Openings

Master’s Thesis/Research Projects

We host master students for conducting various types of projects required by their study plan. Please see this document for guidelines of application.

Ph.D. Positions in Electrochemical engineering, Biocatalysis

News (09.2024). We currently have PhD openings in the following areas:

  1. Electrochemical Engineering for Solid Oxide Electrolyzer Stack (see this file for details). Fabrication, optimization and operation of solid oxide electrolyzer stacks for CO2 electroreduction, employing state of the art components as well as new materials from the lab. A background in chemical engineering and mechanical engineering is preferred.
  2. Biocatalysis. We are looking for motivated and successful candidates to work on the following projects:(i) Artificial enzymes. We seek to modify or create metalloenzymes for synthetic applications. We also seek to apply biocatalysis for organic synthesis according to metabolic guidelines. An organic or biochem background is preferred.(ii) Enzyme engineering. We seek to engineering and design natural enzymes to extend their application towards unnatural substrates or unconventional reaction mechanisms. We also plan to (re)design natural enzymes by computational means for abiotic reactivity. See our latest publication on our ammonia-lyase project: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/anie.202406008.

Recurring openings: From time to time (subject to the arrival of new funds or departure of former coworkers), we may have an opening for a Ph.D. position in one of the following areas:

(i) Electrocatalytic materials for energy conversion and storage. Typically nanoparticles or thin films. Reactions include water splitting (HER and OER), fuel cell reactions (HOR, ORR), CO2 and CO reduction. A background in materials chemistry is preferred.

(ii) Electrochemical energy devices. Construction and optimization of fuel cells and electrolyzers, employing state of the art components as well as new materials from the lab. A background in chemical engineering is preferred.

More information about EPFL and the Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering can be found at: www.epfl.ch and isic.epfl.ch.

Requirements: A Master’s degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or Materials is generally required. We expect you to have high grades (A-type; >5/6) and top rankings, as well as research experience in related fields. But most important is to have passion in research. Applicants whose first language is not English are recommended to provide results of the TOEFL and/or GRE tests, or other measure(s) of English proficiency. The initial appointment will be for one year. After one year you will have a qualifying exam. Those who pass the exam are definitely admitted to our PhD program. The normal duration of Ph.D. is 4 years. More information about the doctoral program can be found at: phd.epfl.ch

Interested candidates should include a curriculum vitae, copies of transcripts, names and contacts of three references, and a statement of motivation and career objective. Incomplete application will not be considered. Due to time constraint, we will only reply to those who will be further considered for on-site interviews (paid by us, available to international applicants too). If you do not hear from me within 2 weeks of initial application, please assume that you application is declined.

For applications and further information please contact:

Prof. Xile Hu

E-mail: [email protected]

The position requires acceptance in the Doctoral Program of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, for which you must file an application at: https://www.epfl.ch/education/phd/edch-chemistry-and-chemical-engineering/. Contact person: Ms. Anne-Lene Odegaard. You might contact Prof. Hu for the availability of position or a pre-evaluation of your profile before applying to the doctoral school.

Postdoctoral Position

News (09.2024). We now have the following positions:

  1. Electrochemical Engineering for Solid Oxide Electrolyzer Stack. (see this file for details)
    The development of solid oxide electrolyzer stack for high-temperature CO2 electroreduction. The project aims to achieve stable performance at industry-relevant current densities within a stack configuration, e.g., 1000 h of operation at 1 A/cm2 and 1 kW of power output. To do that, we will need to: (i) synthesis and optimize home-made catalysts in large quantities (e.g., 100 g); (ii) fabricate and scale up the cell in large sizes (e.g., 100 cm2); (iii) develop SOEC stacks for CO2 electroreduction at large power outputs (e.g., 1 kW).
    The successful candidate should have a Ph.D in chemical engineering or related fields. Knowledge and experience in fabrication and operation of SOEC stack are preferred. The postdoc will work in a small team that researches on various aspects on SOEC science and engineering. Strong communication and team-work skills are required.
  2. Electrochemical Engineering for anion exchange membrane water electrolyzers. (see this file for details)
    In the framework of NCCR Catalysis, we have an opening for a postdoctoral position in the development of anion exchange membrane water electrolyzers (AEMWEs). The project aims to achieve efficient and stable membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) for AEMWEs. To this goal, the candidate will develop HER and OER catalysts and optimize MEAs via either CCS or CCM methods. They will test the MEAs in industrially relevant AEMWEs, for example, with area size of 25 cm2 and more, and power output up to kW ranges. They is expected to generate scientific and engineering knowledge and innovations through these tasks.

    The successful candidate should have a Ph.D in materials or chemical engineering or related fields. Knowledge and experience in fabrication of MEA and testing either in PEMWE or AEMWE, are preferred. The postdoc will work in a small team that researches on various aspects on electrochemical energy conversions. Strong communication and team-work skills are required.

  3. Biocatalysis (see this file for details):(i) Artificial enzymes. We seek to modify or create metalloenzymes for synthetic applications. We also seek to apply biocatalysis for organic synthesis according to metabolic guidelines. An organic or biochem background is preferred.(ii) Enzyme engineering. We seek to engineering and design natural enzymes to extend their application towards unnatural substrates or unconventional reaction mechanisms. We also plan to (re)design natural enzymes by computational means for abiotic reactivity. See our latest publication on our ammonia-lyase project: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/anie.202406008.

    The successful candidate should have:

    • Practical experience in molecular biology techniques and enzymology (protein expression and purification, enzyme characterization and engineering, assay design)
    • Strong expertise in organic chemistry and small-molecule characterization techniques including NMR, HPLC, MS.
    • Basic proficiency in computational protein structure analysis and bioinformatic tools.
    • Excellent communication skills, including fluency in English.
    • Ability to conduct the project independently, although strong team-work skills are required.

The positions are initially for one-year. There is possibility to extend the position for one more year pending the progress and mutual agreements.

For all applications, please send your candidature to Prof. Hu via [email protected]. Please include a CV, research interest, and names of two reference providers. In case of a large volume of applications, we can only reply to those who will be further considered for Zoom or onsite interviews. In this case if you do not hear from me within 2 weeks of initial application, please assume that you application is declined. Note that applications that do not meet the requirements stated above (e.g., necessary academic background) will not be replied.

 

Internship

In general, we cannot offer financial support for internships, and request for such support will not be replied.