PhD in Spectroscopy of Smart Self-Sealing Materials

Official university vacancy imported from University of Amsterdam. Details are presented for discovery and may change. Confirm the latest requirements and apply on the official source.

• Synthesize and characterize porous MOFs and MOF thin films, including tailoring pore and surface chemistry and loading selected peptides into the materials.
• Develop and run in situ ATR-FTIR experiments to follow adsorption, chemical reactions, peptide uptake and release, and amyloid-like fibril formation under controlled liquid and gas/vapour conditions.
• Quantify reaction kinetics, peptide loading/release and selectivity using complementary analytical methods such as UV/Vis spectroscopy, mass balance and, where appropriate, GC, NMR and HPLC.
• Relate spectroscopic signatures and reaction kinetics to film formation and sealing performance, including controls against benign environmental changes and chemical interferents.
• Collaborate closely with the computational PhD and consortium partners, contribute to validation experiments at TNO, publish and present your results, and assist in Bachelor and Master teaching.
• Publish and present your work within the project consortium and on international scientific platforms
• Contribute to the teaching activities of the department.
• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in chemistry, biochemistry, physical chemistry or a closely related field.
• You have hands-on laboratory experience with spectroscopy and/or the synthesis and characterization of functional materials. Experience with infrared spectroscopy, porous materials or thin films is an advantage.
• You are comfortable preparing and handling biochemical samples such as peptide or protein solutions, including accurate pipetting, preparation of buffers and solutions, pH adjustment
• You are interested in combining different types of experiments: preparing MOF materials and thin films, loading peptides into porous materials, following adsorption and release, and monitoring chemical reactions and peptide self-assembly using in situ spectroscopy.
• You work carefully and reproducibly, document experimental conditions and results clearly, and are motivated to analyse complex spectroscopic data and connect these results to molecular processes.
• Strong initiative and passion for science
• Open to collaborate with students (BSc/MSc), PhDs and PDs involved in related project and research groups within and outside the Netherlands.
• 232 holiday hours per year (based on fulltime) and extra holidays between Christmas and 1 January;
• multiple courses to follow from our Teaching and Learning Centre;
• multiple courses on topics such as leadership for academic staff;
• multiple courses on topics such as time management, handling stress and an online learning platform with 100+ different courses;
• 7 weeks birth leave (partner leave) with 100% salary;
• partly paid parental leave;
• the possibility to set up a workplace at home;
• a pension at ABP for which UvA pays two third part of the contribution;
• the possibility to follow courses to learn Dutch.
• A motivation letter (max. 1 pages A4)
• Your CV, including the months (not just years) when referring to your education and work experience, including a list of publications
• Contact details of at least one academic reference