Structural and chemical characterizations of palladium-hydrogen systems for breakthrough zero...

Main task : Follow-up of the HERMES project linking LEPMI and several European universities,
Main tasks : characterization by electrochemistry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM),
Secondary task : Determination of the electrocatalytic activity for the hydrogen, evolution
Secondary task : Synthesis of nanomaterials.

The post-doc student hired at LEPMI will be responsible for rationalizing structural, chemical and electrochemical changes of Pd and Pd alloy nanoparticles using conventional electron microscopy and X-ray based techniques such as transmission electron microscopy, high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy combined with X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy, laboratory and Synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. She(he) will also benefit from an ongoing collaboration between LEPMI and the ESRF to track structural changes of such Pd-based nanoparticles in hydrogen-evolution reaction conditions.

Disruptive energy generation technologies are urgently required to stave off catastrophic climate change. Now, more than ever, is the time to also to consider unconventional options to find new energy sources. Under the framework of a collaborative project funded by H2020 (HERMES), Laboratory of Electrochemistry and Physico-Chemistry (LEPMI), University of Aalto and University of Turku (Finland), Technische Universität München (TUM, Germany), Imperial College London (UK), Ceitec (Czech Republic) and University of Limerick (Ireland) aim at (i) developing highly reproducible methods to study heat generation and other anomalous effects in hydrogen-metal (M-H) systems, (ii) developing highly reproducible methods to manufacture nanostructured M-H systems; (iii) demonstrating utilization of state-of-the-art tools to study M-H systems. The LEPMI (https://lepmi.grenoble-inp.fr/ ) is a joint research unit between CNRS - Grenoble INP - UGA and Université Savoie Mont-Blanc comprising about 100 researchers. Its research themes concern the storage and electrochemical conversion of energy, by associating materials science and electrochemical engineering. The post-doctorate will be carried out in the team Electrochimie Interfaciale et Procédés (EIP) under the direction of Dr. Frédéric Maillard.