PhD Candidate: Advanced PFAS Adsorbent Materials

ZHAW International; Winterthur; Hybrid; CHF 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) invites applications for a PhD candidate position focused on adsorbent materials for PFAS analysis. The project aims to develop fluorophilic adsorbents and integrate them into PFAS sample preparation workflows, contributing to environmental monitoring in water and samples.

The position is hosted by the Institute of Chemistry and Biotechnology, with a four-year fixed-term tenure starting upon agreement.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Materials Science, Polymer Science, Environmental Chemistry, Chemical Engineering or related field.
• Strong interest in materials development and adsorption processes.
• Excellent English written and spoken skills.

Responsibilities

• Design, synthesize and characterize fluorophilic adsorbent materials.
• Investigate adsorption mechanisms and structure-property relationships for PFAS selectivity.
• Evaluate adsorption capacity, selectivity and mass-transfer of new materials.
• Integrate adsorbents into sample preparation workflows for combustion ion chromatography.
• Compare materials with commercial solutions and assess performance in environmental samples.
• Publish findings in peer-reviewed journals and present at conferences.
• Collaborate with academic and industrial partners.

Skills

Materials development

Adsorption processes

Analytical chemistry

Scientific problem solving

Independent work

English proficiency

Education

Master's degree in Chemistry

Tools

Chromatography

Materials characterization

Polymer synthesis

Job description

Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) invites applications for a PhD candidate position focused on adsorbent materials for PFAS analysis. The project aims to develop fluorophilic adsorbents and integrate them into PFAS sample preparation workflows, contributing to environmental monitoring in water and samples.

The position is hosted by the Institute of Chemistry and Biotechnology, with a four-year fixed-term tenure starting upon agreement.