PhD studentship on artificial leaves

European Commission; Singapore; On-site; SGD 20,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading university in Singapore invites applications for a fully-funded PhD position in Materials Science and Engineering. This role focuses on developing innovative solutions for sustainable fuel production, combining materials science and engineering to create artificial leaves. Candidates will gain expertise in various advanced fabrication and testing techniques, beneficial for a career in renewable energy.

Qualifications

• Educational background in chemistry or materials science is essential.
• Experience with solar energy materials and characterisation techniques preferred.
• Strong interest in renewable energy and sustainable technologies.

Responsibilities

• Develop artificial leaves for sustainable fuel production.
• Create thin-film light absorber materials and test devices.
• Design and engineer scalable photochemical reactors.

Skills

fabrication of metal halide perovskite solar cells

device encapsulation

gas chromatography

NMR

HPLC

3D design in CAD software

material characterisation

Education

PhD in Chemistry or Materials Science

Tools

Solidworks

scanning electron microscopy

X-ray diffraction

Job description

School of Materials Science and Engineering

Organisation/Company Nanyang Technological University Department School of Materials Science and Engineering Research Field Chemistry » Solar chemistry Engineering » Materials engineering Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Country Singapore Application Deadline 1 Oct 2025 - 12:00 (Asia/Singapore) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Applications are invited for a fully-funded 4-year PhD studentship in the group of Asst Prof Virgil Andrei at NTU Singapore, starting in January 2026. The PhD position will focus on developing artificial leaves for sustainable fuel production, working at the interface between material science, chemistry and engineering. This interdisciplinary research will involve developing thin-film light absorber materials, interfacing them with selective electrocatalysts for water splitting or CO2 reduction, and engineering scalable photochemical reactors towards real-world applications.

The successful candidate will develop the following expertise during their PhD:

• fabrication of metal halide perovskite solar cells and oxide photoanodes
• device encapsulation and testing under laboratory and outdoor conditions
• quantification of gas and liquid products via gas chromatography, NMR, HPLC
• design of 3D-printed reactors in CAD software (e.g., Solidworks)
• advanced material characterisation using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction

We welcome Singapore-based and international applicants to join our group!

Interested candidates are invited to get in touch and submit a detailed CV to:

Asst Prof Virgil Andrei

School of Materials Science and Engineering