IMDEA Materials Institute is a public research organization founded in 2007 by Madrid’s regional government to carry out research of excellence in Material Science and Engineering by attracting talent from all over the world to work in an international and multidisciplinary environment. IMDEA Materials has grown rapidly since its foundation and currently includes more than 120 researchers from 22 nationalities and has become one of the leading research centers in materials in Europe which has received the María de Maeztu seal of excellence from the Spanish government. The research activities have been focused on the areas of materials for transport, energy, and health care and the Institute has state-of-the-art facilities for processing, characterization and simulation of advanced materials.

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The project aims to establish the foundation for future technologies that will enable the integration of photovoltaic (PV) cells into metallic structures for automotive applications. This integration involves developing hybrid, multilayer structures designed to meet requirements related to aesthetics, durability, cell encapsulation, electrical insulation between cell strings and metallic parts, manufacturability, and cost-effectiveness. While existing materials and solutions from both the PV and automotive industries can contribute to meeting these requirements, specific challenges must be addressed to achieve successful integration. The objective is to define hybrid structures for integrating PV cells into metallic car body components. These multilayer structures must provide several key characteristics: an external transparent protective layer, encapsulants, PV cells and electrical connections, an electrical insulation layer, and a metallic substrate. The combination of different materials will influence the overall properties of the structure.

The main objective of this thesis is to contribute to the design of such multilayer structures and to perform a thorough characterization, as well as to establish structure–property relationships. Flat sample prototypes with varying multilayer architectures will be designed and fabricated, incorporating different material combinations within the stack and applying various surface finishes to the metal sheets. These samples will undergo a comprehensive characterization to assess their mechanical properties, including tensile performance, microscale deformation, material strength, interface behavior after solar cell integration, fatigue resistance, fracture resistance, and impact absorption capabilities. The mechanical properties determined through these experiments will support the development of a physical model for integrating PV cells into curved metal sheets, which will be the subject of a separate PhD thesis within the framework of this project.

Candidates should hold BSc or MSc in Mechanical Engineering, Metallurgy, Materials Science or related disciplines with excellent academic credentials and a solid commitment to developing an academic career in an international and multidisciplinary environment.

Starting date: open until filled.

Full time contract, including social security coverage.