Doctoral fellow

ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY

Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 15,000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities. With its 11 faculties and more than 80 departments offering state-of-the-art study programmes grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff and students.

YOUR TASKS

AIM

Develop and exploit novel (experimental) approaches to uncover the temperature household of heterogeneous catalysts during thermo-catalytic CO2 conversion.

SCIENTIFIC CONTEXT AND CHALLENGE

Heterogeneous catalysts lie at the heart of various industrial chemical processes and form the key towards environmental remediation in the coming decades. These solid nanomaterials expose tailored active surface sites that transform harmful waste molecules into added value products, such as renewable fuels.

While the main focus in the field has been on understanding the impact of the catalyst structure and its performance, the local catalyst temperature has to date remained largely unexplored. However, temperature is a crucial parameter in catalysis as it dominates the reaction kinetics, thermodynamics and stability of a catalyst.

Recent pioneering work from our group, published recently in Nature Catalysis, now enables to directly monitor the nanoscale temperature of the catalyst phase executing the reaction. The data shows that reaction heat from catalytic reactions causes significant temperature changes in the catalyst, potentially changing its local performance and impacting the catalyst stability.

PROGRAM AND JOB DESCRIPTION

In the PhD program, the doctoral student will develop the next generation of operando X-ray thermometry tools, strongly moving beyond the capabilities of the group’s recently-developed X-ray absorption thermometry method. In addition, the student will explore novel optical laser-based methods to chart nanoscale heat transport within catalysts. Both pillars will require a strong component of catalyst fabrication, to tailor model catalysts via gas-phase deposition methods, including atomic layer deposition (ALD) and physical vapor deposition (PVD).

More specific tasks:

• Synthesize/fabricate metal nanoparticle catalysts by ALD/PVD, to convert CO2 into renewable products, e.g. syngas, methane, methanol, etc.. 
• Participate in (and eventually lead) international synchrotron experiments (e.g. ESRF, SOLEIL) to develop and exploit the targeted operando X-ray thermometry methods. 
• Pioneer novel optical laser-based methods to track heat flows in catalysts and possibly simulate bottlenecks for nanoscale heat transport via COMSOL/OpenFOAM. 
• Commit into script-based data analysis of the obtained large (synchrotron) datasets. 
• Write down your findings in high-quality, first-authored manuscripts for publication in flagship journals, and contribute to international conferences. 
• Supervise M.Sc. students in their thesis research project. 
• Assist in teaching activities at the Department of Solid State Sciences. 

RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT

The PhD thesis will be conducted under the supervision of Prof. Filez, fully embedded within the Conformal Coating of Nanomaterials (CoCooN) research group at the Department of Solid State Sciences, Ghent University, Belgium (www.cocoon.ugent.be). Prof. Filez’s research focusses on the fabrication and the advanced in-situ/operando characterization of solid catalysts during thermal conversion (refs: Appl. Catal. B 2026, 126563; Nat. Catal. 2025, 187; Adv. Mater. 2024, 2305984; Small 2022, 2205217). The CoCooN group has strong expertise in ALD/PVD, amongst other applications to fabricate nanoparticle catalysts, and track record in X-ray characterization, both in-house and at large-scale synchrotron facilities abroad (refs: Nat. Catal. 2024, 2; Nat. Commun. 2017, 1074; Chem. Soc. Rev. 2011, 5242; Nature 2003, 641). CoCooN is an international environment with intense contacts with industry, and equipped with a broad set of state-of-the-art experimental research facilities/techniques. The PhD topic is part of an FWO project.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

REQUIREMENTS

• Holder of a Master degree in physics, chemical or physics engineering, chemistry or a related disciplines. The diploma requirements must be met by the date of appointment. Students graduating this academic year can therefore apply. 
• Excellent oral and written proficiency in English, with eye for detail, accuracy and nuance, in balance with efficient time management to smoothly run the project. 
• Strong scientific reasoning skills to perform high-quality fundamental research. 
• You are strongly interested in and motivated for the outlined research topic, can work independently and have a feeling of responsibility to execute your project. 
• Good command of programming languages, e.g. Matlab, Python, are a must. 

STRENGTHS

• Knowledge/experience in heterogeneous catalysis and/or heat transport phenomena. 
• Knowledge/experience in gas phase deposition techniques, such as atomic layer deposition (ALD) and physical vapour deposition (PVD), to fabricate model catalysts. 
• Knowledge/experience in synchrotron-based in-situ/operando X-ray spectroscopy-diffraction, as well as the analysis of the resulting large datasets. 
• Previous use of simulation software, e.g. COMSOL or OpenFOAM, is appreciated.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

• A challenging, stimulating and constructive work environment with collegial atmosphere at the forefront of the field. A climate where you can grow as researcher and become expert in emerging activities on the thermal characterization of catalysts. You will also have the opportunity to engage in running activities of the group, where relevant. 
• Daily/weekly contact with your colleagues and supervisors to share your findings, discuss the challenges you face, and collaborate on solutions. Regular CoCooN group meetings to discuss your results and those of your colleagues. 
• We offer a full-time position as a doctoral fellow, consisting of an initial period of 12 months, which –after positive evaluation– will be extended to a total maximum of 48 months. 
• The fellowship amount is 100% of the net salary of an AAP member in equal family circumstances . A grant that meets the conditions and criteria of the regulations for doctoral fellowships is considered free of personal income tax. Click here for more information about our salary scales 
• All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits. 
• Provided the successful finalisation of your studies, a PhD degree with very good credentials for future employment in your career.

INTERESTED?

Apply by sending:

• Your full curriculum vitae, including your education and academic track record, experience with experimental work and/or programming, list of publications where applicable. 
• A motivation letter (max. ½ page), explaining (1) your motivation why specifically you apply for this open PhD position, and (2) which prior experience/skills make you a suitable candidate for the position. 
• A copy of your diploma (if obtained), and a list of grades for the courses completed. 
• The contact details of two references (will only be consulted upon your approval). 
  
  

Submit the above files in the listed order as a single .pdf-file to Matthias.Filez@UGent.be, using the subject line “Application FWO-Thermometry PhD”. Applications not matching the outlined format will not be considered. This PhD position is available immediately and is open until the vacancy is filled. For more information about this vacancy, please contact Prof. Matthias Filez (Matthias.Filez@UGent.be).