Your main task is to advance our state-of-the-art automated electrolyte discovery platform. The platform allows the automated formulation of liquid electrolytes, the assembly of coin cell-type batteries, and their automated electrochemical characterization. Key tasks are statistical validation of the system (study of the distribution of key properties such as cell impedance, initial capacity, cycling stability, etc.), development of Python scripts for data analysis and functionalities of the coin cell assembly system such as electrode balancing, and evaluation of hardware add-ons for operations such as dosing of solid electrolyte components. An additional task is to provide support for other users of the platform.

Besides the robotic platform, our labs are fully equipped for electrolyte development and testing. State-of-the-art facilities include synthesis labs with fume hoods, Schlenk lines, rotary evaporator, temperature-dependent viscosity, conductivity, and density analysis, thermal analysis (TGA, DSC), Raman and FTIR spectrometers, glove boxes, facilities to manually assemble various cell types including coin cells, Swagelok cells, and pouch cells, electrochemical characterization including battery cyclers, impedance spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometers (including operando cells), etc. Access to NMR (including PFG-NMR), elemental analysis (CHN, ICP-OES, etc.), advanced electron microscopy facilities (SEM, TEM) and surface analytical tools (XPS, ToF-SIMS) is also available.

You will be embedded in a collaborative European research project that will enable you to interact with leading European organizations from industry and academia active in the battery field. Within this project, the ability to publish is not restricted. Generation of intellectual property in the form of patents is encouraged.

The lab is located at Empa's main campus in Dübendorf, which is conveniently located next to Zurich, Switzerland.