This project aims to develop a new concept in supramolecular catalysis, called Acoustofluidic Supramolecular Catalysis. In close collaboration and strong synergy, three groups, at the University of Twente (The Netherlands), at Nankai University (China) and at Tianjin University (China), will make novel, self-assembled supramolecular nanoparticle-based catalysts, that are built from small macrocycle-based building blocks and that are assembled into size-controlled nanoparticles by multivalency principles. The catalyst particles will be implemented in droplets in a microfluidic reactor and addressed by device-embedded bulk acoustic wave generators that will allow local mixing and reagent access, and the separability of reagents, products and catalysts.

In conceptual form, the acoustofluidic supramolecular catalysis system draws inspiration from a biological cell, in which enzymes, reaction cascades and compartmentalization allow localized reagent and product control with regulated activity. The toolbox nature of supramolecular nanoparticles allows the formation of radically new catalyst systems, with high local concentrations of active centers, the simultaneous use of different catalytic motifs, and the implementation of responsive units. Thus, with the design of these new catalysts, the controlled solution environment inside microfluidic droplets and the actuation by the bulk acoustic wave devices, we aim to provide a full systems approach to supramolecular catalysis.

An MSc degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or Materials Science is required by the time of employment. Extensive pre-existing and hands-on experience with organic synthesis, supramolecular chemistry, and/or the appropriate analytical techniques, in particular those that are relevant to the research questions addressed above, is requested. You are a collaborative and proactive person, as well as a team player. Active interaction with the Chinese project partners, with collaborative stays in Tianjin, China, will be part of the project.

If you are interested in this position and/or need more information, please contact:

Prof. dr. Jurriaan Huskens, e-mail j.huskens@utwente.nl

Research group Molecular NanoFabrication, www.utwente.nl/tnw/mnf/

Deadline: April 1, 2018.

In accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, the gross salary for a PhD increases from € 2.222,- per months in the first year to € 2.840,- the last year, plus a holiday allowance (8%) and end-year bonus (8.3%) of the annual salary. The assignment is four years, the length of the PhD program in the Netherlands, with a go/no-go assessment at the end of the first year. The University of Twente provides excellent campus facilities, and actively supports your professional and personal development.

The University of Twente. We stand for life sciences and technology. High tech and human touch. Education and research that matter. New technology which leads change, innovation and progress in society. The University of Twente is the only campus university of the Netherlands; divided over five faculties we provide more than fifty educational programmes. We have a strong focus on personal development and talented researchers are given scope for carrying out groundbreaking research.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability status. Because of our diversity values we do particularly support women to apply.

Within the TNW Faculty (Faculty of Science & Technology) of the University of Twente some 700 staff members and 2000 students are involved in training and research on the interface of chemical technology, applied physics and biomedical technology. Fields of application include sustainable energy, process technology and materials science, nanotechnology and technical medicine. Research, which enjoys a high profile both at home and internationally, has been accommodated in the multidisciplinary research institutes MESA+ and MIRA. The faculty works together intensively with industrial partners and researchers in the Netherlands and abroad and conducts extensive research for external commissioning parties and funders.