The Department of Chemistry invites applicants for a 2-year postdoctoral fellowship in experimental electrocatalysis, starting from 01.10.2026. The position is focused on studying selective oxidation reactions for the sustainable synthesis of chemicals with a focus on fundamental electrochemical studies and in situ approaches.

Attention: The position will take place at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) in Copenhagen, Denmark (1 year) and at the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2) in Barcelona, Spain (1 year). The employment at the University of Copenhagen covers both years, with a ‘transfer of place of duty’ to ICN2 in the second year, and you are expected to relocate to Spain.

The position is one of the open positions in the CAPeX Pioneer Center. CAPeX is a 13-year and 300 MDKK “Pioneer Center for Accelerating P2X Materials Discovery”, funded by the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science, the Danish National Research Foundation, the Carlsberg Foundation, the Lundbeck Foundation, the Novo Nordisk Foundation, and the Villum Foundation. CAPeX is hosted by the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and co-hosted by Aalborg University (AAU), and unites leading experts from DTU, AAU, University of Copenhagen, Aarhus University, and the University of Southern Denmark with international partners from Stanford University, Utrecht University, and the University of Toronto to form a truly Pioneering Center on P2X. You can read more about the CAPeX research themes and X-trails, our organization, and the other open PhD and postdoc cohort positions at http://www.capex-p2x.com.

Project: The project is part of the X3 trail of CAPeX, “Sustainable Commodity and Specialty Chemicals”, led by ICN2-supervisor Professor Maria Escudero Escribano. New chemical processes are needed for the sustainable production of commodity chemicals in a post-fossil society. Electrochemical selective oxidation reactions, such as propene oxidation and propylene oxidation, play a key role in sustainable synthesis. By enabling controlled activation of reactants and intermediates, the reaction pathways can be steered toward desired products; however, for sufficiently selective and efficient processes, we need a better understanding of the catalytic mechanisms.

Your duties will include catalyst design and development, synthesis of electrocatalyst materials, in-situ and ex-situ materials characterization, electrochemical testing and product quantification, and data treatment. Focus will be on the mechanistic investigation of reaction pathways on model catalyst systems, and in-situ spectroscopic techniques, e.g., FTIR, in-situ Raman, and including electrochemistry – mass spectrometry.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for highly motivated and creative candidates within the field(s) of experimental electrochemistry, analytical chemistry, and/or inorganic synthesis and characterization. Applicants can have a background in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Physics, Nanotechnology, Materials Science and Engineering, or Renewable Energy. Applicants should be experienced in electrochemistry and work well in international group settings. Additional experience with structural characterization of nanomaterials or product quantification with analytical methods is considered an asset for the position.

Our group and research- and what do we offer?

The position will take place at the University of Copenhagen (1 year) and at the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2) in Barcelona (1 year). Both locations offer creative and stimulating working conditions in dynamic and international research environments.

Copenhagen: supervision will be by asst. Professor Rebecca K. Pittkowski who leads the Nanoparticles in Electrocatalysis Group. Our group is within the Nano Chemistry Section, and we collaborate closely with the other groups in the section, especially those of Prof. Jan Rossmeisl (Theoretical Catalysis), assc. Prof. Kirsten Jensen (Nanomaterial Structure), and asst. Prof. Søren Scott (Energy Conversion Interfaces). Our research facilities include modern laboratories and equipment for electrochemical studies and catalyst testing, as well as materials characterization. We focus on the use of high-energy X-ray techniques for in-depth structural characterization, including synchrotron measurements. Facilities at UCPH include X-ray scattering (XRD, SAXS, total scattering) and spectroscopic techniques, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES), and computational methods. Additional techniques, including electrochemistry – mass spectrometry, are available through our CAPeX partners at DTU.

During the time in Copenhagen, the position includes teaching duties.

Barcelona: supervision will be with Professor María Escudero-Escribano, ICREA Professor at ICN2 in Barcelona and Leader of the NanoElectrocatalysis and Sustainable Chemistry (NanoESC) Group. Our research facilities include new laboratories of (spectro)electrochemistry, in-situ spectroscopic and microscopic techniques, and nanofabrication. We combine electrochemical methods (cyclic voltammetry, rotating disc electrodes, gas diffusion electrodes) with in-situ Raman and infrared spectroscopy, scanning electrochemical microscopy and electrochemical scanning tunnelling microscopy and online gas chromatography. In addition, at ICN2, we have access to the core labs, and numerous specialised facilities, services, and equipment, including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, ICP, as well as a Nanofabrication Facility Lab). A full list can be found at https://icn2.cat/en/industry-services/services. Moreover, our group benefits from an excellent connection with ALBA synchrotron facilities for in-situ and operando chemical, compositional and structural analysis. Some techniques of interest for this project include X-ray spectroscopies such as in-situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy and ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy as well as in-situ surface X-ray diffraction (SXRD).

Terms of employment

The average weekly working hours are 37 hours per week.

The position is a fixed-term position limited to a period of 2 years. The starting date is 01.10.2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.

Salary, pension, and other conditions of employment are set in accordance with the Agreement between the Ministry of Taxation and AC (Danish Confederation of Professional Associations) or other relevant organisation. Currently, the monthly salary starts at 35,000 DKK/approx. 4,700 EUR (October 2021 level). Depending on qualifications, a supplement may be negotiated. The employer will pay an additional 17.1 % to your pension fund.

Foreign and Danish applicants may be eligible for tax reductions if they hold a PhD degree and have not lived in Denmark for the last 10 years.

The position is covered by the Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities 2020.

Questions
For further information, please contact Rebecca Pittkowski, Rebecca.pittkowski@chem.ku.dk; www.chem.ku.dk

Foreign applicants may find this link useful: www.ism.ku.dk (International Staff Mobility).

Application procedure
Your online application must be submitted in English by clicking ‘Apply now’ below. Furthermore, your application must include the following documents/attachments – all in PDF format:

1. Motivated letter of application (max. one page).
2. CV incl. education, work/research experience, language skills, and other skills relevant for the position.
3. A certified/signed copy of a) PhD certificate and b) Master of Science certificate. If the PhD is not completed, a written statement from the supervisor will do.
4. List of publications.

Deadline for applications: 21st June 2026, 23.59 pm CET

We reserve the right not to consider material received after the deadline, and not to consider applications that do not live up to the abovementioned requirements.

The further process
After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the hiring committee. All applicants are then immediately notified whether their application has been passed for assessment by an unbiased assessor. Once the assessment work has been completed, each applicant has the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant him/herself.

You can read about the recruitment process at http://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/

The applicant will be assessed according to the Ministerial Order no. 242 of 13 March 2012 on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.

Interviews are expected to be held in week 31

The University of Copenhagen wish to reflect the diversity of society and encourage all qualified candidates to apply regardless of personal background.