Potential candidates are invited to apply for a PhD studentship position at the Department of Chemical Sciences in the University of Limerick (UL), Ireland. This exciting opportunity involves research on the development of a sustainable, high-capacity sodium-ion battery from cheap and abundant elements.
PhD Project Description
Sodium-ion batteries (NIB) have emerged as a promising green alternative to Li-ion batteries (LIB) due to the economic and environmental benefits associated with the technology. NIBs in contrast to LIBs contain materials that are abundant, cheap, less toxic and globally available. The much lower extraction cost of Na precursor (approx. €100 per ton), compared to Li carbonate (approx. €20,000 per ton) is an illustrative example of the savings that can be made. A further cost reduction can be achieved by the replacement of the Cu current collector required for LIB anodes with Al, (> 300,000 tonnes produced annually in Europe) which is lighter and cheaper and can be safely employed at both electrodes.
This research project aims to develop a completely sustainable, high-capacity sodium-ion battery from highly abundant, low-cost, non-toxic elements. The active materials in the battery are optimised for sustainability, consisting of a hard carbon nanofiber anode derived from biowaste and a sulphate-based cathode. These will be combined with a novel polymer/Na-ion modified gel polymer electrolyte with enhanced ionic conductivity and low thermal shrinkage.
This collaborative project, funded through the Irish government’s Disruptive Technology Innovation Fund, offers significant career development opportunities for the successful applicant as it will enable the researcher to interact and collaborate with leading Irish academic and industrial partners. The researcher will have access to a state-of-the-art battery research laboratory in the University of Limerick that includes materials synthesis labs, glove-boxes for cell preparation and a full suite of electrochemical characterisation equipment. Access to advanced characterisation equipment will also be available such as electron microscopy (SEM, TEM), surface analytical tools (XPS, ToF-SIMS), spectroscopy (Raman-SEM, FTIR, NMR, UV-Vis), X-ray diffraction and a thermal analysis suite.
The Project is supervised by:
- Dr Tadhg Kennedy, Lecturer in the Department of Chemical Sciences in the University of Limerick
Application Process
Applicants must submit the following documents in PDF file format via email to [Email Address Removed]:
- Cover Letter stating the reasons and motivation for undertaking this project;
- Full Academic Curriculum Vitae (CV);
- Two (2) reference letters (at least one has to be from the Bachelor’s or Master’s thesis primary academic supervisor)
Qualifications and Skills
Highly motivated scientists possessing the following qualifications and experience are invited to apply:
- Bachelor Hons Degree (2.1 minimum or equivalent) in chemistry/materials science/physics or related field, with a good academic standing
- If final year undergraduate examination results are not known at the time of application then the applicant must be tracking a Bachelor Hons Degree (2.1 minimum or equivalent)
- English language proficiency (meet the University of Limerick English language requirements)
Benefits
The successful applicant will be awarded a PhD Studentship in the University of Limerick, offering:
- Tax-free stipend of €18,500 per year for the duration of the project
- Full tuition fees for the duration of the project
Continue with Facebook
