Postdoctoral Research Associate in Green Synthesis of Cathode Materials

The Chemistry Department at University College London is the oldest in England, and today is one of the best in the UK, being ranked 3rd in the UK for its world-leading research in REF2021. We are located in Bloomsbury, at the heart of London, and offer an exciting and vibrant environment in which to study in one of the UK's top universities. The Department of Chemistry at UCL is committed to supporting excellence in both research and teaching. The department offers undergraduate BSc and MSci programmes in Chemistry and currently teaches ~750 undergraduates registered in Chemistry as well as students who select Chemistry on the Natural Sciences programme and first year Chemistry for life scientists. The department also offers a number of Postgraduate Taught Masters courses with about 80 students per year and has an overall PGR student school of about 200 students. The Chemistry Department has over 60 members of academic staff carrying out world-leading research. We specialise in the areas of organic synthesis, chemical biology, computational chemistry, nanotechnology, inorganic and materials chemistry, physical chemistry and chemical physics. The department has an annual research income of around £15 million, derived from many sources including the Research Councils (EPSRC, BBSRC, MRC, and NERC), European Commission and a wide range of charities and industrial partners in the UK, Europe and the USA. Details about our research can be found on the departmental website http://www.ucl.ac.uk/chemistry.

Applications are invited for a PDRA position to work in the Department of Chemistry at University College London. The research involves green synthesis and scale up of Li-ion battery (LIB) cathode materials. The appointee will scale up green manufacturing methods to produce inorganic oxide cathode materials with controlled phase, particle size and shape. A key feature of the project will be to understand the connection between the synthesis and heat treatment methods/conditions in optimising phase, sintering and particle properties: bringing together wet chemical synthesis, continuous processes, scaleup methods, and materials analysis available at UCL and its partner sites. Materials characteristics of powders will also be probed for their composition and particle properties. Experimental work will be carried out independently but also as part of a team of researchers based in the Department of Chemistry, and through collaborations with other research and industry collaborators. The postholders will be expected to supervise PhD and Masters students, write drafts of reports and papers, and manage lab safety. The project will be part of the Faraday Institution CATMAT project in collaboration with project and industry partners. UCL’s role will be to optimise continuous synthesis methods as green synthesis routes to scale up target LIB cathode materials and evaluate fundamental properties of the materials, as well as supporting their properties with other partners. A key component of the project will include characterisation and data analysis of the properties of materials. This position is funded by the Faraday Institution. The appointment will be for 22 months starting from Oct. 1st, 2023. The candidates will join the research team of Dr Yang Xu (the principal investigator) and Prof. Jawwad Darr in the Department of Chemistry at the Bloomsbury Campus of University College London. Information about Dr Yang Xu’s research can be found at https://xulab.uk

The successful candidate will have a PhD degree (or be about to be awarded a PhD) in a practical area of Chemistry, Materials Chemistry or disciplines related to inorganic synthetic chemistry. Experience wet chemical synthesis methods, materials characterisation, a good publication track record, a demonstrated commitment to excellence, and excellent skills in the lab are required. It is also required to work in a multidisciplinary/collaborative team and have effective written and verbal communication skills in English. Please note, appointment at Grade 7 is dependent upon having been awarded a PhD; if this is not the case, initial appointment will be at Research Assistant Grade 6B (salary £35,702 - £37,548 per annum) with payment at Grade 7 being backdated to the date of final submission of the PhD thesis.

As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer great benefits. Please visit our Rewards and Benefits page to find out more.

As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.