Online seit 2025-08-18
PhD Student (f-m-d) for Electrochemical Reduction of Oxidized Nitrogen Species
Application until2025-09-30
Start of workAs soon as possible
Scope of work39 h
The Department of
Process Systems Engineering
(Director: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Kai Sundmacher) at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems
is inviting applications for the PhD Student (f/m/d) position. Research topic: “Electrochemical reduction of oxidized nitrogen species”
The position is to be filled as soon as possible and is limited to three years.
The research topic contributes to the concept of a sustainable circular economy. Human activities have disturbed the global nitrogen (N-) cycle, due to a mismatch between the atmospheric N2 fixation and denitrification rates. Fixed-N-species accumulate by the energy-intensive Haber-Bosch process, industrial and transportation combustion processes, over-cultivation of crops that promote the biological N2 fixation, and over-fertilization practices. However, reactive N-forms are essential to sustain the global food supply of a steadily growing human population. It is thus imperative to deploy efficient recycling concepts of already fixed-N compounds, supplementing with N2-fixation strategies to compensate for conversions back to unreactive N2, thus balancing the N-cycle.
Ammonia (NH3), a nitrogen-hydrogen compound that is widely used in agriculture and industry, is not only a compelling candidate for storing and distributing H2, but also a potential fuel and a valuable chemical. On the aforementioned ground, recycling oxidized N-forms back to NH3 with the use of green electrons and water can contribute to fixed-N recycling concepts and inhibit the accumulation of reactive-N-species in the ecosystem. Meanwhile, the increasing availability of renewable electricity renders its direct usage via electrocatalytic processes attractive in the context of power-to-X circular scenarios.

Your Tasks

• Electrochemical and analytical experimental methods, with focus on the relations between reactions’ activity/selectivity and catalyst structures, reaction environment and reactor designs
• Simulations of reaction schemes and transport phenomena to understand the reaction mechanisms and stir the selectivity towards hydrogenated N-forms, while suppressing the formation of undesirable products
• Detailed modelling, simulation and optimization of an electrochemical reactor, e.g. in Matlab and/or Python

Suitable candidates

• hold a master’s degree in the engineering or natural sciences, preferentially in chemical or process engineering, physics, chemistry or related disciplines with grades above average,
• have strong interest in combining theoretical and experimental work for reaction engineering and chemical analysis,
• have strong communication skills and motivation for the cooperation with colleagues
• have a very good knowledge of English

Knowledge and experience in chemical engineering laboratory work as well as model-based simulations are advantageous.

• Electrochemical and analytical experimental methods, with focus on the relations between reactions’ activity/selectivity and catalyst structures, reaction environment and reactor designs
• Simulations of reaction schemes and transport phenomena to understand the reaction mechanisms and stir the selectivity towards hydrogenated N-forms, while suppressing the formation of undesirable products
• Detailed modelling, simulation and optimization of an electrochemical reactor, e.g. in Matlab and/or Pytho