In this project you will develop devices for the generation of molecular hydrogen and electrical energy from streaming water using the streaming potential. By coupling the generation of electricity to the generation of hydrogen in one process, we aim to increase efficiency as well as provide energy in an alternative storable form.

In your Ph.D. project you will be using nanochannels and nanoporous membranes. It will specifically be your task to optimize the pore wall surface to obtain maximal mechanical-to-electrical conversion efficiencies. You will have to identify the optimal wall material and investigate the influence of different chemical functionalizations. For example, there have been reports that the generation efficiency will strongly increase when the liquid slips past the walls, because this decreases the hydrodynamic resistance. Part of your work will therefore be to chemically functionalize the channel walls to introduce liquid slip. At the same time energy generation will increase with pore surface charge density, which is also influenced by the surface functionalization. Influencing the surface charge density will therefore be another goal.

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Research topics:

1. Development of next generation of biosensors/biofuel cells using nanotechnology
2. New nanocomposite catalysts for pharmaceutical and energy applications

About Monash University and School of Chemistry:
Monash University is Australia’s leading university. It was ranked number 45 by the ‘Times Higher Education Supplement’ in its annual ranking of the world’s top 200 universities in 2009. The School of Chemistry at Monash is one of the leading teaching and research schools in Australia, and has been consistently ranked No. 1 school of chemistry in Australia in the past decade.

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Taiwan International Graduate Program (TIGP) is now accepting applications for admission to the 2010 fall semester, and applications are due before 31 March, 2010.

The Taiwan International Graduate Program is a Ph.D. program, started in 2002, by Academia Sinica, the foremost research institution of Taiwan. In cooperation with top universities in Taiwan, Academia Sinica offers advanced, inter-disciplinary Ph.D. Programs, in nine fields that span the natural and physical sciences, as well as computational linguistics. TIGP students will learn in all-English teaching and research environments, and enjoy access to world-class faculty and state-of-the-art research facilities at Academia Sinica and partner universities. All applicants who are admitted to TIGP will receive a fellowship from Academia Sinica. Stipend levels are about USD 11,000 per year, and will be awarded for the first three years.

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In the Institute for Materials Research (IMO) of Hasselt University, the following position (m/f) is available:

PhD Sensor technology (2×2 years)
(mandate WNI/2008/016-HO2)

The PhD student will conduct scientific research within the framework of development of sensor platforms for electronic characterisation of DNA mutations and related problems. More specifically, sensor arrays will be developed based on impedimetric and isocap-based sensor concepts. An important issue is the analysis of electric field and band structure effects at the interface between aqueous phases, molecular layers and semiconductor surfaces. Furthermore, attention will be focussed on the optimisation of the performance of the sensor arrays.

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