PhD Researcher: Green Polyphenol Upgrading for Materials

AALTO UNIVERSITY; Finland; On-site; EUR 32,000 - 38,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

State-of-the-art facilities

International research group

Job summary

Aalto University in Espoo, Finland invites applications for a Doctoral researcher in chemical upgrading of polyphenols for advanced functional materials. The Bioproduct Chemistry group investigates renewable biomaterials and interfacial phenomena within a growing international team.

The role combines natural products chemistry, materials science, and industry collaboration to advance sustainable coatings, packaging, and emulsions. Fluency in English and hands‑on lab experience are essential.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in chemistry or chemical engineering
• Good written and spoken English, and ability to work in a multidisciplinary international team
• Hands-on laboratory experience in relevant areas

Responsibilities

• Develop efficient fractionation and modification routes for polyphenols, including solvent‑free reactive extrusion
• Establish structure–property–performance relationships linking chemical composition and particle size to application performance
• Combine wet‑chemistry characterization (1H/13C/2D NMR, AFM, DLS, GPC, FTIR, zeta potential) with molecular modeling and machine learning
• Collaborate with international academic and industrial partners

Skills

English proficiency

Lab experience

Teamwork

Education

Master’s degree in chemistry or chemical engineering

Tools

NMR

AFM

DLS

GPC

FTIR

Zeta potential

Job description

Aalto University in Espoo, Finland invites applications for a Doctoral researcher in chemical upgrading of polyphenols for advanced functional materials. The Bioproduct Chemistry group investigates renewable biomaterials and interfacial phenomena within a growing international team.

The role combines natural products chemistry, materials science, and industry collaboration to advance sustainable coatings, packaging, and emulsions. Fluency in English and hands‑on lab experience are essential.