PhD in supramolecular interactions in organic mixed ionic-electronic conductors

Are you fascinated by how molecular-scale interactions determine the real-world performance of functional materials? In this PhD project, you will study a new class of materials that find application in future technologies ranging from neuromorphic computing and bioelectronics to energy storage. Are you ready to help unravel the inner workings of these fascinating materials by investigating them during operation?

Your research
In your PhD project, you will uncover how intermolecular interactions and supramolecular morphology govern the functionality of organic mixed ionic-electronic conductors (OMIECs). Bridging the fields of OMIECs and supramolecular chemistry, you will investigate these relationships through in-depth operando characterization.

OMIECs are soft materials that conduct both electrons and ions, highly promising for applications ranging from energy storage and solar fuels to bioelectronics and neuromorphic computing. However, electrons, ions, solvent and the molecular structure all reorganize during operation, making it difficult to disentangle how molecular-scale interactions ultimately determine macroscopic function.

You will develop characterization methods and experimental setups to probe intermolecular interactions as OMIECs operate. Spectroelectrochemistry will be a key tool; developing operando cells, setups, and experiments that enable you to discern dynamic spectral signatures of molecular packing. By following changes in supramolecular organization during electrochemical doping, your work will reveal how doping affects supramolecular organization.

You will also determine how supramolecular packing governs doping efficiency and dynamics, linking morphology to device-relevant properties, by studying varied samples of available supramolecular building blocks. These fundamental insights will provide a supramolecular knob for tuning material functionality, thereby introducing new ways to control material behavior.

The key outcome of your research is a mechanistic framework describing the bidirectional interplay between OMIEC doping and supramolecular interactions. Building on this framework, you will ultimately design switchable supramolecular OMIEC systems in collaboration with other researchers, targeting applications in in-material computing. Beyond these systems, your fundamental insights will contribute to the general development of next-generation computing and adaptive bioelectronics.

Your environment and support
As a member of the Optoelectronic Mixed Conductors group at the Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, you will conduct your research under the supervision of Prof. Tom van der Pol. Your project is highly interdisciplinary, with opportunities to collaborate with researchers across the department. You will become part of a broad and vibrant scientific community, including the Institute for Complex Molecular Systems.

At TU/e and within the Optoelectronic Mixed Conductors group, curiosity-driven research and personal development go hand in hand. You will have the freedom to pursue ambitious scientific questions while receiving the guidance and support needed to develop your own ideas and expertise. Your supervisory team will support you in developing the skills, confidence, and scientific perspective needed to uncover the mechanisms that govern OMIECs and to shape your own path as a researcher.