The Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis group is part of the Department of Chemistry and the Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science. The group includes 4 Full Professors, 6 Assistant Professors, 11 Technicians and circa 80 PhD candidates and/or Postdoctoral Fellows. The current three positions are within the group of Professor Weckhuysen.

To develop better performing catalysts for societal challenges (e.g. waste and/or CO2 reduction), it is paramount to develop an understanding of the relation between catalyst structure and performance. In the Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis group, novel catalysts are prepared and operando spectroscopy techniques are used to monitor chemical species at reaction conditions to unravel mechanistic pathways for a variety of (electro)chemical processes.

1. The first project (which is within the Strategic Alliance framework between Utrecht and Eindhoven) focusses on the electrochemical valorization of CO2, including colloidal synthesis of catalyst nanoparticles, deposition on electrodes and catalytic testing.
2. The second project is a collaboration with SCG Chemicals and will explore catalysts at the extrudate level in which the accessibility, porosity and binder composition will be related to the performance of a dehydrogenation-metathesis catalyst.
3. The third project is an in-depth investigation of porous catalysts, relating their complex pore space to catalyst performance.

We are looking for three candidates with a PhD degree in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering, with a focus on catalysis. The perfect candidate:

• has a strong interest in the fields of heterogeneous catalysis, spectroscopy and/or electrochemistry;
• is proficient in spoken and written English;
• is creative and a team player with good communicative and leadership skills;
• has hands-on experience in using or building chemical setups in the lab environment;
• is able to work independently in a multidisciplinary environment.

The Postdoctoral Fellows should be able to perform complex and thorough investigations of catalyst materials and their performance and should have the ability to quickly learn new techniques.

The candidates are offered a full-time position for the period of 1 year, with the possibility of extension after satisfactory performance (extension only possible for project 1 and 2). The gross salary, depending on qualifications and work experience, is in the range between €2,709 and maximum €4,978 (scale 10/11 Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities) gross per month for a full time employment. The salary is supplemented with a holiday bonus of 8% and an end-of-year bonus of 8,3% per year. In addition we offer a pension scheme, a partially paid parental leave and flexible employment conditions. Conditions are based on the Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities. The research group will provide the candidates with necessary support on all aspects of the project. More information is available on our website.

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major societal themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Sustainability.

The city of Utrecht is one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands, with a charming old centre and an internationally oriented culture that is strongly influenced by its century-old university. Utrecht city has been consistently ranked as one of the most liveable cities in the Netherlands.

 
The Faculty of Science consists of six Departments: Biology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Information and Computing Sciences, Physics and Astronomy, Chemistry and Mathematics. The Faculty is home to 6,500 students and nearly 1,500 staff and is internationally renowned for the quality of its research. The Faculty's academic programmes reflect developments in today's society. Read the overall impression 2018 of the Faculty of Science.

The Department of Chemistry addresses teaching and research about chemistry. Starting already at the first year of the bachelor Chemistry programme, students are trained to become well-rounded scientists with many practical courses and multiple internships within research groups. Three different Master programmes are available after the general chemistry education of the Bachelor programme. One Master programme focusses on biochemistry, one focusses on the entrepreneurial side of research and the final Master programme focusses on physical chemistry. Postdoctoral Fellows are expected to be involved for supervision of (Bachelor/Master) students or even PhD candidates.