Postdoc on Surface functionalization of porous supports for CO2 capture

Are you willing to contribute to the development of novel, upscalable, and low-carbon footprint routes for direct air capture (DAC) of CO2, as mandatory step in the challenge to limit global warming to 1.5°C by 2100? DAC is a highly relevant technology for sectors which cannot be easily decarbonized on the short-term, such as aviation, construction, and heavy transport. If you are up to the challenge, we invite you to be part of this exciting journey and to design and engineer the best combination of (micro-meso)porous supports, in terms of large surface area and pore size distribution, and (gas phase) surface functionalization routes to capture CO2.

We are looking for an experimentalist with knowledge and expertise in material science, thin film and surface characterization and gas phase functionalization routes, specifically vapor phase infiltration and atomic layer deposition. We have particular interest in someone who is motivated to explore several material combinations, i.e., in terms of porous supports (pore size distribution, surface area, chemistry) and their functionalization via grafting of CO2-binding groups or (ultra-)thin film deposition, as well as to characterize the developed system in terms of CO2 capture capacity, CO2 desorption kinetics and overall stability.

You will join the Plasma & Materials Processing (PMP, www.tue.nl/pmp ) research group at the Department of Applied Physics and Science Education of the TU/e. The present research in the PMP group embraces several research lines such as the experimental investigation of the plasma medium, in situ and operando studies of interaction of reactive species with surfaces, and (plasma-based) synthesis at the atomic scale of materials of interest in many fields in science and technology, including next-generation energy devices. You will have access to state-of-the-art lab and clean room facilities (https://www.tue.nl/en/research/research-groups/nanolabtue/nanolabtue ) in aforementioned areas. You will also be embedded in the Eindhoven Institute of Renewable Energy Systems (EIRES, https://www.tue.nl/en/research/research-areas/energy/eindhoven-institute-for-renewable-energy-systems-eires ). Moreover, you will collaborate closely with a start-up, also located in Eindhoven, which aims to turn DAC of CO2 into an affordable and scalable technology.