Are you a highly driven and an extremely curious person? Do you have an MSc degree in (Organic or Polymer) Chemistry? That makes a match!

We are looking for a PhD student (AIO) with great interest in discovering new plastics, which should be stable in dry and pure water conditions, but should dissolve in salty (sea) water. The overall goal of this project is twofold: to find and characterize new plastics that can be broken down in salty natural environments, rather than adding to the plastic soup in the ocean, and to do so using biobased building blocks. In this manner both the production of the building blocks requires minimal fossil-based input, while the eventual product should - after use, for which it needs to be both processable and strong! - be able to degrade without adding to the plastic waste problem.
Therefore this project has two aspects: First, we will synthesize a series of bio-based monomeric building blocks, and apply a range of polymerization techniques to form strong polymers. Second, we aim to study these materials, both with respect to their chemical stability (dry, wet and salt water conditions) and their physical characteristics. This PhD position is a collaboration between Wageningen University (the laboratories of Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, and those of Organic Chemistry) of and the Bio-based Products labs of Wageningen Research.
Your task would be to make a series of bio-based monomeric compounds, and polymerize these. The polymers should first be characterized with respect to individual polymer properties (length, distribution, chemical stability, ..). Secondly, polymeric materials need to be made thereof, and the resulting materials should be tested with respect to mechanical and thermal properties and again chemical stability. This should subsequently lead to new bio-based polymers that selectively degrade in salt water.
This project focusses primarily on fundamental aspects, which we will hope to unravel with you.

You are highly driven and extremely curious. "Why?" is a question you often ask, both inside and outside of science.

• You have an MSc degree (or equivalent) in (Organic or Polymer) Chemistry;
• you have a strong background and solid hands-on experience in organic synthesis, and a strong interest (or preferentially experience) in polymer chemistry is desired;
• you must have a deep understanding of physical and chemical principles to be able to design new materials, and study their properties;
• you aim to excel, and your biggest talents are creativity, persistence and being inquisitive. Your affinity for the collaborative nature of the project, and good written and oral communication skills in English (minimally IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL 90) are crucial for the successful development of this study.

Only applications that clearly show these facets will be considered.

We offer you a challenging position for a period of 1.5 years with extension of 2.5 years after successful evaluation. Gross salary per month €2325,- in the first year rising up to €2972,- per month in the fourth year.
In addition, we offer:

• 8% holiday allowance;
• a structural end-of year bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent training opportunities and secondary employment conditions;
• flexible working hours that we determine together in good consultation;
• excellent pension plan through ABP;
• 232 vacation hours, the option to purchase extra and good supplementary leave schemes, e.g. the possibility to work a maximum of 2 hours per week extra for extra leave;
• a flexible model to put together part of your employment conditions yourself, such as a bicycle plan;
• a lively workplace on the Wageningen Campus;
• make use of the sports facilities on campus for a small fee.

Wageningen University & Research stimulates internal career opportunities and mobility with our internal recruitment policy. There are ample opportunities for personal initiative in a learning environment. With us you get a versatile job in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

Wageningen University & Research

The mission of our University is to explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life. Within Wageningen University & Research, nine specialised research institutes from the Wageningen Research Foundation and Wageningen University have joined forces to help answer the most important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment.
With approximately 30 locations, 6,500 employees, and 12,000 students, it is one of the leading organisations in its domain worldwide. An integrated approach to problems and the cooperation between various disciplines are at the heart of the unique approach of Wageningen. We have been named Best Employer in Education category 2019-2020.

The Organic Chemistry group (www.orc.wur.nl) constitutes a large, interdisciplinary research team involved in teaching and research on organic chemistry, with an emphasis on surface-based reactivity. Our group excels in the field, and aims to continue to do so. The team consists of around 25 PhD students and postdocs, a permanent staff of 7 technical employees, two part-time professors with external expertise, 5 assistant and associate professors and one full-time chair (many of whom have received highly competitive national and ERC personal grants). The laboratory is extremely well-equipped with a unique set of analysis instruments for bio-organic materials and surfaces. In addition to this, the embedding within Wageningen University & Research adds ample biological input into our focus on modified surfaces and functional materials.

The Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter group (www.pcc.wur.nl) is a highly interdisciplinary chair group involved in teaching and research on a broad range of topics in soft matter science, with an emphasis on polymeric assemblies and materials. We operate at the forefront of the field and have many collaborations, both national and international. The team consists of around 25 PhD students and postdocs and a permanent staff of 2 technicians, 3 full-time professors, and 4 assistant and associate professors. The laboratory is very well-equipped with state-of-the-art instruments for optical, mechanical, and thermal characterization.
The Business unit Biobased products of Wageningen Food and Biobased Research (www.wur.nl/wfbr) comprises of over 120 scientists, developing technology aiming at valorising biomass for non-food purposes. We have an over 25 years track record regarding the development of biobased chemicals and biobased polymers that can be used in a multitude of different applications, including packaging, electronics, housing, paints, adhesives and personal care products. The team, which is focusing on applied research, also frequently engages in exploring more fundamental aspects of biobased chemicals and biobased polymers.

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