NIST Structure, Dynamics, and Transport Properties of Confined Polyelectrolytes for Energy Storage and Delivery
NIST aims to develop methods to measure polyelectrolyte properties in energy storage devices, improving material design for better battery and fuel cell performance.
This grant is no longer accepting proposals
NRC Research Associateship Programs has archived this opportunity.
Funder: NRC Research Associateship Programs
Due Dates: February 1, 2025 (NIST review) | May 1, 2025 (Close Date) | August 1, 2025 (NIST review)
Funding Amounts: $82,764 base stipend + $3,000 travel allowance; typical appointment duration 2 years.
Summary: Supports postdoctoral research to develop in-situ methods for measuring structure, dynamics, and transport properties of confined polyelectrolytes to improve energy storage and delivery technologies.
Key Information: Open to U.S. citizens with a doctoral degree; requires contacting a NIST research adviser prior to application; focuses on fuel cell and battery materials research.
Description
This fellowship opportunity at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) focuses on advancing the understanding of polyelectrolytes, which are critical ion transport media in fuel cells and emerging battery technologies. The research aims to develop novel in-situ metrologies and experimental methods to quantify the structural, dynamical, interfacial, and bulk properties of polyelectrolytes under confinement and device-relevant conditions. These properties significantly influence charge transport, durability, and overall device performance.
The project addresses the challenge of characterizing material properties at interfaces and under confinement, which are often the source of performance limitations in energy storage devices. By providing precise measurements, the research will enable validation of models explaining interfacial and bulk performance issues, thereby supporting improved materials and device design for energy storage and delivery.
Investigational techniques include grazing incidence small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering, quasi-elastic neutron scattering, dielectric spectroscopy, environmentally controlled atomic force microscopy, thin film mechanics, infrared reflectance-absorbance spectroscopy, and reflectivity using both X-rays and neutrons. The project is collaborative, involving close interaction with other government laboratories and industrial researchers.
