Master's Thesis Topic Available – Chiral Induced Spin Selectivity (CISS) Catalysts

Background

The Chiral Induced Spin Selectivity (CISS) effect has emerged as a fascinating quantum phenomenon that couple’s electron spin with molecular chirality, leading to spin-polarized electron transport without external magnetic fields. This effect opens new possibilities for designing highly selective and energy-efficient electrocatalysts for key reactions such as CO₂ reduction (CO₂RR), oxygen evolution (OER), and hydrogen evolution (HER).

Understanding and harnessing CISS in catalytic materials can fundamentally transform electrocatalysis by improving reaction kinetics, selectivity, and stability through spin-controlled charge transfer.

Possible focus areas

• Synthesis of chiral inorganic or hybrid catalysts (e.g., chiral metal oxides, chiral coordination complexes, or nanostructured catalysts).

• Surface modification of electrodes with chiral molecules or ligands.

• Electrochemical testing for CO₂RR, OER, or HER activity and selectivity.

• Characterization of catalysts with McAFM, XRD, EPR, SEM, TEM …

• Correlation of spin polarization with catalytic performance.

• (Optional) First-principles or DFT-based simulation of spin-dependent charge transfer processes.

Your profile

• Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, Physics, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, or a related field.

• Strong interest in catalysis, electrochemistry, or spintronics.

• Basic laboratory or simulation experience (e.g., electrochemical techniques, nanomaterial synthesis, or quantum chemistry).

• Motivation to work in an interdisciplinary environment bridging chemistry, physics, and materials science.

• Good communication skills in English (both written and spoken).

We offer

• A highly interdisciplinary research environment within an international team.
• Access to state-of-the-art facilities for electrochemical testing and materials characterization.
• Opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research in spin-dependent catalysis.
• Close supervision and the possibility to publish results in peer-reviewed journals.

Application

Please submit the following documents as a single PDF:

• Motivation letter
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Send your application to: haojie.zhang@chemie.uni-halle.de