PhD student 1 (HomKat group) will develop new hydrogenation catalysts for terpenoids and/or carboxylic acids, based on (paramagnetic) base metal catakysts (Mn, Co, Fe, Ni). You will use innovative approaches such as redox-active and cooperative ligands, supramolecular catalysis and catalyst protection with cage compounds. The open-shell paramagnetic complexes offer unique new metalloradical reaction paths, requiring detailed mechanistic studies using spectroscopy, kinetic studies and computational methods. Ligand libraries using bidentate ligands based on supramolecular self-assembly of ligand building blocks will be generated and explored. Detailed kinetic data gathered during these studies will also contribute to machine learning (ML) approaches in collaboration with TU Delft. Feedback-loops from those studies will be used as input to synthesize new catalysts at the UvA.

 PhD student 2 (HomKat group) will develop new photo-activated catalysts for the paint industries. Conventional crosslinking relies on energy-intensive UV curing or heating with a high carbon footprint. Therefore, new visible-light induced photocatalytic approaches are needed that combine fast, effective reactions with high atom-economy and minimal side-products. Another key requirement is latency: the reaction should only proceed rapidly after paint application, but not during product storage. In this project you will develop new visible light activated crosslinking agents and catalysts for paint curing. These novel methods offer industrial benefits and are associated with interesting academic challenges. Several strategies will be explored: light induced carbene/nitrene insertion into CH/OH bonds, photoactivation of latent catalysts, direct photocatalysis, and radical-based (auto)oxidative curing. These approaches promise to replace current UV or thermal curing processes, which suffer from short pot-lifetimes, high legislative pressure, high energy demands, and overall unfavorable environmental impact. To enable photocuring in pigmented paints, you will need to develop catalysts and reagents with strong absorption in the red or NIR range. Combined you will develop unique skills in synthesis and application of (photo)catalysts, carbene/nitrene chemistry, spectroscopy, photochemistry, photonics and computational methods.
PhD student 3 (FlowChem group) will develop next-generation photochemical methodologies and reactor technologies for sustainable chemical synthesis by combining flow chemistry, automation, and artificial intelligence. The project focuses on expanding the RoboChem self-driving laboratory platform with advanced photoreactors, modular LED light sources, inline analytics, and machine-learning algorithms for the autonomous optimization of photocatalytic reactions.

Research will address key challenges in photochemistry, including photon transport, catalyst performance, reaction scalability, and process intensification. The developed platform will enable rapid optimization of photocatalytic transformations and facilitate their translation from high-throughput screening to scalable continuous-flow processes.

Applications will include selective small-molecule functionalization as well as photochemical polymer degradation, modification, and photocuring, contributing to more sustainable chemical manufacturing and advanced materials development. Working in close collaboration with academic and industrial partners, including Signify and Bronkhorst, the candidate will help develop autonomous technologies that accelerate photochemical reaction discovery and process development.

As a PhD candidate you are a creative thinker who likes challenging projects. Candidates preferable have a background in synthesis and catalysis, with affinity for homogeneous catalysis and/or photochemistry, physical and spectroscopic chemical methods (e.g. NMR, EPR, UV-Vis, IR/Raman, GC, HPLC, kinetics). 

A MSc. degree in chemistry with a substantial experimental synthetic chemistry component is required. Applicants with experience in or affinity with photochemistry and coordination chemistry/catalysis have a clear advantage. The ability to collaborate and adapt in an international team is required and candidates must possess good communication skills in oral and written English. Speaking Dutch can be an advantage, but is not a requirement. Due to limitations in recruitment budget we will preferably consider candidates that are currently in Europe.

For PhD 3, experience with Machine Learning and other data-driven optimization workflows and automation experience is a bonus.

A temporary contract for 38 hours per week for the duration of 4 years (the initial contract will be for a period of 18 months and after satisfactory evaluation it will be extended for a total duration of 4 years). The preferred starting date is October 1, but if needed later appointments are possible.

This should lead to a dissertation (PhD thesis). We will draft an educational plan that includes attendance of courses and (international) meetings. We also expect you to assist in teaching undergraduates and master students.

The gross monthly salary, based on 38 hours per week and ranges between €3,059 (1st year) to €3,881 (last year), scale P. This does not include 8% holiday allowance and 8,3% year-end allowance. The UFO profile Promovendus is applicable. A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities is applicable.

Besides the salary and a vibrant and challenging environment at Science Park we offer you multiple fringe benefits:

• 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.

Are you curious to read more about our extensive package of secondary employment benefits, take a look here.