stillingsbetegnelse: Three PhD Positions in Catalysis

jobbeskrivelse:
Three PhD fellowships are available in catalysis at the Department of Chemistry, DTU from April 1, 2016 or soon thereafter. The fellowships are part of the project Cat2BioChem: New Catalytic Processes to Bio-Based Chemicals funded by Innovation Fund Denmark. The purpose of the project is to understand and optimize the zeolite-catalyzed conversion of sugars into unsaturated carboxylic acid esters and to further convert the esters into a broader array of chemical building blocks. The work will be carried out in collaboration between DTU Chemistry and Haldor Topsøe A/S. The unsaturated esters and the derived products will be evaluated as building blocks for the production of bioplastics by Perstorp AB. Responsibilities and tasks The first PhD student (project A) will develop modified zeolites and process protocols enabling controlled product selectivity in the synthesis of the unsaturated esters from sugars. Process intensification will be accomplished by experimental determination of reaction kinetics and structure-performance relationships. Catalyst synthesis, physicochemical characterization and testing in small scale will mainly be conducted at DTU, while scale up protocols and long-term catalytic experiments will be performed at Haldor Topsøe A/S. The PhD student will be supervised by Associate Professor Anders Riisager. The second PhD student (project B) will establish kinetic models of processes and multivariate methods for pathway identification and optimization, primarily based upon NMR assays. In addition, computational protocols for deriving structural models of zeolites for structure-function relationships will be developed as well as models of the properties of the produced esters. The PhD student will interact closely with Haldor Topsøe A/S, where the optimization of the process parameters will often be carried out. The PhD student will be supervised by Associate Professor Peter Fristrup. The third PhD student (project C) will develop new catalytic synthetic protocols for upgrading the unsaturated esters into a wider variety of esters and lactones. This includes optimizing the transition metal-catalyzed reactions, scale up and purification of the products which will mostly be performed at DTU. The PhD student will be supervised by Professor Robert Madsen. Qualifications Successful candidates should have •a master’s degree in engineering or chemistry with a strong theoretical and experimental background in catalysis and organic chemistry •a strong commitment to research •independence and good communications skills Approval and Enrolment The scholarships for the PhD degree are subject to academic approval, and the candidates will be enrolled in one of the general degree programs of DTU. For information about the general requirements for enrolment and the general planning of the scholarship studies, please see the DTU PhD Guide. Assessment The assessment of the applicants will be made by Associate Professor Anders Riisager, Associate Professor Peter Fristrup and Professor Robert Madsen. We offer We offer an interesting and challenging job in an international environment focusing on education, research, public-sector consultancy and innovation, which contributes to enhancing the economy and improving social welfare. We strive for academic excellence, collegial respect and freedom tempered by responsibility. The Technical University of Denmark (DTU) is a leading technical university in northern Europe and benchmarks with the best universities in the world. Salary and appointment terms The salary and appointment terms are consistent with the current rules for PhD degree students. The period of employment is 3 years. Further information Further information may be obtained from Associate Professor Anders Riisager (+45 4525 2233, ar (at) kemi.dtu.dk), Associate Professor Peter Fristrup (+45 4525 2123, pf (at) kemi.dtu.dk) and Professor Robert Madsen (+45 4525 2151, rm (at) kemi.dtu.dk). Application Please submi

Arbejdsgiver Navn: Danmarks Tekniske Universitet

Arbejdsgiver telefonnummer: 45252525

Arbejdsgiver faxnummer: 45881799

Job kort beskrivelse:
Undervisning og forskning på universiteter og højere læreranstalter

land: Danmark

region: Hovedstaden

krævede uddannelse: Ikke angivet

Kilde til jobtilbud: AMS, Offentlige arbejdsformidlinger, Danmark