Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) is one of Europe's leading research universities. The Eindhoven area, in the southern part of the Netherlands, is one of Europe's top 'innovation ecosystems', with many high-tech companies and institutes. TU/e is intertwined with many of these companies and institutes, and research at TU/e is characterized by a combination of academic excellence, industrial relevance and societal interweaving.

Eindhoven University of Technology is a community of scientists, supporting staff, students and partners. People are the heart and soul of TU/e, so it is of great importance to safeguard the distinctive Eindhoven atmosphere, creating a personal, welcoming and vibrant environment that enables individuals and groups to grow professionally and personally.

The department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry is one of the nine departments of Eindhoven University of Technology. It was established in 1957, shortly after the university was founded. The department is located in the Helix and Matrix buildings on the TU/e campus. The candidate will closely collaborate with the department of Applied Physics, also located on the TU/e campus at walking distance.

The candidate will be employed on a project in the gravitation program 'Interactive Polymer Materials'. This large research program (~20 groups across different departments) brings together scientists that work on synthesis, characterization, and modelling of the next generation of polymer materials.

Within this program the Departments of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry (CE&C) and Applied Physics (AP) jointly seek a postdoctoral researcher that is able to work in a highly collaborative environment. This exciting opportunity involves the development of nanoscopy (super-resolution optical imaging) to characterize responsive materials. The candidate will have access to instruments for single-molecule localization microscopy, stimulated emission microscopy, and tip-enhanced optical imaging (visible, NIR, and IR). The project specifically focuses on liquid crystal polymers that exhibit shape-changing capabilities and other material property modifications in response to stimuli such as light, electric fields, and heat.

Research groups

The research team at CE&C (Human Interactive Materials) is headed by Danqing Liu and focuses on developing interactive materials to address the evolving needs in specialized medicine, man-machine communication, and miniaturized mechanics. By utilizing smart soft materials, we aim to bridge gaps in current technologies and create new specialized functions. These materials have the ability to adapt their shape, conform to confined and sensitive spaces, and provide their functional duty on location. Visit www.danqingliu.nl for more information.

The research team at AP (Molecular Plasmonics) is headed by Peter Zijlstra and develops approaches for nanoscale characterization of nanoscale materials such as nanoparticles and polymers. In particular, the research team employs single-molecule optical microscopy approaches including single-molecule fluorescence, super-resolution microscopy (e.g STED and PAINT) and atomic force microscopy. Correlative approaches are developed to study biomaterials on a broad range of length- and time-scales. Visit the group website www.molecular-plasmonics.nl for more information.