Molecular Electrochemistry on Silicon Electrodes

About the Project

The Group of Surface Chemistry and Electrochemistry at Curtin Chemistry, Perth, invites applications for one PhD position focusing on silicon electrochemistry.

Applicants should be highly motivated and have an honours or master degree (or equivalent) in chemistry, or other relevant discipline. Applicants do not need to be Australian citizens. Basic electrochemistry knowledge and experience synthesis is preferred, but not strictly required. The PhD stipend at Curtin is fixed at approximately 32000 AUD per year (tax free).

The project will develop the science of room-temperature superconducting silicon-based diodes. The development of these diodes will result in consumer electronics that operate at higher speeds and with greater energy efficiency. Previous efforts to create such diodes have only proven successful under extreme temperatures or pressures, and with semiconductors other than the widespread, inexpensive and readily available silicon. It is unlikely that by relying on materials other than silicon, and under operational conditions other than room temperature, will lead to a technology suitable for a commercial device. The innovation we seek to develop is that to capture both the richness of organic chemistry (molecular charges) and the sturdiness, low cost and availability of silicon. Achieving this goal will require developing new silicon surface chemistries and new methodologies to merge molecular with semiconductor electrochemistry. The project will develop the knowledge requires to use molecular charges and surface dipoles to guide the movement of mobile carriers inside the inorganic material.

The student will be part of multidisciplinary research team, where collaboration with other experimentalists and with theoretical and computational experts endows this project with an interdisciplinary character and with the prospects of verifying the potential for new frontiers in electro-synthesis.

How to apply:

Please direct enquiries and requests for further information to Dr Simone Ciampi (simone.ciampi@curtin.edu.au). Interested applicants should include a copy of their CV and a brief statement of their research interests in an initial correspondence.

Details on the formal application procedure can be found at: https://futurestudents.curtin.edu.au/international/.

Further information on our research activities at: https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=V9aqosAAAAAJ&hl=en