Postdoc position on redox-targeted flow batteries

Your task is to develop solid booster formulations with PFAS-free binders, in line with the sustainability goals of the project. You will explore compositions and pellet morphologies to optimize mass transport and reactivity with the mediator solution while maintaining mechanical stability, and characterize the thermal and chemical stability of components and formulations. You will apply in-situ diagnostics, in particular in-flow UV-Vis, to quantify mediator-booster reactivity and component dissolution during operation, developing a firm understanding of how material formulation and experimental parameters govern charge transfer at the liquid-solid interface. To connect materials to devices, you will prototype booster-bed reactors from mL to L scale by 3D printing and support the transfer of promising formulations toward scalable, solvent-free processing. Material combinations will be validated in lab-scale flow batteries, benefiting from the characterization capabilities available at Empa.

Empa’s Laboratory Materials for Energy Conversion focuses on materials and device innovation for sustainable energy conversion and storage technologies. The position is embedded in the Horizon Europe project FLOWBOOST, an international consortium advancing the technology from the laboratory toward a kW-scale prototype, offering close collaboration with academic and industrial partners across Europe.

• PhD in materials science, chemistry, or related fields

• Strong publication record

• Prior experience in flow-cell electrochemistry, in-situ spectroscopy (UV-Vis, Raman, FTIR), or 3D printing and polymer processing is desired

• Good spoken and written English is required

• Basic German is an advantage