PhD in hybrid catalysis (M/W) – DEMO project DC7

18 Nov 2023
Job Information

Organisation/Company

CNRS

Department

Unité de Catalyse et de Chimie du Solide

Research Field

Chemistry
Physics

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country

France

Application Deadline

8 Dec 2023 – 23:59 (UTC)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Hours Per Week

35

Offer Starting Date

1 Feb 2024

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

HE / MSCA

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

No

Offer Description

Research at UCCS focuses on three main themes: energy, the environment and sustainable development. We organize our research along three scientific axes: Catalysis and Molecular Chemistry, Heterogeneous Catalysis and Solid State Chemistry. UCCS research activities are focused in particular on the catalytic valorisation of biomass, fine chemistry, plant chemistry, pollution treatment, new fuels, nuclear fuels and waste, fuel cells, eco-compatible materials, etc. Our scientific strategy is based on three levels: 1. a synthetic approach, at the heart of the chemist’s profession, with, for example, the synthesis of molecular and macromolecular compounds, ion-covalent solids, supramolecular, organometallic and nanostructured catalysts, ion-conducting ceramics, self-healing glasses, magnetic ceramics and ferroelectric thin films; 2. the development and use of advanced characterization methods including solid-state NMR, electron crystallography, piezoelectric force near-field microscopy, XPS ToF-SIMS LEIS, and EXAFS-rapid. Most of these methods can be used in in situ or Operando mode, and are complemented by modeling; 3. the implementation of innovative catalytic materials and processes, from laboratory to semi-pilot scale.

“Immobilization of soluble methane monooxygenases (sMMOs) on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) to synthesize bio-heterogeneous catalysts for the oxidation of short-chain alkanes.”

The PhD student will be hosted mainly at the Unité de Catalyse et de Chimie du Solide (UCCS, Lille, France) and will be enrolled in the doctoral school of the University of Lille, under the supervision of Dr. E. HEUSON. Part of the activity will be carried out during periods of secondment, mainly at ProfMOF (Norway) under the supervision of Prof. K. P. LILLERUD to synthesize the MOF used as a carrier for the enzymes, and at the Università Degli Studi Di Torino (Italy) under the supervision of Dr. N. BARBERO, to characterize the resulting biomaterials using advanced spectroscopy techniques.

The project aims to immobilize the different subunits of soluble methane monooxygenases in the same material to create a heterogeneous biocatalyst that can be used in a continuous flow reactor for the oxidation of short-chain alkanes. Beyond the creation of an efficient biocatalyst, this part of the DEMO project will focus on understanding the relationships between the enzyme subunits and their catalytic activity, and especially on the influence of the MOF on the enzymes. This will be supported by the development of advanced spectroscopic techniques to characterize the biomaterial as a function of the type of immobilization (surface or encapsulation). To maximize the number of different types of interaction between the enzymes and the support, several immobilization conditions will be screened using robots from the REALCAT platform in Lille.

Requirements

Research Field

Chemistry

Education Level

Master Degree or equivalent

Research Field

Physics

Education Level

Master Degree or equivalent

Languages

FRENCH

Level

Basic

Research Field

Chemistry

Years of Research Experience

None

Research Field

Physics

Years of Research Experience

None

Additional Information

Website for additional job details

https://emploi.cnrs.fr/Offres/Doctorant/UMR8181-EGOHEU-003/Default.aspx

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Unité de Catalyse et de Chimie du Solide

Country

France

City

VILLENEUVE D ASCQ

Where to apply

Website

https://emploi.cnrs.fr/Candidat/Offre/UMR8181-EGOHEU-003/Candidater.aspx

Contact

City

VILLENEUVE D ASCQ

STATUS: EXPIRED