Project in molecular sciences Ia

Please find here all the Disciplinary and Interdisciplinary Projects for the first semester 2017-2018.

- You should choose a project - maximum two or three students per project (according to the project)

- If you need to get more information on a project please check the literature/email to the contact person.

Laboratory work:

- You should realise the chosen project during this fall semester (laboratory work always on Thursdays, from 8h15 to 18h00).

- The first week (Thursday; 21.09.2017), Dr. Alain BOREL (Chemistry Library) will give an introduction to the scientific literature (theory and practice); morning 9h00 to 12h 00 and afternoon 14h00 to 17h00; local:  BCH 1103; you start to work in the laboratory(/ies) on 28.09.2017.

1) The last “working day in the laboratory” is Thursday, 7 December 2017. The following week you will present your results, (it will take place on 14 December 2017, Thursday from 8h 30 – 20 min/ group; local BCH 1103).

2) By 22.12.2017, Friday the student groups should submit their report (electronic copies, to the project leader teachers, to Dr. Alain Borel – email: alain.borel@epfl.ch and to me).

3) The students will be evaluated, the grades will be based on the work and results (55%), reports (20 %) – evaluated by the project leader teachers - and based on the oral presentations (15%) of the projects, and 10% "information search & citation good practices".

Please do not hesitate to contact me for any further information (gabor.laurenczy@epfl.ch)

I wish you a successful semester

Prof. Gabor Laurenczy

Type: Interdisciplinary (LCMD and LSMO)

Title:  Computational and experimental investigation of Dopant-Free Hole-Transporting Materials for Stable and Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells

Contact and further information:  Prof. Clemence Corminboeuf, Prof. Md.khaja Nazeeruddin  (clemence.corminboeuf@epfl.ch)  (mdkhaja.nazeeruddin@epfl.ch)

Type: Disciplinary (LCSO)

Title: "Palladium Catalysis for the Incorporation of Carbon Dioxide in Important Building Blocks"

Contact and further information:

Phillip Greenwood (phillip.greenwood@epfl.ch)  Prof. Waser Jerome

Project 3: Electrochemical CO₂ reduction on nanostructured surfaces

Disciplinary (LMER)
During 11 weeks, the students will work the laboratory of LMER in Energypolis in Sion. The student will prepare the nanostructured electrodes and 
investigate the CO2 reduction reaction in an electrochemical flow cell. The products will be analyzed by in-situ Raman spectroscopy and gas 
chromatography. The objective of the work is to describe the relationship between electrode surface composition
and structure and the CO2 reduction products formed.

Contact and further information:
Prof. Dr. Andreas Züttel (andreas.zuettel@epfl.ch); Disciplinary
Dr. Mariana Spodaryk (mariana.spodaryk@epfl.ch)
Miriam WISCHMANN (miriam.wischmann@epfl.ch)

Project 4: CO₂ binding on surfaces

During 11 weeks, the students will work the laboratory of LMER in Energypolis in Sion. The student will use well-defined
samples and investigate the CO2 adsorption. The samples will be characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron
spectroscopy. The objective of the work is to describe the CO2 binding, i.e. chemical state and orientation, on the surface.

Contact and further information:
Prof. Dr. Andreas Züttel (andreas.zuettel@epfl.ch); Disciplinary
M. Kun Zhao (kun.zhao@epfl.ch)
Miriam WISCHMANN (miriam.wischmann@epfl.ch)



Project 5:

Interdisciplinary (LNCE and LFIM)

During 11 weeks, the 3 students will work in LNCE in Sion.
The students will synthesize nanocrystal hybrid catalysts by using different synthetic methods (ALD, solvothermal and microwave synthesis) and characterize them by uv-vis, XRD, TEM, SEM and surface area measuraments. The prepared catalysts will be then used forthe electrochemical CO₂ reduction and the formed products will be analysed by gas chromatography and HPLC.Contact and further information: Yannick Gunter (yannick.gunter@epfl.ch), Prof. Raffaella Buonsanti (raffaella.buonsanti@epfl.ch, Prof. Wendy Queen (wendy.queen@epfl.ch)

Project 6: CO₂ binding in complex nanostructures

During 11 weeks, the students will work in the laboratory of LMER and LSMO in Energypolis in Sion. The student will
investigate the CO2 adsorption in complex nanostructures e.g. MOF's and functionalized nanoporous carbons and oxides by means of differential scanning
calorimetry, thermal desorption mass spectrometry and adsorption isotherms. The objective of the work is evaluate the various binding sites in the complex
materials and to determine quantitative results for the site occupation and the corresponding binding energy. 

Contact and further information:
Prof. Dr. Andreas Züttel; (andreas.zuettel@epfl.ch); Prof. Berend Smit; Interdisciplinary
Kun Zhao (kun.zhao@epfl.ch)
Miriam WISCHMANN (miriam.wischmann@epfl.ch)

Project 7: Labeling of ubiquitin wiht alkynylbenziodoxolone reagents

Interdisciplinary project (LCSO and LCBM)
Laboratory of Catalysis and Organic Synthesis – LCOS and  Laboratory of Biophysical Chemistry of Macromolecules – LCBM

In the first four days, the students will prepare a hypervalent iodine reagent in the Waser laboratory. The next 6 days, they will attempt the challenging labelling of the protein ubiquitin in the Fierz laboratory using the synthesized reagent.

Further information: Guillaume Pisella (guillaume.pisella@epfl.ch),     Prof. Waser Jerome,  Prof. Beat Fierz (jerome.waser@epfl.ch)     and     (beat.fierz@epfl.ch) 

Project 8: NANO-CATALYTIC DIRECT HYDROGENATION OF HETEROARENESNANO-CATALYTIC DIRECT HYDROGENATION OF HETEROARENESaswin.gopakumar@epfl.ch (Prof. Paul Dyson)

A HYDROGEN BATTERY: REVERSIBLE HYDROGEN STORAGE IN THE CO2/FORMIC ACID SYSTEM

Prof. Gabor Laurenczy

Contact and futher information: Cornel Fink  ( cornel.fink@epfl.ch )

Design of porous crystals for energetically favorable carbon dioxide capture and conversion

Interdisciplinary project

Contact and further information:

Prof. Md. khaja Nazeeruddin (mdkhaja.nazeeruddin@epfl.ch), Prof. Wendy Queen