Postdoctoral position in design and synthesis of bio-based solvents for sustainable electrolytes

Offer Description

The Department of Chemistry - Ångström conducts research and education in the chemistry field. The department has more than 270 employees and has a turnover of 300 million SEK. At the department's six programs, we conduct very successful research of a high international standard. We have a large number of externally funded research projects, often with international cooperation and we see continued good growth in our subject area. The department has education assignments in engineering programs and master's programs. More information is available on our website. (https://kemi.uu.se/angstrom/?languageId=1).

The Structural Chemistry section at the Department of Chemistry – Ångström Laboratory has for many years hosted a research environment focused on the development of materials and their applications within the energy storage area: the Ångström Advanced Battery Centre. We develop novel electrode and electrolyte materials, characterize them, evaluate and improve them with respect to battery performance, and study fundamental chemical processes and properties using both experimental and computational techniques. The research is, as such, both fundamental and applied.

Work duties The main research activities will be to design and synthesise bio-based solvents for use in sustainable electrolytes for lithium- and sodium-ion batteries. This work is part of a project that will target a more sustainable battery value chain through design of electrolyte solvents from renewable carbon feedstocks, thereby reducing climate impact, improving safety, and decreasing strategic dependence on fossil and externally sourced raw materials. Through the combined design and development of tailored bio-based solvents, you will establish scientifically grounded design principles for sustainable electrolytes that meet industrial performance requirements.

The main duty involved in a post-doctoral position is to conduct research. Teaching may also be included, but up to no more than 20% of working hours.

The project will be carried out at Uppsala University in close collaboration with colleagues at the Ångström Advanced Battery Centre. The main tasks are the design and synthesis of bio-based solvent molecules, characterisation of the products by, for example NMR, FTIR, UV-Vis, and GC-MS, and determination of physicochemical properties relevant to electrolyte solvents, e.g. boiling point and viscosity. You are expected to work together with others who are testing the applicability and electrochemical performance of bio-based electrolytes in relevant battery systems. Within the project, you will also participate in dialogues and workshops with industry partners and international collaborators to inform the development of the electrolyte solvents.

The postdoc is expected to perform high-quality research as part of a team, with the aim of disseminating resulting works through high impact peer-reviewed journals, and at national and international conferences. There may also be possibilities of building further collaborations in the research area, supervising students conducting degree projects, and seeking external research or travel grants.

Requirements

PhD degree in chemistry, chemical engineering or a closely related subject, or a foreign degree equivalent to a PhD degree. The degree needs to be obtained by the time of the decision of employment. Those who have obtained a PhD degree within the three years prior to the application deadline are primarily considered for the employment. The starting point of the three-year time period is the application deadline. Due to special circumstances, the degree may have been obtained earlier. The three-year period can be extended due to circumstances such as sick leave, parental leave, duties in labour unions, etc.

The assessment of applications is based primarily on the applicant's ability to conduct independent research based on scientific skill. Greater importance is attached to the quality of individual scientific work, than to the amount of publications.

To be considered for this position, you must have:

• Experience of synthesising and characterising organic solvents that are relevant to battery electrolytes is essential.
• Skills are required in characterisation techniques including NMR and GC-MS and the interpretation of data from such techniques.
• It is necessary to demonstrate the ability to work together with others, to publish high quality scientific publications, and to have presented work at internationally-relevant conferences.
• The candidate must have excellent capabilities in written and oral English.

Consideration will be given to good collaborative skills, drive and independence, and how the applicant's experience and skills complement and strengthen ongoing research within the department, and how they stand to contribute to its future development.

Desirable qualifications The following qualifications may also be considered:

• Previous experience in organic synthesis with consideration to sustainability and fossil-free precursors is an advantage.
• A PhD topic or other previous experiences involving battery electrolytes is desirable, but not essential.
• Familiarity with other aspects of battery research or industry is likewise advantageous.
• Experience of building up dedicated laboratory apparatus for a project is desirable.
• Good knowledge of data curation and plotting, electronic laboratory notebooks, Python or similar, are merits.

About the employment
The employment is a temporary position of 2 years according to central collective agreement, with the possibility of an extension of up to 1 year. Scope of employment 100 %. Starting date 2026-10-26 or as agreed. Placement: Uppsala

For further information about the position, please contact:
Andy Naylor, andy.naylor@kemi.uu.se

Please submit your application by 16 October 2026, UFV-PA 2026/2760.

Where to apply

Website: https://uu.varbi.com/en/what:job/jobID:970288/type:job/where:39/apply:1

Work Location(s)

• Number of offers available: 1
• Company/Institute: Uppsala universitet
• Country: Sweden
• City: Uppsala

Contact

• City: Uppsala
• Website: http://www.uu.se/en/about-uu/join-us/jobs/