Postdoctoral Position Organic and Organometallic Synthesis

euraxess.ec.europa.eu - Jobboard; España; Presencial; EUR 30.000 - 45.000; Jornada completa

Descripción de la vacante

CEU San Pablo University invites applications for postdoctoral fellowships under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie program. Candidates will engage in advanced research on new synthetic methodologies in flow chemistry, contributing to innovative solutions in organic synthesis. Ideal for enthusiastic researchers eager to develop their careers in a dynamic academic environment.

Formación

• Postdoctoral candidates of any nationality with a maximum of 8 years post-defense.
• High enthusiasm and independence in research work.
• Experience in organic synthesis and flow chemistry is advisable.

Responsabilidades

• Develop new catalytic methodologies for complex product synthesis.
• Explore flow chemistry methods for organic synthesis improvement.
• Conduct independent research on cyclopropenes and related compounds.

Conocimientos

Organic synthesis

Spectroscopic techniques

Flow chemistry

Educación

PhD in Chemistry or related field

Descripción del empleo

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Organisation / Company CEU San Pablo University Department Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Laboratory Organometallic compounds Is the Hosting related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

USP-CEU welcomes early stage postdoctoral researchers with an excellent track record, to apply to the European Commission Marie Sklodowska-Curie (MSCA-25) Postodoctoral Felloships or any other R2 reseach calls, such as: Juan de la Cierva (Spanish Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation) or Atracción Talento (Madrid Regional Goverment).

Selected candidates will be provided with special assistance for proposal writing and development. Our University has been beneficiary of 8 MSCA PF since 2017, including one MSCA-PF with an evaluation of 100/100 in 2021.

Hosting Research Group

The group Organometallic compounds (ORGMET) includes two recognized professors with more than 25 years of research and teaching experience, including the supervision of 15 doctoral theses, plus two lecturers. The variety of techniques accessible includes fully operative synthesis labs with devices commonly used as rotavapors, vacuum pumps, gas hoods, hotplates, and instrumentation available in the department: IR and UV-visible spectrophotometers, NMR spectrometer (400 MHz), gas chromatography, HPLC, polarimeter and hydrogenator. We have a flow device consisting of a Rheodyne valve that introduces the diluted substrate into the system. The system is a PFR (plug flow reactor) in a forced air oven, with a supply line with a semi-preparative HPLC pump ASI Model 501.

Our group works on two different topics: developing new synthetic methodology in flow reactors and synthetic studying the behaviour of substrates containing cyclopropenes with metal catalysts.

• One Pot Synthesis of Spirocycles and Cyclopropa[b]pyrans by Alkenylation-Rearrangement of Cyclopropenes Puet, A; Giona, E.; Dominguez, G. and Perez-Castells, J. J. Org. Chem. 2022, 87 , 12470−12476. DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.2c01420
• Straightforward synthesis of highly functionalized indanes and tetralines through ene-cyclopropene rearrangement mediated by ruthenium. Puet, A; Dominguez, G.; Perez-Castells, J. . J. Org. Chem ., 2022, 87 , 2686−2696. doi.org/10.1021/acs.joc.1c02636

Research Project Description

The general aim of this project is to develop new catalytic methodologies for the efficient preparation of products with high structural complexity and high synthetic value from simple starting materials. The research plan includes five main areas of research.

A) Exploration of the potential of cyclopropenes as precursors of vinylcarbenes in direct allylation processes of C−H bonds catalyzed by metals and efficient preparation of complex molecules;

B) Hydrofunctionalisation of cyclopropenes catalyzed by transition metals: design and development of efficient stereoselective strategies to hydrofunctionalize substituted cyclopropenes through the formation of new carbon−heteroatom bonds, opening new avenues towards the synthesis of structurally varied cyclopropane derivatives;

C) Addition of radicals photochemically generated to cyclopropenes: development of photoredox methods for the generation of carbon-centered radicals from active species and their subsequent selective addition on cyclopropene rings, allowing the obtaining of polysubstituted cyclopropanes, spirocyclopropyls and fused cyclopropyl derivatives.

Furthermore, the possibility of applying continuous flow methodologies will allow us to improve mixing efficiency and use extreme temperature conditions.

Candidate requirements: P ostdoctoral candidates of any nationality (max. 8 years after defense) with:

• A highly enthusiastic and independent PhD
• Organic synthesis experience and knowledge of spectroscopic techniques
• It is also advisable to have experience in flow chemistry

Application: An expression of interest shall be sent to [e-mail] ( Attn.: Dr. Javier Pérez Castells), Your file should contain the following elements:

• A short CV (Max. 2 pages)
• A one-page research proposal
• A short statement explaining why CEU would be the best host institution for your research.
• Two letters of reference.

For MSCA-PF 25 call, at the deadline for the submission of proposals (10/09/2025) candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activities in Spain or more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the abovementioned deadline.

Those files received before 15th of June y will be considered for MSCA-PF 2025 call. Applications received after this date, will be considered for other calls after discussion with the candidate.

Keywords: flow chemistry, carbonylation, cyclopropenes