Postdoc Position in Experimental Geochemistry for Geologic Hydrogen

Posted below is a postdoc position funded through DOE/ARPA-E focused on molecular hydrogen generation derived from serpentinization reactions for the development of the clean energy alternative “orange hydrogen”. This study also has implications for understanding serpentinization processes at early Earth conditions.

Postdoc Position in Experimental Geochemistry for Geologic Hydrogen

PIs:  Drew Syverson, University of North Carolina at Charlotte and Benjamin Gilbert, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab.

Period: A 2-year post-doc, starting as soon as reasonably possible.

Topic: Evaluating the geochemical controls of orange hydrogen generation

The overall goal of this DOE/ARPA-E funded project is to optimize the generation of molecular hydrogen during the serpentinization of ultramafic rock under moderate hydrothermal conditions. Success could enable the development of geologic hydrogen as a new carbon-free energy resource. This collaboration between UNC Charlotte and LBNL will establish the geochemical controls on hydrogen generation and new concepts for catalyzing hydrogen generation.

This project, based at UNC Charlotte, will experimentally examine how changes in fluid chemistry, specifically dissolved silica and pH, will control the speciation of serpentinization mineral products and the generation of hydrogen under moderate hydrothermal conditions. The experiments in this project will employ novel isotopic tracers, thermodynamic modeling, and magnetic/spectroscopy/chromatography methods to quantify the rate and degree of reaction progress during serpentinization and to characterize the iron-speciation and -oxidation state of reaction products.

Experience with hydrothermal geochemistry, isotope geochemistry, and gas chromatography is desirable, but not required.

If you are interested, please contact Drew Syverson – [dsyverso@charlotte.edu] – with a copy of your CV along with contact information for references.