Postdoctoral Research Associate in Waste Derived Sodium-Ion Battery Materials

About the role

Turn plastic waste into high-performance battery anodes. We are recruiting a postdoctoral researcher to a newly funded programme developing sustainable sodium-ion batteries (NIBs) from waste feedstocks. Building on patented technology that converts plastic waste into carbon-tin (Sn-C) composite anodes, the project aims to establish the fundamental understanding needed for industrial translation.

Your core focus is understanding how carbon and carbon-alloy composites form from waste feedstocks under autogenic conditions and unravel how feedstock chemistry and synthesis parameters shape microstructure and cell performance. You will operate and optimise high-temperature, high-pressure synthesis; characterise materials by SEM/TEM, XRD, Raman, thermal and gas analysis; and oversee electrochemical performance testing, from coin cells through to pouch-cell demonstrators. You'll scale production toward pilot-relevant quantities, explore new waste streams, and work alongside PhD students, industrial partners and apply for national facilities including Diamond Light Source.

 About you

• A PhD in Materials Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Electrochemistry or a related field
• Hands-on synthesis and characterisation of carbon, battery or composite materials
• Electrochemical testing and cell assembly, including glovebox and air-sensitive handling
• A track record of publishing and communicating complex results

Useful but not essential: sodium- or lithium-ion systems; alloying anodes (Sn, Si, Sb); pyrolysis, carbonisation or waste-to-materials routes; electrode slurry formulation and coating; pouch-cell scale-up; operando or synchrotron techniques; industrial collaboration.

Why join us

You'll lead pioneering work at the interface of circular-economy manufacturing and energy storage, with access to state-of-the-art battery fabrication and characterisation facilities, and a genuine route from lab bench to commercial deployment.

About SEMS

The School of Engineering and Materials Science (SEMS) at Queen Mary brings together materials scientists, chemists and engineers with access to world-class synthesis, characterisation and battery fabrication facilities. Postdocs here are supported to publish, present internationally, supervise PhD students and develop their first grant applications.

About Queen Mary

At Queen Mary University of London, we believe that a diversity of ideas helps us achieve the previously unthinkable.

Throughout our history, we’ve fostered social justice and improved lives through academic excellence. And we continue to live and breathe this spirit today, not because it’s simply ‘the right thing to do’ but for what it helps us achieve and the intellectual brilliance it delivers.

We continue to embrace diversity of thought and opinion in everything we do, in the belief that when views collide, disciplines interact, and perspectives intersect, truly original thought takes form.

Benefits

We offer competitive salaries, access to a generous pension scheme, 30 days’ leave per annum (pro-rata for part-time/fixed-term), a season ticket loan scheme and access to a comprehensive range of personal and professional development opportunities. In addition, we offer a range of work life balance and family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements, and campus facilities.

Queen Mary’s commitment to our diverse and inclusive community is embedded in our appointments processes. Reasonable adjustments will be made at each stage of the recruitment process for any candidate with a disability. We are open to considering applications from candidates wishing to work flexibly.

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