Missions

-Porous coordination polymers or Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are porous materials whose adsorption capacities can surpass those of conventional materials such as activated carbons or zeolites. As such, they offer highly promising prospects for strategic energy transition challenges such as CO2 capture or the storage of energy carriers (CH4). However, these high capacities are accompanied by equally significant inhibitory thermal effects (exothermic during adsorption, endothermic during desorption), deriving in particular from their poor thermal conductivity, and leading to significant drops in performance (in capacity, selectivity and charge/discharge kinetics) at the industrial scale.
The aim of this postdoctoral contract is to develop MOF/graphite composites, in which the graphite matrix provides thermal conduction and mechanical strength, and the MOF adsorption properties. In particular, the aim is to:
- implement different synthesis strategies, adapted to MOFs of various composition and structure
- prepare composites combining high storage capacities and decent thermal conductivities
- produce a selection of these composites on a "large" scale (~100g).
The thermal and adsorption properties of the composites will be evaluated by collaborators (see below).

Activités

- Synthesis of porous materials in solution and preparation of MOF-graphite composites by various routes
- Structural analysis by X-ray diffraction, physicochemical analysis (IR, ATG, gas adsorption isotherm measurements, etc.), electron microscopy.

Compétences

The candidate should have a PhD in materials chemistry, and strong expertise in solution synthesis and characterization using standard techniques (X-ray diffraction, IR spectroscopy, electron microscopy, etc.). Good knowledge of porous materials would be appreciated.

Contexte de travail

The Institute of Materials Jean Rouxel in Nantes (IMN) is a joint research unit (UMR) of the CNRS and the University of Nantes. With over 200 staff, it is one of France's leading materials research centers (https://www.cnrs-imn.fr/). The postdoctoral fellow will work in the ST2E (Electrochemical Energy Storage and Transformation) research team, under the supervision of Thomas DEVIC.
This contract will take place within the framework of the ANR TEM-MOF collaborative project, which involves 3 academic laboratories (IMN Nantes, LTEN Nantes and ICMN Orléans), and aims to improve the management of thermicity phenomena in MOFs.

Le poste se situe dans un secteur relevant de la protection du potentiel scientifique et technique (PPST), et nécessite donc, conformément à la réglementation, que votre arrivée soit autorisée par l'autorité compétente du MESR.

Contraintes et risques

The postdoctoral fellow will be located at the Institut des Matériaux de Nantes, but shorts stays in the partner's laboratories are also planned, in particular at the LTEN.
The laboratory is governed by internal regulations.