About the role
In this exciting collaboration between Imperial College London, University of St Andrews and Ceres Power, funded by the UK-HyRES programme, we will focus on understanding and mitigating degradation mechanisms in solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) used in the production of green hydrogen. The project will focus on understanding electrode materials and their degradation mechanisms under the high current density conditions experienced in operating SOECs. The successful candidate will be based at Imperial College London and will focus on leading two of the four workpackages (WP). In the first WP the activity will be on linking electrochemical activity at interfaces with the atomistic and microstructural scale changes in the electrode, whilst the second will determine the effect of potential atmospheric contaminants on the electrode stability and performance. Underlying each of these tasks will be the correlation of the data obtained with electrochemical data from commercial cells. The applicant will be expected to work closely with the team at St Andrews in developing impedance testing protocols to enable the lab scale findings to be meaningfully translated to commercial cell technologies.
What you would be doing
Research Duties:
- Undertake solid oxide cell electrochemical evaluation using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy
- Undertake transmission electron microscopy evaluation of ceramic:ceramic interfaces, using a wide range of analytical techniques, including under in-situ and operando conditions
- Develop atom probe tomography protocols to apply to solid oxide electrolysers
- Perform ion beam experiments, including SIMS and LEIS, on ceramic samples
- Probe the correlation of cell degradation with impurity content and microstructure
- Undertake complementary measurements of ceramic samples
- Probe the surface chemistry of components using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy
- Undertake all associated data analysis and interpretation of data
- Liaise with industrial and academic partners and attend all relevant progress meetings
- Attend regular project meetings with the PI and provide all relevant materials (reports, presentations, data) in a timely way
- Assist the other research staff in the day-to-day management of the electroceramic group laboratories
- Liaise with research staff and students working in broad areas of relevance to the research project
- Write quarterly progress reports and prepare results for publication and dissemination via journals, presentations and the web
- Disseminate research results through common dissemination routes, including peer-reviewed publications and presentations at national and international conferences
- Attend progress and management meetings as required and network with both internal and external research groups
- Attend relevant workshops and conferences as necessary.
- Develop contacts and research collaborations within the College and the wider community.
- Undertake instruction of PhD students, as agreed.
- Actively participate in Group research meetings and internal seminars.
What we are looking for
Research Associate: Hold a PhD in chemistry, physics or materials science and engineering.
Research Assistant: A first / masters degree (or equivalent) in chemistry, physics or materials science and engineering.
- Practical experience within a research environment and / or publication in relevant and refereed journals
- Practical experience of a broad range of transmission electron microscopy analytical and imaging techniques applied to ceramics
- Practical experience of electrochemical characterisation of solid oxide cells
Practical experience with one ion beam analytical technique (e.g. SIMS, LEIS, RBS)
Demonstrated experience of relevant data analysis techniques - Experience of undertaking solid oxide cell electrochemical characterisation
Practical experience of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy - Experience of synthesis and characterisation of high quality materials suitable for microscopy and/or surface analytical experiments
- Characterisation of degradation processes in solid oxide cells
- Experience of atom probe tomography (APT) techniques applied to oxides
- Experience of organisation of project meetings and laboratory management
Experience of vacuum systems operation and maintenance - General background on defect chemistry
- Practical experience of secondary electron microscopy
- Practical experience of X-ray Diffraction
- Experience in the study of ion beam solid interactions, particularly for ceramic materials
What we can offer you
- The opportunity to continue your career at a world-leading institution and be part of our mission to continue science for humanity.
- Grow your career: Gain access to Imperial’s sector-leading dedicated career support for researchers as well as opportunities for promotion and progression
- Sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 39 days off a year and generous pension schemes).
- We provide a wide-ranging benefits package that includes resources, tools and networks to promote a positive working environment.
- Pensions – excellent employer contributions
- Season Ticket loan – interest free.
- Childcare facilities – Early Years Education Centre
- Childcare vouchers – salary sacrifice scheme.
- Staff accommodation
- Our flagship sports centre and gym in South Kensington Campus
Further information
*Candidates who have not yet officially been awarded their PhD will be appointed initially at Research Assistant (with a salary range of £43,003 to £46,297.
For further details on the role please contact: Professor Stephen Skinner, s.skinner@imperial.ac.uk.
Queries regarding the application process should be directed to: Darakshan Khan (d.khan@imperial.ac.uk).
If you encounter any technical issues while applying online, please don’t hesitate to email us at support.jobs@imperial.ac.uk. For further details on the role please contact
Available documents
Please note that job descriptions are not exhaustive, and you may be asked to take on additional duties that align with the key responsibilities mentioned above.
We reserve the right to close the advert prior to the closing date stated should we receive a high volume of applications. It is therefore advisable that you submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
If you encounter any technical issues while applying online, please don’t hesitate to email us at support.jobs@imperial.ac.uk. We’re here to help.
About Imperial
Welcome to Imperial, a global top ten university where scientific imagination leads to world-changing impact.
Join us and be part of something bigger. From global health to climate change, AI to business leadership, here at Imperial we navigate some of the world’s toughest challenges. Whatever your role, your contribution will have a lasting impact.
As a member of our vibrant community of 22,000 students and 8,000 staff, you’ll collaborate with passionate minds across nine London campuses and a global network.
This is your chance to help shape the future. We hope you’ll join us at Imperial College London.
Our Culture
We work towards equality of opportunity, to eliminating discrimination, and to creating an inclusive working environment for all. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries, and are committed to employing a team that has diverse skills, experiences and abilities. You can read more about our commitment on our webpages.
Our values are at the root of everything we do and everyone in our community is expected to demonstrate respect, collaboration, excellence, integrity, and innovation.
