Research Fellow in Computational Materials Chemistry

The Chemistry Department at University College London is the oldest in England, and today is one of the best in the UK, being ranked 2nd in the UK for the world-class impact of its research in REF(2014). We are located in Bloomsbury, at the heart of London, and offer an exciting and vibrant environment in which to study in one of the UK's top universities. The Department of Chemistry at UCL is committed to supporting excellence in both research and teaching. The department offers undergraduate BSc and MSci programmes in Chemistry and currently teaches ~750 undergraduates registered in Chemistry as well as students who select Chemistry on the Natural Sciences programme and first year Chemistry for life scientists. The department also offers a number of Postgraduate Taught Masters courses with about 80 students per year and has an overall PGR student school of about 200 students. The Chemistry Department has over 60 members of academic staff carrying out world-leading research. We specialise in the areas of organic synthesis, chemical biology, computational chemistry, nanotechnology, inorganic and materials chemistry, physical chemistry and chemical physics. The department has an annual research income of around £15 million, derived from many sources including the Research Councils (EPSRC, BBSRC, MRC, and NERC), European Commission and a wide range of charities and industrial partners in the UK, Europe and the USA. Details about our research can be found on the departmental website http://www.ucl.ac.uk/chemistry

The postholder will be required to carry out computational materials chemistry research focussed on understanding and predicting new Cathode Materials, and in examining defects processes in Li-ion battery materials. Computational work will be performed in collaboration with experimental efforts, and so the postholder will also present results and contribute significantly to an interdisciplinary feedback loop. This position is available to work on the study of electronic structure and defect chemistry of Na-ion electrode materials. The appointee will work as part of a UK consortium for the study of next-generation Na-ion battery materials, featuring collaboration with theory and experimental groups in UCL, St Andrews, Sheffield, Cambridge, and Lancaster. The appointee will play a leading role in computational support for the development of novel electrodes for the latest generation of Na-ion battery materials. A key principle of the research will be the full characterisati! on of nov el battery materials in terms of their electronic structure, and their full defect chemistry. This position is funded by an ISCF Faraday Battery Challenge – Faraday Institution Phase Two project, entitled NEXGENNA for 12 months initially. The candidate will join Professor Scanlon’s research group in the Department of Chemistry at the Bloomsburt Campus of University College London. Information about the group can be found on http://davidscanlon.com/.

The successful candidate will have a PhD degree (or about to be awarded a PhD) in Computational Materials Chemistry or relevant subject. Expertise in analysis of charged defects in solids using periodic density functional theory is essential. He/she will have a strong publication track record, a demonstrated commitment to excellence, and exceptional skills in computational chemistry. They will be expected to work in a highly multidisciplinary collaborative team and have effective written and verbal communication skills in English.

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