CSIRO Postdoctoral Fellowship in non-thermal plasma technology for CO2 hydrogenation to methanol

• Do you have a PhD in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Chemistry or a related discipline?
• Do you want to advance your scientific knowledge & experience?
• Join CSIRO – Australia’s leading scientific research organisation!

CSIRO Early Research Career (CERC) Postdoctoral Fellowships provide opportunities to scientists and engineers who have completed their doctorate and have less than three years of relevant postdoctoral work experience. These fellowships aim to develop the next generation of future leaders of the innovation system.

In this position you will lead a project that will encompass a broad range of cutting-edge technologies. You will benefit from working with a wide range of subject matter experts in the areas of material synthesis, catalysis and plasma technology while independently delivering the experimental program. 

Recent research indicates that the plasma-enhanced reaction process can achieve high levels of CO2 conversion and selectivity at significantly reduced temperatures. However, research on converting CO2 to methanol using non-thermal plasma technology is very limited. The CERC Fellow will work on developing catalysts and investigating process chemistry for non-thermal plasma CO2 conversion to methanol using different analytical techniques. 

The supervisory research team has a well-established reputation in catalysis and plasma technology worldwide. During the course of the project, the fellow will be encouraged to spend time in the mentor supervisor’s lab and various CSIRO labs as an immersive learning experience and to establish a broad network of scientific contacts. 

CSIRO’s Clayton site has world-class facilities for catalyst synthesis, characterisation and testing. These include a High-Throughput Flow Testing facility for fast screening of the catalysts and versatile testing rigs for performance evaluation, including plasma catalysis reactors and power supplies. The Lindfield laboratories have excellent facilities for development and diagnostics of plasma processes, which include power supplies and diagnostics that are readily transferrable to the Clayton site.

Ample opportunity will be provided for the fellow to present scientific outcomes at local and international conferences as well as to CSIRO industrial collaborators and partners (as appropriate).