Job description
We are looking for PD candidate for a joint project between the groups of Prof. Ben Feringa and AkzoNobel, within the framework of the Advanced Research Center Chemical Building Blocks Consortium (ARC-CBBC - https://arc-cbbc.nl/). As an industrial-academic consortium, the chemical building blocks consortium brings together leading laboratories in chemistry and materials sciences with research-intensive and innovation-oriented industrial partners. As core expertise, the consortium specializes in developing new chemical building blocks that, when applied on industrial scale and with industry-leading technology, have the potential to revolutionize consumer-goods and products. ARC CBBC has a strong focus on sustainability, enabling transitions towards a circular and more balanced economy with regard to energy, feedstock, and materials.
Recently, in the context of the development of sustainable alternatives for acrylates widely used in coating industry, we achieved in our lab the efficient synthesis of hydroxybutenolide through the photooxidation of furfural, a biomass-derived precursor by using continuous flow reactor (DOI: 10.1039/D2RE00310D). We further demonstrated the potential of butenolide derivatives for polymer coatings (DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abe0026, DOI: 10.1039/D2GC03657F). The focus of this project is the study of emulsion polymerization of biobased butenolides to develop coatings with application-targeted properties. This includes development of polymerization methods, formulation of coatings and their testing.
In additional to the academic advisor, the PD candidate will be in close collaboration with the industrial partner to this project, AkzoNobel. The research will take place at the University of Groningen, but if required, the researcher may be able to use AkzoNobel equipment and will be aided by the industrial partners’ specific expertise. As such, this research provides a unique opportunity to get introduced to industrial Research & Development, while working in an academic environment.
Organisation
The University of Groningen, established in 1614, is one of the oldest and largest research universities in the Netherlands, offering diverse programs across various disciplines. Located in the lively and historic provincial capital, the university has a vibrant international community, with students and staff from all over the world contributing to a dynamic and multicultural environment. Due to its innovative research initiatives and high-quality education, the University of Groningen is currently in or around the top 100 on several influential ranking lists.
The mission of the Stratingh Institute for Chemistry is to perform excellent research and teaching in molecular and supramolecular chemistry. Core activities in the chemical sciences such as bioorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, molecular inorganic chemistry and molecular materials chemistry are embedded in the institute. The research programme is focused on synthesis, catalysis, functional materials, bio-organic chemistry/chemical biology and systems chemistry/complex molecular systems.
The research programme of the Feringa group focuses on synthetic and physical organic chemistry, inspired by Nature's principles of molecular assembly, recognition, transport, motion, and catalysis. The goal is to create new structures and functions, with an emphasis on molecular switches and motors, dynamic molecular systems, responsive materials, photopharmacology and biohybrid systems. The group also develops novel stereoselective synthesis methods and asymmetric catalysis. Chirality is a leading theme, and over the years, a unique and broad expertise in fundamental aspects of stereochemistry has been acquired including chiroptical phenomena, chiral amplification and the origin of chirality.
Conditions of employment
Fixed-term contract: 12 months.
We offer you in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities:
- A salary based on qualifications and experience (after obtaining PhD) of starting at € 4,060 gross per month (salary scale 10, step 4).
- Excellent secondary terms of employment.
- A holiday allowance of 8% gross annual income and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus.
- 232 holiday hours per calendar year for full time employment.
- Participation in a pension scheme for employees.
- A personal budget of € 1,000 per year for additional training and career activities.
- A temporary fulltime position for a specified period of 12 months, with a possibility of extension.
The starting date is flexible, but is preferably as soon as possible