Job Announcement Speculative application

The Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research (IPF) creates a materials science basis for technological innovations in the fields of resources, health and information. About 500 employees work in the five scientific institutes, the administration and the technical services of the IPF. New topics and methods are increasingly explored in flexible research structures such as independent junior research groups. The IPF is certified as a family-friendly employer according to the Audit berufundfamilie®. Further information can be found at www.ipfdd.de.

Bezeichnung:

PhD candidate (No: 076-26)

Additional leading-information:

In the division of Macromolecular Chemistry, the Sustainable Electronic Materials Department has a vacancy for a doctoral student (m/f/d) working 26 hours per week.

The project aims to develop photoresponsive low-dimensional conjugated polymers grown directly on gold surfaces through robust N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) coupling strategies. Particular emphasis will be placed on understanding the structure-property relationships governing charge transport and light-induced switching processes at molecular interfaces.

Job description::

The PhD candidate will:
Design and synthesize photoresponsive NHC precursors and functional molecular building blocks,
Develop surface-coupling strategies for the fabrication of low-dimensional polymer architectures on gold substrates,
Characterize the resulting molecular structures with our scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) group,
Investigate light-induced switching behavior and charge transport processes at the molecular level,
Establish structure-function relationships between molecular architecture and optoelectronic performance,
Transfer the fundamental understanding gained from model interfaces into device concepts,
Fabricate and evaluate light-responsive organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) and explore their potential applications in optical switching and photodetection

Requirements::

Master's degree in Chemistry, Polymer Science, Materials Science, Nanotechnology, or a related field,
Strong background in organic synthesis and the design of functional molecular materials,
Experience in the synthesis, processing, and characterization of conductive polymers is highly desirable,
Knowledge of electrochemistry and electrochemical characterization techniques,
Experience in device fabrication and characterization, particularly in organic electronic devices (e.g., OECTs, OFETs, sensors), is an advantage

Soft Skills::

Ability to work independently while contributing effectively to a collaborative research environment,
Excellent communication skills and willingness to work closely with international collaborators,
Highly motivated, proactive, and committed to conducting high-quality scientific research,
Good command of written and spoken English

Date of entry::

Effective August 1, 2026

Time limit::

3 years (employment period according to the WissZeitVG)

closing additional information:

The project offers the opportunity to work at the frontier of molecular electronics, surface-confined polymerization, and organic bioelectronics within an international and highly collaborative research environment.

The remuneration and social benefits (including a company pension scheme, job ticket, flexible family-friendly working hours and job-related further training) are based on the qualifications in accordance with the collective agreement for the public service of the federal states (EG 13 TV-L).

Contact:

For further information please contact:
Dr. Ningwwei Sun (0351/4658 238)

The IPF strives for gender equality and diversity in all fields. Applications by people with severe disabilities will be given preference if they are equally qualified. Moreover, as the IPF would like to raise the proportion of women in fields where they are underrepresented, women in particular are invited to apply. The personal data collected by the IPF relating to your application, as well as the evaluation thereof shall be processed exclusively for purposes of the application process on the basis of contractual measures under Art. 6 (1b) GDPR. These data shall not be transferred to third parties. Recipients shall comprise the employees responsible, the Works Council as well as, where applicable, the representative body for disabled employees and the equal opportunities officers of the IPF. Your application details provided to us shall be deleted by us 6 months after the end of the application process, i.e. either after the job advertised has been filled, or after we have decided not to fill the vacancy after all. For questions under data protection law and for exercising your rights, please contact: d atenschutz@ipfdd.de (data protection officer). You have the right to complain to the supervisory authority. Expenses for the interview participation will not be refunds.