PhD candidate in Catalysis, Surface Chemistry and NMR spectroscopy

In der aktuellen Covid-19 Situation laufen die Rekrutierungen weiter. Es kann dabei allerdings zu Verzögerungen kommen. Vielen Dank für Ihr Verständnis.

100%, Zurich, fixed-term

The research group  of Prof. Copéret is looking for an excellent candidate to fill a PhD position that is funded by SNF.

Project background

The project addresses one of the key challenges in modern heterogeneous catalysis, namely understanding the structure of the active sites by direct probing them via state-of-the-art solid-state NMR techniques. In the context of sustainable chemistry, metal-doped zeolites have shown great potential for industrial applications; yet their development is typically impeded by the difficulty to establish detailed structure-activity relationship due to the lack of information about their active site structure. The main challenge will comprise the generation of well-defined metal-sites on zeolite surface using SOMC approach and the development of NMR techniques for observation of these sites and their surrounding by advanced spectroscopic techniques, in particular solid-state NMR. The ultimate goal of the project will be understanding the reactivity of these sites in industrially important reactions using parameters of an NMR lineshape as descriptors for the electronic state of the active sites.

Job description

You are participating in this research project is expected to develop the protocol for generating well-defined sites on the surface of crystalline zeolitic materials. Besides the material preparation, the significant part of the project will be devoted to the development of state-of-the-art NMR characterization of the materials prepared, processing, analyzing and DFT computational modelling of the NMR lineshape parameters in order to access molecular-level structure of the sites. Correspondingly, the PhD student is expected to develop skills in all these areas as well as in the complementary catalyst characterization techniques including XAS, XRD, IR, TPD, low-temperatures N2 adsorption, catalytic tests etc.

Your profile

Applicants for this PhD position are expected to have a MSc degree in Chemical Engineering, Material Science or Chemistry. Experience in the field of material synthesis and/or material characterization by NMR spectroscopy is important and highly valued. We are looking for highly motivated, committed, and creative individuals, able to work in teams. Working in a top-level research environment with advanced laboratory infrastructure, the candidate will have a unique opportunity to develop their research abilities. The position is available from June 2022 onwards.

ETH Zurich

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