Visiting Student - NST - Sarout, Khaoula - 4.1.26

Argonne National Laboratory • Lemont, IL

6d

About The Position

This proposal presents a focused six-month research internship aimed at developing well-defined nano-biohybrid photocatalytic systems by coupling LaFeO₃-based perovskite oxide nanoparticles with a biomolecular interface based on a heme–peptide system, specifically microperoxidase-11 (MP-11), an 11-amino-acid cytochrome c–derived peptide fragment covalently bound to a heme cofactor, serving as a functional redox-active bio-interface. Directly leveraging Dr. Rozhkova’s group’s established expertise in nanoparticle–biomaterial hybrids at ANL’s CNM, the central scientific objective is to investigate photocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) with selective hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) formation, and to establish mechanistic understanding of how this well-defined biomolecular interface modulates interfacial charge transfer, oxygen intermediate stabilization, and photocatalytic selectivity. The project is deliberately scoped to deliver high-quality, publication-ready results within the six-month internship window by focusing on a single, clearly defined hybrid system and exploiting ANL’s unique characterization infrastructure, including near-ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (NAP-XPS), synchrotron-based XAS/XANES/EXAFS at the Advanced Photon Source (APS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Raman spectroscopy. Education and Experience Requirements Research Project Requirements:

Requirements

• Master’s Degree in Chemistry, Materials or similar.
• Synthesis of nanomaterials, e.g. perovskites. sol-gel, hydrothermal, surface chemistry.
• Reactions: HER, OER and ORR and their mechanisms.
• Characterization: XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS.
• Computer and Software: FullProf Suite, Z-View, Origin,VESTA, HighScore.
• The entirety of the appointment must be conducted within the United States.
• Must be 18 years or older at the time the appointment begins.
• Applicants must be: (1) Currently enrolled in undergraduate or graduate studies at an accredited institution, (2) Graduated from an accredited institution within the past 3 months; or (3) Actively enrolled in a graduate program at an accredited institution.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Intern
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees