Research Assistant/Associate

Research Assistant/Associate

Department/Division/Faculty: Chemical Engineering

£38,194 - £50,834 per annum

Fixed-term, Full-time

Location: South Kensington, London

Ref: ENG02292

The Department of Chemical Engineering is seeking a researcher to undertake work on the photochemistry and photophysics of porous boron nitride in the context of CO2 photoreduction. This project is funded by the European Commission via an ERC Starting Grant and builds upon the success of a preliminary research study conducted by the same research team on porous boron nitride.

Your role in the project will be to design, synthesise, characterise and test porous boron nitride products to be used in photocatalysis, with emphasis on the use of in situ operando techniques (i.e. EPR and DRIFTS).

Some of your key responsibilities will include:

• Synthesising and characterising porous boron nitride exhibiting various chemistries and structural properties.
• Testing porous boron nitride powder CO2 photoreduction.
• Setting up an in-situ DRIFTS unit to monitor CO2 adsorption and photoreduction.
• Determining the mechanisms of reaction using in situ operando techniques.
• Liaising with industrial partners, collaborators and other researchers in the team.

You will have a first degree (or equivalent) in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Materials Science and Engineering or a related discipline and a PhD (or equivalent) in a similar field. In your application, please provide evidence of your knowledge and practical experience of:

• photocatalyst/semiconductor synthesis (highly desirable).
• photocatalyst/semiconductor characterisation and testing.
• operando spectroscopic techniques (at a minimum DRIFTS).
• other spectroscopy techniques (e.g. FTIR, XPS, EPR, XRD, UV Vis DRS, PL).
• gas chromatograph operation.
• photocatalytic solar fuels testing (highly desirable). 

You will be able to perform experiments in a wet chemistry lab and all accompanying analytical chemistry techniques, produce clear written reports, deliver well-articulated presentations and collect and analyse data.

*Candidates who have not yet been officially awarded their PhD will be appointed as Research Assistant within the salary range £38,194 - £41,399 per annum.

The post is available from 1st January 2023 for 18 months in the first instance, with the possibility of extension. The post is based in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London (South Kensington Campus).

Informal enquiries about the post can be made to Prof. Camille Petit (camille.petit@imperial.ac.uk).

Further information about the post is available in the job description on our careersite.

Should you have any queries about the application process please contact chemeng.staffing@imperial.ac.uk.

Closing date: midnight on 30 October 2022.

To apply please click here Research Assistant/Associate | Jobs | Imperial College London

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