The Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology e. V. (Leibniz-IPHT) in Jena is a non-university research institution and is closely related to the Friedrich Schiller University Jena and a member of the Leibniz Association. The Department Functional Interfaces at Leibniz-IPHT now offers the possibility for a

Master Thesis

“Interface-synthesis of two-dimensional membranes for gas separation”

Separation of small molecules and ions through membranes is quintessential to modern technologies such as in energy conversion and storage (e.g., batteries, fuel cells, photocatalytic systems), biomedical applications (dialysis, (ultra)filtration, epidemics, cell cultures, breath analysis and diagnosis), as well as gas separation (carbon sequestration, hydrogen and methane purification, sensing) and water treatment (nanofiltration, reverse osmosis). While classical dense membranes are bound to a trade-off between high permeability and high selectivity, ultra-thin membranes can overcome this so-called Robeson limit but cannot be easily fabricated at scales. Therefore, we are investigating the cross-linking of Langmuir layers assembled at the air-water interface to develop synthesis techniques for the scalable fabrication of stable 2D-membranes. In this context, we offer Master thesis projects to explore new building blocks and/or apply routes for their cross-linking.

Your tasks:

• Familiarization with the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique
• Preparation of homogeneous Langmuir layers from cross-linkable building blocks
• Cross-linking the Langmuir layers to yield 2D polymer membranes
• Characterization of the membrane
  • Microscopic (optical, scanning electron) methods
  • UV-vis absorption spectroscopy
  • In situ fluorescence spectroscopy

Further information:

If you are interested in this topic, please send your application to PD Dr. habil. Martin Presselt, Email: (martin.presselt@leibniz-ipht.de) or simply apply via our job portal https://www.leibniz-ipht.de/de/institut/karriere/stellenportal by clicking on the button "apply":