Vacancies
Research Associate in Printed Thermoelectric and Memristor Devices
This position will be based in the Two-dimensional Materials, Wearable electronics and Biosensors (2DWEB) group led Dr Felice Torrisi in the Chemistry Department, White City Campus, Imperial College London (https://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/f.torrisi and https://www.imperial.ac.uk/2d-materials-and-wearable-electronics). The laboratories are located in the new purpose-built Molecular Sciences Research Hub, which hosts 25,000 sq. metre of key research facilities spanning across the whole range of molecular sciences research from nanomaterials, and organic electronics to chemical biology and tissue engineering.
The aim is to develop a new class of thermally conducting coatings, as well as thermoelectric and memristive devices based on inks and composites of novel electrically and thermally switching molecules (e.g. compounds of metal-alkynes and macrocycles such as porphyrins and phthalocyanines), in collaboration with our partners at the Universities of Lancaster, Oxford and Liverpool. The coatings and devices will be fabricated using established printing and coating deposition techniques (including ink-jet printing and spray coating), in combination with conventional lithographic techniques.
You will provide specialist expertise in solution processing of 2D materials, nanomaterials or molecules and printing/coating experience with demonstrated evidence of thin-film devices fabrication using inkjet printing or spray coating techniques, working with self-assembled molecular films and low-noise thermal or DC/AC electrical transport measurements. A comprehension of thermal and thermoelectric properties of molecular materials is a desirable. The new compounds will be provided by the research collaborators in the Long Group at Imperial and at the University of Oxford.
The post will be funded under the recently awarded EPSRC Programme Grant “QMol – Quantum engineering of energy-efficient molecular materials”. This is an ambitious research programme, with a strong interdisciplinary nature, across printed and flexible electronics, device physics, molecular electronics and thin-film devices, aiming at the realization of novel devices for active or passive thermally switching coatings, cross-plane memristive switches and thermoelectric generators.
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Research Associate in Chemical Sensors based on 2D materials
We are looking for an enthusiastic researcher with experiences in nanomaterials and two-dimensional materials for chemical sensors and biosensors.
This position will be based in the Two-dimensional Materials, Wearable electronics and Biosensors (2DWEB) group led Dr Felice Torrisi in the Chemistry Department, White City Campus, Imperial College London (https://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/f.torrisi and https://www.imperial.ac.uk/2d-materials-and-wearable-electronics ). The laboratories are located in the new purpose-built Molecular Sciences Research Hub, which hosts 25,000 sq. metre of key research facilities spanning across the whole range of molecular sciences research from nanomaterials, and organic electronics to chemical biology and tissue engineering.
The post holder will help to produce independent and original research within the Two-dimensional materials and Wearable bioelectronics group and submit publications to refereed journals and help with teaching and administration of research groups.
The aim is to develop a scalable new class of chemical sensing platform based on inks made by 2D materials, their hetero-structures and hybrid platforms. Such devices will then be tested for a wide range of applications, such as biosensors, water purification, and antibiotic resistance.
This project will involve a high degree of teamwork and interdisciplinary research.
Applications from perspective applicants should be sent by 13/03/2024 to Dr Felice Torrisi (f.torrisi@imperial.ac.uk).
Joining the Group
We constantly welcome enthusiastic students and postdocs willing to do research at the forefront of nanoscience, bioelectronics and wearable technologies.
Get in touch if you are interested in joining the group: f.torrisi@imperial.ac.uk
Currently, a PhD studentship is available on:
- Printed thermally active and memristive devices with advanced quantum molecules. (More details below)
Contact Dr Torrisi for more details on the projects and click here to apply.
Please visit the webpage of the 2DWEB group for further details on our research.
PhD studentship - Printed Thermally active and memristive devices with advanced quantum molecules.
Applications are invited for a fully-funded PhD studentship to work on Printed Thermally active and memristive devices with advanced quantum molecules.
Description: Ubiquitous energy harvesters and generators based on thermal and electrical switching materials are key enablers of future wearable electronics and distributed sensor networks. Current materials, mainly provide switching via a classical reconfiguration of their molecular structure. This normally creates a substantial change in the dimension of the device resulting in mechanical stress unbearable by the overall structure of the device. Constructive/destructive quantum interference has been recently hailed as a new way to achieve thermal and/or electrical switching without dimensional change of the molecule. The recently awarded QMol programme grant aims at developing novel molecules with high thermal and electrical switching properties, and demonstrate large-scale printed and flexible thermally switchable coatings, thermoelectric devices and memristors. The unique set of competences in the Torrisi group in the formulation of printable inks and their use in printed electronics, are ideally suited for the development of a new generation of printed and flexible films for thermal management, energy generation and local memory storage. This project will answer the following research questions: Can we create large scale thermal and electrical switches relying on quantum interference? What are the figures of merit and device parameters required for the control and optimisation of the devices?
Taking the advantage of novel molecules with high thermal and electrical switching capabilities synthesised within QMol, this project will engage the student into the study and the deposition of thin films of thermally and electrically active molecules by printing and coating techniques (such as inkjet printing, spray coating and dip coating). The molecules will be stabilised in solvents suitable for printing and characterised in their rheological properties (e.g. viscosity, surface tension, density) to determine the deposition technique. The dispersion of molecules will be then be deposited by appropriate coating and printing techniques, forming films with different packing and flake orientation. The resulting films will be investigated by conducting Atomic Force Microscopy (C-AFM), in collaboration with the University of Lancaster, to understand the in-plane and out-of-plane thermal switching properties. This will reveal the presence of any quantum phenomena enhancing the thermal switching. Iterative optimisation processes will define the final film deposition and layout. Finally, thermoelectric and memristive devices fabricated by scalable printing or coating techniques, extending the benefit of enhanced thermal and electrical switching to all-printed energy and memory devices. This work will shine new light on the thermal and electrical properties of large-area nanostructured films of thermally and electrically switching molecules. The student will be fully incorporated into the Molecular Science Research Hub and the 2DWEB group, offering a unique opportunity to interact with teams of researchers working on Synthesis, Nanomaterials, Energy, Imaging & Sensing, Printed Electronics.
Applicants need to have, or expect to achieve, a first-class or a high 2:1 degree in Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, Nanotechnology or Material Science. Home applicants are eligible for a full award, full University fees and a maintenance allowance.