PhD Student position in Materials Chemistry with focus on the development of anode materials for Sodium-ion Batteries

Background

The Department of Chemistry - Ångström conducts research and education in the chemistry field. The department has more than 270 employees and has a turnover of 300 million SEK. At the department's six programs, we conduct very successful research of a high international standard. We have a large number of externally funded research projects, often with international cooperation and we see continued good growth in our subject area. The department has education assignments in engineering programs and master's programs. More information is available on our website.

Duties

Applications are sought from highly motivated PhD candidates to work in a project aimed at developing sustainable hard carbon anodes for sodium-ion batteries. The project is conducted in collaboration with RISE research Institutes of Sweden and various industrial partners. The advertised position will be based within the Structural Chemistry research programme at the Department of Chemistry-Ångstöm Laboratory. 

The project specifically aims to develop a sustainable, cost-effective method to transform biomass resources such as Kraft lignin into high-performance carbon anodes. Currently, a major technical hurdle regarding hard carbons is the lack of control over how precursor properties influence the final material structure and electrochemical performance in sodium-ion batteries. A critical question this project aims to answer is how to tailor synthesis conditions to the chemical and  physical characteristics of lignin, thereby producing hard carbons with a desirable capacity to store sodium ions with high coulombic efficiency. To achieve this, the project will devise synthesis routes based on existing data regarding the structure and electrochemical performance of hard carbons obtained form a wide range of precursors. This data-driven approach is anticipated to provide optimum synthesis parameters, thereby avoiding the time consuming trial-and-error synthesis and purification steps commonly applied in conventional hard carbon synthesis. 

As a prospective candidate, you will devote your time to independent research under supervision, including participating in the project and third-cycle course. A detailed description of your role will be developed in discussion with your supervisors, aligning with your research interests and educational background. Your main duties will include synthesis and characterization of hard carbons in collaboration with project partners, electrochemical testing of the resulting hard carbons in half-cell and full-cell sodium-ion battery prototypes, data management and analysis, presenting results at international conferences and group seminars, and publishing papers in peer-reviewed journals. You may also be required to engage in teaching and other departmental responsibilities, constituting no more than 20 % of your working hours.

Requirements 

To meet the entry requirements for doctoral studies, you must:

• hold a Master’s (second-cycle) degree in Chemistry, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, or a related field, or
• have completed at least 240 credits in higher eduction, with at least 60 credits at a Master’s level including an independent project worth at least 15 credits, or
• have acquired essentially equivalent knowledge and research expertise in some other way in Sweden or abroad.
• possess excellent oral and written proficiency in English

Great emphasis will be placed on personal qualities of the candidates such as good collaborative skills, drive as well as ability to work independently. Consideration will also be given prior experience, skills and motivation to complement or strengthen ongoing research efforts within the department.

Additional qualifications

The following skills are desirable for this position:

• hands-on experience with experimental laboratory such as materials synthesis and characterization
• basic understanding of electrochemistry and battery testing
• Hands-on experience in synthesis and characterization of carbon materials or biomass valorization
• Knowledge of sodium- or lithium-ion batteries
• Experience with characterization tools such as total X-ray scattering and pair distribution function (PDF) analysis or Raman spectroscopy
• Experience with electrochemical methods such as galvanostatic cycling, cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance analysis
• Prior experience with programming (such as Python) and data analysis or machine learning applied to materials science
• Ability to work in interdisciplinary project or industrial experience

About the employment

The employment is a temporary position according to the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5 § 7. Scope of employment 100 %. Starting date 2026-04-01 or as agreed. Placement: Uppsala

Rules governing PhD students are set out in the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5, §§ 1-7 and in Uppsala University's rules and guidelines.

For further information about the position, please contact: Habtom Desta Asfaw, habtom.desta.asfaw@kemi.uu.se 

Please submit your application by 23 February 2026, UFV-PA UFV-PA 2026/149

The application should include a CV, a letter of intent describing your research interests and match for the position, copies of diplomas and grades, a copy of your Master’s thesis (or a draft thereof), and contact information for 2-3 references.