PhD (M/F) in nanoplasmonics for catalysis

Job Description

Thesis Subject

Plasmonic catalysis has been a rapidly growing research area since the 2010s. Based on the confinement of light within metallic nanoparticles, it holds great promises for the development of sustainable chemical processes, such as artificial photosynthesis. It relies on the combination of bulk photophysical processes and surface chemical processes within complex composite nanostructures, the interplay of which is still poorly understood.

The interdisciplinary CNRS-MITI-80PRIME project "NanoPLASMOnics for Catalysis" (PLASMOCAT) aims to combine the expertise of two CNRS teams in plasmonic catalysis and physical modelling to better understand the physical and chemical phenomena underlying plasmonic activity, with the goal of developing high-performance materials. In this context, the PhD student will be responsible for understanding the impact of the object nanostructuring on electronic dynamics in order to better control them within nanostructures optimized for the recycling of CO2 into methane.

The PhD research comprises an experimental component and a theoretical/modelling component. For the former, the PhD student will be responsible for the chemical synthesis of plasmonic nanostructures and the physico-chemical characterisation of their textural, structural, optical and catalytic properties resulting from the plasmonic activation of the nanostructures.

The second component will involve the development and implementation of models of the plasmonic response – both linear and non-linear – based on the equations of quantum hydrodynamics (QHD), the implementation of the corresponding numerical codes and their optimisation.

Nanostructures containing supported metallic and bimetallic nanoparticles will be considered in particular.

The PhD student will be required to study the effects of the geometric characteristics of metallic objects on electronic dynamics at interfaces and on catalytic performance, and to establish correlations between models of electronic dynamics and catalytic performance. The challenge will be to develop realistic physical models and to synthesise nanostructures that approximate as closely as possible the ideal geometries considered in the models, using the synthesis routes developed within the team.

Your Work Environment

The successful candidate will join a multidisciplinary team led by Valérie Caps (ICPEES/CNRS Chemistry) and Giovanni Manfredi (IPCMS/CNRS Physics), based at the CNRS Cronenbourg campus.

Attached to ICPEES, the PhD student will have access to both research units, ICPEES and IPCMS. The PhD student will thus benefit from all the techniques and expertise necessary to carry out the project, in the fields of nanomaterials, plasmonic catalysis, and theoretical and computational physics. They will be co-supervised by V. Caps and G. Manfredi. They will benefit from close supervision, facilitated by the geographical proximity of the two research units.

Enrolled in the ED222 Doctoral School – Chemical Sciences at the University of Strasbourg, the PhD student will benefit from the scientific and cultural environment of this University of Excellence.

The PhD student will join the various regional and national scientific networks in which their supervisors are involved (ITI QMat and HiFunMat, IRN Nanoalloys, GDR Plasmonique Active, post-GDR Or-nano network), and will have the opportunity to undertake placements in other laboratories to carry out specific project tasks.

The PhD student will be actively involved in disseminating scientific results (writing publications, participating in conferences).

Required skills:
• Solid knowledge of heterogeneous catalysis, including the synthesis, physicochemical characterisation and catalytic evaluation of composite inorganic nanomaterials (XRD, UV-Vis, XPS, TEM/SEM, BET, TGA, FTIR, Raman)
• Practical skills: inorganic synthesis and/or catalytic evaluation
• Basic knowledge of quantum physics, fluid mechanics and condensed matter physics
• Ability to learn and develop skills in analytical computation, theoretical modelling and numerical simulations, in particular the numerical solution of partial differential equations
• Ability to situate the work carried out within the context of the state of the art
• Fluency in English and French, both written and spoken
• Writing skills for publishing and promoting research
• Ability to work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team
• Ability to work in accordance with rules and procedures, flexibility and adaptability

Working conditions:
- Easy access to the Cronenbourg campus by public transport
- Possibility of partial reimbursement of travel costs by the CNRS
- Option to eat at a university canteen on the Cronenbourg campus, with meal subsidies provided by the CNRS

Compensation and benefits

Compensation

2300 € gross monthly

Annual leave and RTT

44 jours

Remote Working practice and compensation

Pratique et indemnisation du TT

Transport

Prise en charge à 75% du coût et forfait mobilité durable jusqu’à 300€

About the offer

About the CNRS

The CNRS is a major player in fundamental research on a global scale. The CNRS is the only French organization active in all scientific fields. Its unique position as a multi-specialist allows it to bring together different disciplines to address the most important challenges of the contemporary world, in connection with the actors of change.

CNRS

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