Postdoc position on redox-targeted flow batteries Empa in Switzerland

Empa, the Swiss research institution in the ETH Domain, is offering a postdoctoral position in the Laboratory Materials for Energy Conversion on redox-targeted flow batteries. The project sits at the interface of materials science, electrochemistry, polymer chemistry, and energy storage, and is embedded in the Horizon Europe consortium FLOWBOOST, which aims to advance the technology from laboratory-scale studies toward a kW-scale prototype through close collaboration with academic and industrial partners across Europe.

The research focuses on the development of solid electrode composites (“boosters”) for next-generation aqueous redox-targeted flow batteries. In these systems, soluble redox mediators exchange charge with solid booster materials in storage tanks, allowing energy density to be decoupled from solubility while preserving the modularity and safety advantages of flow batteries. The performance of these systems depends strongly on booster formulation, pellet morphology, charge-transfer efficiency, and the stability of the materials under continuous flow.

The successful candidate will develop solid booster formulations with PFAS-free binders, optimize composition and morphology for mass transport and reactivity, and study the thermal and chemical stability of the components. A key part of the work is the use of in-situ diagnostics, especially in-flow UV-Vis spectroscopy, to quantify mediator-booster reactivity and material dissolution during operation. The project also includes prototyping booster-bed reactors from mL to L scale using 3D printing, supporting the transfer of promising formulations to scalable, solvent-free processing, and validating material combinations in lab-scale flow batteries.

Empa offers excellent infrastructure for battery fabrication and characterization, including synthesis laboratories, gloveboxes, reactors and furnaces, lab-scale flow battery test stands, 3D printers, and equipment for electrode and composite fabrication. The analytical toolkit includes X-ray diffraction, UV-Vis, Raman and FTIR spectroscopy, particle and surface area analysis, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, gas and liquid chromatography, thermogravimetric analysis, ICP-OES, electron microscopy, and access to advanced X-ray facilities. The position is therefore well suited to a researcher interested in translating materials development into device-level performance.

Applicants should hold a PhD in materials science, chemistry, or a related field, and a strong publication record is expected. Experience with flow-cell electrochemistry, in-situ spectroscopy, or polymer processing and 3D printing is advantageous. Strong English skills are required, and basic German is helpful. The application requires a CV, academic transcripts and certificates, a publication list, a one-page motivation letter, and at least two reference letters. Applications must be submitted through the online job portal.

This is a postdoctoral opening at Empa in Dübendorf, Switzerland, aimed at candidates interested in sustainable energy storage, flow battery materials, and scalable reactor development.