As Austria's largest research and technology organisation for applied research, we are dedicated to make substantial contributions to solving the major challenges of our time, climate change and digitalisation. To achieve our goals, we rely on our specific research, development and technology competencies, which are the basis of our commitment to excellence in all areas. With our open culture of innovation and our motivated, international teams, we are working to position AIT as Austria's leading research institution at the highest international level and to make a positive contribution to the economy and society.

Our Competence Unit “Battery-Technologies team”, part of the Center for Transport Technologies located in Vienna invites applications for a PhD Thesis position. The battery is the centrepiece of modern electric drive concepts. In order to make this electric energy storage unit as efficient, powerful, cost-effective and safe as possible, together with our multidisciplinary, international team you will develop the next generation of energy storage materials for a sustainable electromobility.

As part of our The PhD position is announced as part of a Horizon Europe funded project and focuses on the development of novel cathode active materials for rechargeable magnesium batteries based on metal oxide cathodes. Hereby, you will deal intensively with topics related to: synthesis and physicochemical characterization of metal oxide cathodes, advanced characterization using ex-situ and in-situ/operando techniques, electrode design and development using environmentally safe water-based processing methods and last but not least with the fabrication and electrochemical characterization of battery cells.

• You will carry out a literature search to get familiar with (de)magnesiation mechanisms in manganese-rich metal oxides cathodes and their electrochemical performance.
• You will synthesize cathode materials and investigate their magnesiation mechanisms via in-situ and ex-situ techniques such as XRD, SEM, Raman, BET, XPS, etc.
• You will investigate the electrochemical performance properties of the cathode active materials via galvanostatic cycling, galvanostatic titration, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry.

• You will gain hands-on experience in the area of materials for energy storage applications (slurry formulation and preparation, coating, cell assembly in coin cells and pouch cells, etc.) and electrochemical characterization techniques.
• You will discuss your results within your interdisciplinary team of scientists, engineers, technicians and students and in project meetings.
• You will write reports and publish your findings in peer-reviewed journals.
• You will participate in national and international workshops and conferences, where you will present your work.