The research project (Bio NIPU) is part of a larger European private-public cooperation (Interreg V Flanders-the Netherlands, https://www.grensregio.eu/projecten/bio-nipu) which focuses on the development of 100% biobased and non-toxic polyurethane for endproducts in the textile and synthetic rubber industry.

The production of biopolymers for commercial applications is increasing year after year. The transition to biobased materials has also started within the synthetic rubber and textile industry. The textile sector wants to produce at least 20% of its products from biomaterial by 2030. However, biopolymers for textile coatings and synthetic rubber (elastomers), such as polyurethane, are only available for a limited number of applications and are not completely bio-based. For example, polyurethane contains substances that are associated with asthma and other chronic diseases. At European level, a restriction on the use of such substances was proposed.

The Bio NIPU project therefore focuses on research into alternative, non-toxic building blocks for the synthesis of polyurethane. Fully renewable raw materials - such as waste products from sugar refining and the production of biodiesel as well as natural oils and fats - are used to develop biobased polyurethanes.

As the post-doc of Maastricht University, you will play an active role in the Bio NIPU consortium. You are responsible for the synthesis of the biobased non-isocyanate polyurethanes, and to evaluate their potential in mainly coating and thermoplastic polyurethane applications. The candidate will collaborate with researchers at both universities and industrial partners, and based on their feedback, the research will be tuned. The candidate is open to upscale successful leads in the lab for application testing by industrial partners.

The post-doc will be appointed at the Aachen-Maastricht Institute for Biobased Materials (AMIBM), which is part of the Faculty of Science and Engineering. You will work in the Sustainable Polymer Synthesis group of Associate Professor Katrien Bernaerts, which focusses on the synthesis and design of polymer materials with tunable properties exploiting the functionality of biobased building blocks.  You will operate from the Brightlands-Chemelot Campus in Geleen (Nl), where the labs of AMIBM are located.

The post-doc candidate

• holds a PhD in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering or related fields;
• has strong polymer synthesis and characterization skills; experience in polyurethane synthesis and application is a pro;
• has a strong interest to investigate structure-property relationships of the newly synthesized polymers in different applications;
• aims at helping to create ready-to-market products from the insights gained during the post-doc study – in balance with profound scientific publishing in peer review journals;
• is open for upscaling of novel products or processes to support application tests by industrial partners;
• likes to interact with academic and industrial partners;
• is result driven, inventive, creative, counts with potential impact, works ‘accountable’ and works with ownership; 
• masters scientific English for speaking, reading, and writing. Knowledge of Dutch is not required.

Fixed-term contract: one year fixed-term employment contract.

The full-time position is offered for one year. The salary will be set in post-doc salary scale of the Collective Labor Agreement of the Dutch Universities (between €3.807,00 and €5.211,00 gross per month depending on the level of experience). On top of this, there is an 8% holiday and an 8.3% year-end allowance. The terms of employment of Maastricht University are set out in the Collective Labor Agreement of Dutch Universities (CAO), supplemented with local UM provisions. For more information look at the website www.maastrichtuniversity.nl > Support > UM employees.

Maastricht University

Maastricht University is renowned for its unique, innovative, problem-based learning system, which is characterized by a small-scale and student-oriented approach. Research at UM is characterized by a multidisciplinary and thematic approach, and is concentrated in research institutes and schools. Maastricht University has around 20,000 students and 4,700 employees. Reflecting the university's strong international profile, a fair amount of both students and staff are from abroad. The university hosts 6 faculties: Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Faculty of Law, School of Business and Economics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience. For more information, visit www.maastrichtuniversity.nl.

Faculty of Science and Engineering

The Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) is home to several outstanding departments and institutions covering education and research in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) as well as the liberal arts and sciences.

AMIBM

The Aachen-Maastricht Institute for Biobased Materials (AMIBM) is a department of the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) at Maastricht University, located on the Brightlands Chemelot Campus in Geleen. AMIBM is a European cross-border research institute established by Maastricht University and RWTH Aachen University (Germany) focusing on the development of advanced biobased materials. The mission of AMIBM is “ground-breaking conversion of biomass to biobased materials and into product applications”. AMIBM promotes excellent multidisciplinary research in the field of biobased materials, by training PhD students with the multiple skills needed to be future leaders in the field, and creating the research breakthroughs that will enable the utilization of sustainable and renewable materials for advanced materials applications. The multidisciplinary team draws together scientists with expertise in molecular and applied biotechnology, organic chemistry, polymer chemistry, polymer physics, polymer engineering, biomedical materials, and sustainability assessment. You can find more information via www.amibm.org