PhD Studentship: Battery Materials

Applications are invited for two 4-year PhD studentships, supervised by Dr Svetlana Menkin Bachbut, to work in the field of understanding the surface reactions on battery electrodes and using the insights to enable sustainable, safe, and affordable energy storage solutions, which are essential for climate change mitigation. The projects will involve studying electrochemical processes on calcium metal electrode-electrolyte interface using state-of-the-art experimental methods such as scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) and impedance spectroscopy (EIS) to enable calcium metal rechargeable batteries. The interplay between physical and electrochemical properties of calcium electrolytes, charge and mass transport across the solid-liquid interface and its impact on battery performance will be explored. Smart electrolytes and self-healing artificial interfaces will be developed to enable multivalent ion transport. New surface electrochemistry methodologies, which are essential for characterising and understanding multivalent metal electrodeposition, will be established. The impact of this project goes beyond the scope of calcium batteries. The developed methods can be applied to studying today's lithium and sodium-based batteries, and the future high-energy multivalent battery chemistries such as zinc, magnesium, and aluminium. This will provide a PhD student with a very solid foundation for a future career in the broad fields of batteries, analytical surface electrochemistry and energy materials characterisation. To apply, please submit an application through the University Applicant Portal: www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/directory/pcchpdpch for the course "PhD in Chemistry", naming Dr Svetlana Menkin Bachbut as potential supervisor. For any queries about this studentship, please contact Dr Menkin Bachbut by email at sm2383@cam.ac.uk. Please quote reference MA40195 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy. The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.