For the second phase of the MCEC research programme, 38 PhD projects have been defined around the following themes:
Smart Biomass Conversion| What if we could replace crude oil with a more sustainable alternative to make the transportation fuels of the future? The chemical process currently used for the production of e.g. liquid fuels, can be tailored to enable the use of certified biomass as well as municipal waste. The PhD student will work on the synthesis of a new generation heterogeneous catalysts, capable of using a.o. lignin as a renewable feedstock to produce fuels, fuel additives or base chemicals, such as aromatics.
Storing Electricity from Renewable Sources in Chemical Bonds | Solar and wind energy are incessant, but by nature intermittent resources. One way to store the temporary surplus of ‘green power’ lies in chemical bonds. Within this theme, the PhD student will work on the design, characterization and testing of new solid catalysts capable of turning carbon dioxide into fuels and base chemicals.
Catalyst Diagnostics to Develop More Active Catalysts | New green routes for fuels and chemicals require radically new catalyst materials. But with current technologies, testing and characterizing these materials is very time-consuming. In this theme, the PhD student will develop an integrated spectroscopic and microfluidic testing platform, inspired by the latest developments in life sciences.
Qualifications
MCEC is looking for a highly motivated and creative PhD candidate who has:
- an excellent master's degree or an international equivalent in the relevant fields of Chemistry, Physics, Chemical Engineering and/or Materials Engineering;
- a strong interest in sustainable energy conversion;
- excellent research and scientific writing skills;
- perseverance and an independent, pro-active working style;
- the willingness to look beyond the borders of his or her own discipline and strong motivation to work in a multidisciplinary team;
- excellent collaboration and communication skills (written and verbally) in English;
For more information please visit the following link:
38 PhD Positions around Sustainable Energy Conversion, Utrecht University, Netherlands (2018)