Doctoral Candidate #2

Project title: Synthesis and characterization of bimetallic Cu/M catalysts via hydro/solvothermal methods.

Project objectives: To synthesize and characterize bimetallic Cu/M catalysts with designed chemical composition and morphology via hydro/solvothermal methods. To tune the activity, selectivity and stability of catalysts by changing their physical/chemical properties.

Expected outcome: (i) Synthesis of various bimetallic Cu/M materials with different secondary metals and different Cu:M atomic ratios. (ii) Identification of the secondary metal and its best Cu:M ratio that leads to the best performance for the desired CO2RR products. (iii) Understanding of the physical/chemical properties-performance correlation of the Cu/M catalysts. (iv) Optimization of the selected Cu/M catalyst by changing the preparation conditions.

Working context: DC#2 will be hosted at the Italian Institute of Technology (Italy) in Turin and will be enrolled in the PhD school of the Politecnico of Torino, co-supervised by Dr. A. Sacco (IIT) and Dr. J. Zeng (POLITO). Part of the activity will be carried out during secondment periods at VITO to be trained on GDEs’ fabrication and their tests in a zero-gap flow cell, at ESRF to be trained on characterization of the best performing Cu/M samples with in-situ synchrotron radiation spectroscopies and at APRIA to be trained on CO2RR electrolyser design and construction.

Specific requirements and eligibility criteria of the PhD School of the Politecnico of Torino can be dowloaded here.

Starting date and contract duration: The contract will start no later than the 1st of November 2023 and will last 36 months.

For further information on this position please contact Dr. A. Sacco (email: adriano.sacco@iit.it) or Dr. J. Zeng (email: juqin.zeng@polito.it).

All details on ECOMATES’s open positions are also reported on the Euraxess portal at the link https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/44519.