Investigating Oxidative Transformations at the Soil-Atmosphere Interface: Bridging ROS and RNS Cycles

12 Mar 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

Institut de Recherches sur la Catalyse et l’Environnement de Lyon IRCELYON, UMR 5256, CNRS – Université Lyon 1

Research Field

Chemistry
Technology

Researcher Profile

Recognised Researcher (R2)
Leading Researcher (R4)
First Stage Researcher (R1)
Established Researcher (R3)

Country

France

Application Deadline

15 May 2024 – 22:00 (UTC)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Offer Starting Date

1 Oct 2024

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

Scientific context. In the presence of oxygen, the lifetime of chemical species is primarily linked to oxidation processes. Those limit the accumulation of compounds in the environment, thereby reducing their environmental, health, and social impact.
Specifically, at the soil-atmosphere interface (soil surface), such mechanisms are initiated by the presence of reactive oxygen species (ROS; ROS ≡ ●OH, H2O2, HO2●/O2-●, RO2●). ROS are formed through processes derived from the photolysis of nitrates/nitrites, organic matter, or chemical reactions involving redox activities such as (photo-)Fenton reactions in the presence of transition metals. However, it is becoming increasingly evident that reactive nitrogen species (RNS; RNS ≡ NO, HNO, NO2, HONO/NO2-, ONOOH/ONOO-, OONOOH/OONOO-) are important mediators of ROS concentration at the soil-atmosphere interface. Furthermore, NO, NO2 and HONO are volatile species that can be emitted from soils to the atmosphere, where they play a critical role in maintaining the oxidizing capacity of the atmosphere and the formation of secondary products such as tropospheric ozone or secondary aerosols. While chemical models exist for aquatic and atmospheric environments allowing us to assess their impact, nothing comparable exists for soils. To address this, it is necessary to develop fundamental knowledge about the mechanisms and reaction kinetics that facilitate oxidative transformations at the soil-atmosphere interface.
Missions. The objective of this project is to develop a scientific framework for understanding the chemical mechanisms that control the fate of species at the soil-atmosphere interface. The central hypothesis of the project is that the fate of species depends on 1) the chemical processes that control ROS formation, and 2) that the RNS chemistry plays a major role.
The position includes tasks on analytical development and research in chemical kinetics and mechanistic studies. The selected candidate will be responsible for developing experimental protocols for laboratory studies on the (photo-)generation and transformation of ROS and RNS on the surface of real soil samples or using organic and mineral material as proxies. For this purpose, he/she may use reactors and will have access to instruments based on various analytical techniques such as high-resolution mass spectrometry, chemiluminescence, fluorescence and, UV-Vis absorption.

Funding category: Contrat doctoral

PHD title: Doctorat de Chimie
PHD Country: France

Requirements
Specific Requirements

We are looking for a talented and motivated PhD student, with a background in physical chemistry, environmental chemistry, or analytical chemistry. The PhD candidate should hold a MSc degree (or equivalent). 

Additional Information
Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Institut de Recherches sur la Catalyse et l’Environnement de Lyon IRCELYON, UMR 5256, CNRS – Université Lyon 1

Country

France

City

Lyon

Geofield

Where to apply

Website

https://www.abg.asso.fr/fr/candidatOffres/show/id_offre/121042

Contact

Website

https://www.ircelyon.univ-lyon1.fr/team/care/

STATUS: EXPIRED