General Information

INSTITUTION: Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research, Polish Academy of Sciences (ILT&SR PAS), Wrocław Doctoral School of Institutes of Polish Academy of Sciences

CITY: Wrocław

POSITION: Ph.D. student in the program “Implementation doctorate 2023”, financed by Ministry of Education and Science (MEiN) in Poland

SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINE: chemical sciences

DATE OF ANNOUNCEMENT: 18.08.2023

APPLICATION DEADLINE: 12.09.2023

DATE OF COMPETITION SETTLEMENT: 19.09.2023

DURATION AND DATE OF COMMENCEMENT OF EDUCATION AND PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM: 4 years, starting from 01.10.2023

LINK TO WSD IPAN WEBSITE: http://wsdipan.intibs.pl

LINK TO INTiBS PAN WEBSITE: www.intibs.pl

KEYWORDS: printed microelectronics, biosensors, conducting pastes, metal nanoparticles

COMPETITION ANNOUNCEMENT

The Wrocław Doctoral School of Institutes of Polish Academy of Sciences (WDS IPAS) announces special recruitment for a PhD student scholarship in program “Implementation doctorate 2023” – Theme: “Development of paste formulations based on metal nanoparticles (e.g., silver and gold) for use in novel bioelectronic displays and sensors.”, funded by Ministry of Education and Science in Poland (Reg. no. DWD/7/0060/2023), and carried out under supervision of Prof. Łukasz Marciniak in the Division of Biomedical Physicochemistry of ILT&SR PAS in cooperation with the company XTPL S.A. Dr Aneta Wiatrowska (Stabłowicka 147, 54-066 Wrocław, Poland).

Description of the Theme

The aim of the dissertation will be the development of a new formulation of conductive pastes based on metallic nanoparticles, such as silver, gold, a method of manufacturing and quality control, for applications in printing precision conductive elements in modern bioelectronic displays and sensors. The innovative element of the dissertation will be the development of a formulation with an unprecedented specific combination of parameters of high solid material content >90 wt.% and viscosity >50,000cP at 25st.C which will enable precise microdeposition of conductive paste.

The main research problem will be the development of a methodology for producing metallic nanoparticles

with specific physicochemical parameters, then introducing the obtained nanoparticles into pre-selected systems of solvents and additives to obtain a specific paste formulation and preparing the process of product validation for a given application.

Additional information

The Ph.D. student program is performed based on the Communication of 26.04.2023 of MEiN on the establishment of the “Implementation Doctorate 2023” program (Communication of MEiN) that grants the PhD fellowship, defined in the Act of 20 July 2018 – Law on higher education and science (Dz. U. no. 1668 as amended) in article 209 paragraph 1, as below.

The total Ph.D. fellowship per month will be provided:

1. 3450 PLN – till the month of the mid-term evaluation (planned at the end of II academic year);

2. 4450 PLN – starting from the next month after the mid-term evaluation (during III and IV academic years).

In addition, the PhD student has granted a financial support for His/Her use of the research infrastructure at ILT&SR PAS, amounting to about 20 922.84 PLN per each academic year.

The recruitment is carrying out according to the Act of 20 July 2018 – Law on higher education and science, the Communication of and the Rules of recruitment for WDS IPAS.

Duties and obligations of the PhD student

· timely implementation of the individual research plan, consistent with the doctoral schedule,

· preparation of formulation variances considering selected additives and solvent systems.

· determination of the process of quality control of pastes from the chemical side, which will include, among other things, an inventory of physicochemical analyses and tolerance limits of selected parameters.,

· following rules and performance of education programme and tasks resulting from the duties of a doctoral student at the Wroclaw Doctoral School of Institutes of Polish Academy of Sciences.

· completion of Ph.D. thesis not later than at the end of IV academic year and finally receiving Ph.D. degree.

Requirements from the candidate

· master’s degree in chemistry or related disciplines

· scientific interests in physicochemistry/biochemistry/organic chemistry/physics

· proficiency in the practical application of methods of synthesis, purification and analysis of nanomaterials

· experience in the formulation of chemical products using nanomaterials

· knowledge and experience in the field of R&D research

· good knowledge of English

· the ability to synthetically present information in the form of reports;

· motivation for scientific work, diligence, independence, ability to work in a team, creativity.

Required documents

According to the rules of recruitment for WDS IPAS for 2023/24 academic year: https://www.intibs.pl/en/for-students/rules-of-recruitment.html

Additional obligatory document:

Statement of the company XTPL S.A. Dr Aneta Wiatrowska (Stabłowicka 147, 54-066 Wrocław, Poland) that in the case of admission to Wrocław Doctoral School of Institutes of Polish Academy of Sciences the candidate will remain or will be employed (not later than from 1.10.2023) on the full time in the period of the doctoral studies and the consent to His/Her

education in the doctoral school within the program and providing Him/Her an auxiliary advisor out of the company staff.

Applications for admission to the School must be submitted by 12.09.2023 until 3:00 p.m.:

a) by email to the address (preferred method); however, the original documents should be delivered before the studies start (a failure to meet this requirement will result in the candidate’s name being removed from the list of doctoral students),

b) in person at the School’s Secretariat Office at the Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences, 2 Okólna St. in Wrocław, from 9 am to 3 pm

or

c) by registered mail or courier (the date on which the Secretariat Office received the documents is considered to be the delivery date) to the following address: WSD IPAN, ul. Okólna 2, 50-422 Wrocław.

For further information please contact prof. Łukasz Marciniak (, tel. +48 71 3954 291).

Personal information

Candidates' personal data are collected and processed by the Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research of Polish Academy of Sciences in Wrocław in accordance with the information on personal data processing available at https://bip.intibs.pl/artykuly/173/rodo.