of working
- Excellent ability to cooperate and work in a team
- Fluent command of written and spoken English
- Sufficient knowledge of German to write German texts (e.g. project reports)
Our Offer:
We work on the very latest issues that impact our society and are offering you the chance to actively help in shaping the change! We offer ideal conditions for you to complete your doctoral degree:
- A highly motivated working group as well as an international and interdisciplinary working environment at one of Europe’s largest research establishments
- Outstanding scientific and technical infrastructure
- Opportunity to participate in (international) conferences and project meetings
- Continuous scientific mentoring by your scientific advisor
- Flexible work (location) arrangements, e.g. remote work
- 30 days of annual leave and provision for days off between public holidays and weekends (e.g. between Christmas and New Year)
- Further development of your personal strengths, e.g. through an extensive range of training courses; a structured program of continuing education and networking opportunities specifically for doctoral researchers via JuDocS, the Jülich Center for Doctoral Researchers and Supervisors: https://www.fz-juelich.de/en/judocs
- Targeted services for international employees, e.g. through our International Advisory Service
The employment of doctoral researchers at Jülich is governed by a doctoral contract, which usually has a term of three years. Pay in line with 75% of pay group 13 of the Collective Agreement for the Public Service (TVöD-Bund) and additionally 60 % of a monthly salary as special payment („Christmas bonus“). Further information on doctoral degrees at Forschungszentrum Jülich including our other locations is available at: https://www.fz-juelich.de/gp/Careers_Docs
We welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds, e.g. in terms of age, gender, disability, sexual orientation / identity, and social, ethnic and religious origin. A diverse and inclusive working environment with equal opportunities in which everyone can realize their potential is important to us.
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