PhD student position in Organic Synthesis

Do you want to work together with a dedicated international team on development of new emission free energy systems? Our laboratory features state of the art facilities for synthesis including flow chemistry, glove box, in-lab NMR, automated microwave setup and much more.

Information about the project
In a future society with limited access to fossil fuels, technologies for efficient on demand delivery of renewable energy are highly desirable. In this regard, methods that allow for solar energy storage and on demand solar driven power generation are particularly relevant since the sun is the most abundant energy source.
In this project we work with the discovery and scale-up synthesis of molecular photoswitches for solar energy storage, so-called MOST systems.
The research is related to our recent papers in Energy and Environmental Science 2017, 10, 728-734, Energy and Environmental Science, 2019,12, 187-193, Nature Communications 2018, 9:1945., Chemistry - a European Journal 2016, 22, 13265 –13274.
Major responsibilities

This Phd project will work with design, synthesis, scale-up and characterization of materials for energy storage and conversion. In addition to the research, the PhD program at Chalmers involves courses and teaching.

Key parts of the work will be related to
• Design and Synthesis of functional molecules.
• Characterization using NMR/MS/IR/UV-vis/fluorescence spectroscopy.
• Development of scalable procedures for (multi)gram synthesis of key molecules.

Information about the department of chemistry and chemical engineering
We have approximately 300 employees, divided into four research divisions and one administrative unit. We are situated at campus Johanneberg.
With our focus on sustainable development we work with research and education of the highest quality for smarter materials and smarter processes, for improved health and a better environment.

Our department is characterized by inspiring world-leading research, in an environment of personal development and creation of new knowledge.

Information about the research group
At the “Molecular Materials” Group at the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden we design and synthesize new self-assembled materials. Based on a small molecule approach, the aim is to make materials for a broad range of applications ranging from single molecule electronics to sensors and solar energy storage technologies. The group is receiving funding from, among others the ERC, EU Horizon 2020, FORMAS, the Swedish Research Council, the Swedish Energy Angency and others.

The group counts about 10 PhD students and post docs working with organic synthesis, nanomaterials synthesis, device design, photochemistry and more. The molecules made in this project will be tested both in lab scale devices and by our collaborators from leading institutions in Sweden and abroad.

For more info about the molecular materials group, please visit our group homepage:
www.moth-poulsen.se

Major responsibilities
This Phd project will work with design, synthesis, scale-up and characterization of materials for energy storage and conversion. In addition to the research, the PhD program at Chalmers involves courses and teaching.

Key parts of the work will be related to
• Design and Synthesis of functional molecules.
• Characterization using NMR/MS/IR/UV-vis/fluorescence spectroscopy.
• Development of scalable procedures for (multi)gram synthesis of key molecules, using semi automated (synthesis methods

Position summary
Full-time temporary employment. The position is limited to a maximum of five years.

Qualifications
The Candidate should hold a Masters degree (or equivalent) in Organic Synthesis, or graduate before the start date of the project.

Hands on experience with design and synthesis of new organic compounds through multistep synthesis. The candidate should have an interest in developing new synthetic routes using both traditional batch type reactions as modern synthetic tools such as flow chemistry reactors.

Experience with flow chemistry is a merit.
Experience with performance of high quality research is a merit.

Application procedure
The application should be marked with Ref 20200597 and written in English. The application should be sent electronically and be attached as pdf-files, as below:

CV: (Please name the document: CV, Family name, Ref. number)
• CV
• Other, for example previous employments or leadership qualifications and positions of trust.
• Two references that we can contact.

Personal letter: (Please name the document as: Personal letter, Family name, Ref. number)
1-3 pages where you:
• Introduce yourself
• Describe your previous experience of relevance for the position (e.g. education, thesis work and, if applicable, any other research activities)
• Describe your future goals and future research focus

Other documents:
• Copies of bachelor and/or master’s thesis.
• Attested copies and transcripts of completed education, grades and other certificates, eg. TOEFL test results.

Please use the button at the foot of the page to reach the application form. The files may be compressed (zipped).

Application deadline: 1 February, 2021

For questions, please contact:
Professor Kasper Moth-Poulsen, mkasper@chalmers.se,
Tel: +46 761996855