The Kühnel Lab is looking for a motivated German-speaking PhD candidate (TVÖD E 13, 50%). We value team spirit, open communication and ambition. The successful candidate will work experimentally in the field of artificial photosynthesis e.g. on the synthesis and characterisation of materials and/or coordination compounds and performance testing as potential photo/electrocatalysts. The role includes duties in the organisation and teaching of the Department of Inorganic Chemistry, e.g. lab demonstrating. Applicants must hold a masters in chemistry or equivalent degree in a related discipline and must be fluent German speakers. The ideal candidate can demonstrate enthusiasm for research, motivation for acquiring new synthetic/analytical techniques and people skills. Experience in electrochemistry, photocatalysis and gas chromatography are desirable. Applications must be made in German via the online portal by 31/8/2024 (link).

Two birds with one stone. Photoelectrochemical hydrogen production can be coupled with effective degradation of pharmaceutical pollutants in wastewater. Read our paper together with Sudha Pitchaimuthu’s group at Heriot-Watt in which we use ibuprofen as a model and degrade it to hydrogen and non-hazardous species via in situ H₂O₂ generation (link to paper).

Read Michael’s paper on making hydrogenase oxygen-tolerant using deep eutectic solvents (link to paper). This work was done in collaboration with the groups of Alan Le Goff (CNRS) and Christine Cavazza (CEA) in Grenoble.

Michael Allan leaves the Kuehnel Lab to start a postdoc with Eranda Nikolla at University of Michigan – we’ll miss you!

Read our collaborative work about a scalable low-cost material for photocatalytic wastewater treatment and hydrogen generation (link to paper).