PhD Position – New inorganic-polymer composite materials for the positive electrode of asymmetric supercapacitors – DESTINY

The Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme of European Union has launched a huge MSCA COFUND project entitled Doctorate programme on Emerging battery Storage Technologies INspiring Young scientists, DESTINY https://www.destiny-phd.eu/.

In this context, DESTINY opens a PhD position on “New inorganic-polymer composite materials for the positive electrode of asymmetric supercapacitors”, topic 1 of Cohort#2.

Supercapacitors are high power energy storage devices that are able to fulfil specific energy storage/harvesting application requirements in the fields of space, aircrafts, transportation and smart grids. The involvement into the smart grids is particularly important to take the best benefit of the intermittent renewable energies provided by sun or wind. An important research line, aiming at increasing both energy and power densities, is devoted to asymmetric devices including a transition metal oxide-based electrode (positive electrode) and an activated carbon based (C) electrode (negative electrode). Among them, the MnO2/C system is the most promising since it withstands hundreds of thousands of cycles, exhibits low cost and is environmentally friendly – especially because of the aqueous based electrolyte used in such devices. Nevertheless, Mn02 suffers from both poor electronic and ionic conductivity, which limits the performances between the pseudo-capacitive properties brought by MnO2 and the excellent ionic and electronic conductivity properties of ambivalent copolymers. These nanocomposites which will be subsequently put in form as electrodes, or directly developed as monolithic all in one electrode, meeting the requirements of high-power cycling of supercapacitors.

This project gathers 2 fully complementary partners, ICMCB and LCPO, which are expert in the field of inorganic materials for energy storage devices, and conductive polymers respectively, and will ensure the co-direction of the thesis, thus fitting with the multidisciplinary approach of the project. IPREM (Delphine Flahaut, Univ Pau) and CIRIMAT (Pierre Louis Taberna, Toulouse) will be inserted in the consortium, for advanced characterization of the materials: surface and inorganic-polymer interface characterization (XPS, Auger) for IPREM and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy as well as Ultramicroelectrode for CIRIMAT.

The beginning of the thesis is planned on January, 1st 2023 at the latest and for 3 years.

To ensure equal oppor­tun­it­ies between women and men, applic­a­tions by women with the required qual­i­fic­a­tions are expli­citly desired.

Apply here

Deadline: 22 september 2022