PhD position (m/f/d) in anion-exchange membrane electrolysis

The University of Freiburg was founded in 1457 and is one of the oldest and most renowned universities in Germany. With eleven faculties, around 240 degree programmes, and 440 full professorships as well as 32 junior professorships, it covers a broad interdisciplinary spectrum with high-quality research and teaching. The University of Freiburg regularly takes top positions in prestigious rankings. In the Shanghai Ranking, for example, it comes in at fifth place in nationwide comparison and is listed among the 101–150 best universities worldwide.

The University currently has around 24,500 students, 4,745 doctoral candidates, and a total of 8,489 employees, 5,936 of them in academic positions. Twenty-three Nobel laureates are associated with the University of Freiburg. The University secured 219 million euros in third-party funding in 2023 and received 16 ERC Grants between 2019 and 2023.

The research group electrochemical energy systems (EES) is looking for:

PhD position (m/f/d) in anion-exchange membrane electrolysis

Part-time position, start date: May 1, 2026

Anion exchange membrane (AEM) water electrolysis has the potential to combine the advantages of conventional alkaline electrolysis and acidic proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis, thereby significantly reducing the cost of hydrogen production.

By operating under alkaline conditions, AEM electrolysis can utilize cost-effective materials similar to those used in traditional alkaline electrolysis. At the same time, the use of a membrane enables high gas purity, compact system design, and high current densities comparable to PEM electrolysis.

However, particularly with regard to gas purity and long-term stability, AEMWE has not yet reached the performance level of established electrolysis technologies.

The overarching goal of the project is to realize efficient and stable AEM water electrolysis in a cost-effective and environmentally friendly manner on industrially relevant cell areas, while minimizing gas crossover.