PhD position in the research area of “Spectroscopy of water and ions in nanoconfinement”

Job Offer from March 22, 2024

One PhD position in the research area of probing water/ions in nanoconfinement using advanced nonlinear spectroscopies is available for candidates with a background in physics, chemistry, physical chemistry, engineering, or material science. This PhD position aligns with the FLUXIONIC project, which has been recently approved under the MSCA-DN program. FLUXIONIC, an acronym for "Controlled transport of water and ions in nanoconfinement," constitutes a European Doctoral Network supported by the European Commission through the Horizon 2022 Marie Sklodowska-Curie Action (MSCA). This project will be carried out in the Department of Molecular Spectroscopy (Director: Prof. Mischa Bonn) at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research (MPIP), Mainz, Germany.

Water confined within nanoscale dimensions exhibits distinct structural and dynamic properties from bulk water due to discrete molecular effects and interactions with surfaces. Understanding the atomic-level structure of confined water and its correlation with the properties of charge and mass flow in nanoconfinement is crucial. Therefore, this project aims to ‘see’ water and ions in nanoconfinement under controlled transport using a combination of cutting-edge spectroscopies and microscopies. For more information about our research see https://www.mpip-mainz.mpg.de/en/bonn.

The ideal PhD candidate for this project has a background in physics, chemistry, physical chemistry, engineering, or material science, and holds a Master’s degree in one of these fields. For exceptional students, a Bachelor's degree can be sufficient. This PhD program can begin once the position is filled. Review of applications will continue until the position has been filled. We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews.

For the PhD position application, the following documents are needed:

• CV
• Letter of motivation
• Records of previous education and certificates (Master's, Bachelor's, or Diploma)
• Proof of language skills (English and/or German, if applicable)
• Names of at least two references or two reference letters from former supervisors

For more information, please contact apply-bonn@mpip-mainz.mpg.de and wangy3@mpip-mainz.mpg.de