PhD Position Electrokinetic Studies of Clay/Water Interfaces

Research context:

The PhD student will participate in the FLUXIONIC European doctoral network Marie Sklodowska-Curie Doctoral Network (MSCA-DN), an interdisciplinary European network gathering academic and industrial partners in 8 countries on the control of water and ion (and more generally soft matter) transport at the nanoscale.

At these scales, the macroscopic description of transport phenomena breaks down, and it is necessary to integrate experiments with fully atomistic model calculations and control non-equilibrium dynamics. Deeper understanding of these phenomena will foster technological developments and have an impact on core challenges for modern society: clean water, disease treatment, sustainable energy production/storage/usage. FLUXIONIC gathers leading experimental and computational researchers from Spain, France, Denmark, Norway, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. This team operates the intersection of Physics, Chemistry and Materials science and includes industrial researchers.

More information on the FLUXIONIC Doctoral Network can be found here .

PhD project:

In this PhD project, the electrokinetic response of polydisperse systems, made of one clay type of various size fractions, will be studied for different volume fractions (from suspensions to porous media), so as to understand the role of each size fraction in the electrokinetic response of a material with a wide pore size distribution.

Experimental techniques such as Dielectric Spectroscopy,  Electroacoustics (both Electrokinetic Sonic Amplitude and Colloid Vibration Potential), Electroosmosis and Streaming Potential, Electric birefringence (Kerr effect) will be used to probe surface/water interfaces as function at various material porosities (from suspensions to gels), ionic strengths and pH. A large part of the project will be devoted to set-up, in collaboration with colleagues from Sorbonne Université (France), a new Electroacoustic device, enabling the measurement of the electrokinetic response of concentrated suspensions.

The experimental data, supported by molecular dynamics simulations performed within the consortium, will be used to refine our understanding and description of the investigated systems and enable to test existing colloidal models.

We are looking for a motivated student who is either recently graduated or about to receive their master degree in physics, chemical engineering, materials science, or related discipline. Excellent analytical and hands-on skills and an inclination for interdisciplinary research are a must.

Constraints and risks:

Important: please note that applicants for this position within a MSCA Doctoral Network must not have a doctoral degree at the date of their recruitment and should comply with the mobility rules. In the present case, they must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in The Netherlands for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date.

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements .

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from € 2770 per month in the first year to € 3539 in the fourth year. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged. 

For international applicants, TU Delft has the Coming to Delft Service . This service provides information for new international employees to help you prepare the relocation and to settle in the Netherlands. The Coming to Delft Service offers a Dual Career Programme  for partners and they organise events to expand your (social) network.

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values  and we actively engage  to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

The Faculty of Civil Engineering & Geosciences (CEG) is committed to outstanding international research and education in the field of civil engineering, applied earth sciences, traffic and transport, water technology, and delta technology. Our research feeds into our educational programmes and covers societal challenges such as climate change, energy transition, resource availability, urbanisation and clean water. Our research projects are conducted in close cooperation with a wide range of research institutions. CEG is convinced of the importance of open science and supports its scientists in integrating open science in their research practice. The Faculty of CEG comprises 28 research groups in the following seven departments: Materials Mechanics Management & Design, Engineering Structures, Geoscience and Engineering, Geoscience and Remote Sensing, Transport & Planning, Hydraulic Engineering and Water Management.

Click here  to go to the website of the Faculty of Civil Engineering & Geosciences.

The supervisory team consists of Assoc. prof. Dr. Claire Chassagne from the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Assoc. prof. Dr. Dr. Remco Hartkamp from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. For questions, please contact Dr. Chassagne: [email protected].

Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 15 September 2024 via the application button and upload:

• a letter of motivation
• a detailed CV
• list of grades/transcripts (bachelor and master)
• contact information of 2 references
• if already available: your master thesis 

Please note:

• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post.
• A pre-Employment screening can be part of the selection procedure.
• Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.