Industrial coatings for use on e.g. cars or marine vessels require a high chemical and mechanical  performance. Currently, polyurethane coatings are mostly used for this purpose, employing isocyanides as the reactive group in paint curing, but these are under legislative pressure due to their harmful nature. In this project you will develop new crosslinking functionalities employing reactive functionalities which are intrinsically non-toxic, and, at the same time, introduce a form of latency. You will explore the use of light-activated reactions for polymer crosslinking. These crosslinking reactions should form urethane- or urea-bonds without the use of unprotected isocyanides, thus leading to sustainable coatings with excellent performance. 

•    A PhD degree in chemistry with a substantial experimental synthetic chemistry;
•    Experience in homogeneous catalysis research;
•    Applicants with additional experience in or affinity with photochemistry and/or polymer chemistry have a clear advantage;
•    Ability to collaborate and adapt in an international team; 
•    Good communication skills in oral and written English.

You will have the opportunity to work with a diverse, multidisciplinary and international team of researchers, at the forefront of catalysis research. The group has access to all equipment and spectroscopic techniques needed to make a true impact in this field. The group has ample experience, operates as a team, endorses lively discussions at group meetings and offers assistance with writing and brainstorming about new ideas. The group organizes social activities on a regular basis. 

The gross monthly salary, based on 38 hours per week and ranges between €3,378 to €5,331 (scale 10).  This does not include 8% holiday allowance and 8,3% year-end allowance. The UFO profile Researcher  4 is applicable. The Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities is applicable.