We offer a PhD Position at the young investigator group of Dr. Dorothea Helmer at the Department of Microsystems Technology (IMTEK) at the University of Freiburg. Research foci of the group include material chemistry and material structuring. Dr. Helmer is a group leader at the NeptunLab of Prof. Bastian E. Rapp and her work is published in the most important international journals including Nature and has been featured in national and international radio and print media including the BBC, the New York Times and the Discovery Channel.
3D Printing is a very promising technique for material structuring in science and in industry. The often-proclaimed “3D printing revolution” promises the easy fabrication of nearly arbitrary parts. However, today there are still three major issues in 3D printing that severely limit the versatility of the technology: prints are slow due to the need for generating supporting structures around complex prints, different types of machines are required for each material class and and prints often lack precision on the micrometer scale. This project “MatrixPrint” is part of the BMBF NanoMat Futur Programme and aims at developing solution to these issues by combining the work of chemists, material scientists and engineers. The project aims at developing supporting baths and corresponding inks for volumetric 3D printing on a customized FDM-printer-based extrusion printing platform. In the printing process, the ink is injected into the supporting matrix, which holds it in place, enabling true 3D prints.
Material Science – Synthesis & analysis of micro- and nanoparticles for 3D printing of glasses
Activities and responsibilities
In this project, you will synthesize and develop micro- and nanoparticles to enable the generation of novel glass printing inks and novel supporting baths. You will use wet chemical techniques as well as flame hydrolysis to achieve the formation of larger and smaller particles. You will characterize the particles and then use them to prepare printing materials and supporting baths. Development of adequate post-processing of printing inks will ensure the formation of transparent glass.
- Synthesis of particles (polymer chemistry, flame hydrolysis, microfluidics)
- Analysis of particles
- Integration of particles into resins and solvents/additives to create inks and supporting baths
- Development of post-processing strategies and analysis of printed structures
Qualification profile
- Master’s degree and Studies in materials science, polymer chemistry or related subjects
- Profound knowledge of particle synthesis, behaviour and analysis and rheology is required
- Knowledge of flame hydrolysis and glass materials is beneficial.
- Excellent academic track record
- Excellent English skills in reading and writing
- You should be a creative mind, developing your own ideas and willing to go the extra mile to generate outstanding scientific results
- You should be a team player with ambitions who can conduct research projects independently
- You should be able to structure and document your work properly
We offer
- An aspiring young team with great emphasis on publications and publicity
- An interdisciplinary work environment with a team of motivated scientists that strive to develop clever solutions for scientific as well as industrial problems
- Well-funded projects with access to excellent state-of-the art infrastructure, generous lab space and scientific equipment
- A lab structure that promotes the development of the individual members and fosters open-minded scientific discussions
- A strong focus on the career development of the candidate including submitting to and attending relevant international conferences
- An environment that supports start-up mentality - the NanoMat Futur Program aims at technology transfer
- Payment of TV-L 13 75% (full time)
- Depending on the performance of the candidate the PhD degree is generally finished within three years
Please consult the “before you apply” section of our homepage http://www.neptunlab.org/index.php/open-positions#BeforeYouApply
Make sure you attach all relevant documents (pdf format preferred)
- Letter of motivation: Why do you apply for this position?
- Curriculum Vitae
- Academic track record (recent grades)
- References