Phd Position

Understanding energy materials is crucial to a sustainable design of our environment. The Jülich Centre for Neutron Science - Neutron Analytics for Energy Research (JCNS-3) is placed in the interdisciplinary field of chemistry, physics, and material sciences. One of our research goals is to gain better insight into nanostructured catalyst interfaces. Still today, the details of diffusional mobility of chemical reactants and adsorbate species on catalyst surfaces remain unresolved for a large variety of industrially relevant materials. For optimizing catalytic processes like for the methane production, it is important to get atomistic insight into the way how hydrogen and methane molecules bind and move on catalyst surfaces. Neutrons are highly sensitive to detect hydrogen species. For this reason, in this project neutron spectroscopy will be combined with infrared spectroscopy to characterize the hydroygen dynamics on heterogeneous catalyst surfaces.

**Your Job**:
As PhD student you achieve fascinating insight into catalyst interfaces with the following tasks:

- Synthesis of model catalyst interfaces
- Participation in neutron scattering experiments at neutron research facilities (national and international)
- Physicochemical characterization of interface properties, e.g. TGA, TEM, IR or DLS
- Data visualization, analysis and interpretation, e.g. with Igor Pro, Python, Origin
- Publication of results in peer-reviewed scientific journals and presentation at conferences

**Your Profile**:
Required qualifications and skills:

- University degree (M.Sc. or equivalent) in chemistry, materials science, geoscience, physics or related field
- Experience in laboratory work, e.g. synthesis and/or physicochemical characterization such as IR, BET, PXRD
- Knowledge of X-ray / neutron scattering or infrared spectroscopy
- High motivation for further training, independent and goal-oriented way of working
Experimental creativity

A distinct advantage would be:

- Experience with data analysis and scientific programming (e.g. Origin, Igor Pro, Python, Matlab, Mathematica)
- A good command of written and spoken English
- You are interested in further academic qualifications (doctorate)

**Our Offer**:
We work on the very latest issues that impact our society and are offering you the chance to actively help in shaping the change We support you in your work with:

- Access to a strong research network at the FZJ, such as transmission electron microscopy at the Ernst-Ruska-Zentrum, the Jülich Supercomputing Centre, the Neutron-SimLab or various physicochemical characterization methods and workshops
- The opportunity to help shape a new department
- Access to the infrastructure of the Institute of Crystallography, RWTH Aachen University
- Optimal conditions for balancing work and private life as well as a family-conscious company policy
- 30 days of annual leave and provision for days off between public holidays and weekends (e.g. between Christmas and New Year)
- The opportunity to work flexibly (in terms of location), e.g. partly remote work
Targeted services for international employees, e.g. through our International Advisory ServiceThe employment of doctoral researchers at Jülich is governed by a doctoral contract, which usually has a term of three years. In this position the first year though will serve as orientation and probation period and will then possibly transition in the full duration of the PhD contract. Pay in line with 75% of pay group 13 of the Collective Agreement for the Public Service (TVöD-Bund). In addition, an annual special payment is granted (“Christmas payment”), which amounts to 60 % of the monthly salary.