PhD 2025 : Magnetic granular aerogels for soft robotics

Centre de Mise en Forme des Matériaux (CEMEF); France; Sur place; EUR 40 000 - 60 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

A materials research institute in France seeks a PhD candidate for a project on magnetic bio-based materials. Responsibilities include fabrication of magnetic porous particles and exploration of their properties for soft robotics. This PhD position encompasses interdisciplinary work at MINES Paris in Sophia Antipolis and ESPCI Paris, involving a robust scientific environment with opportunities for dissemination of research findings. The ideal candidate should be knowledgeable in materials science, fluent in English, and have a completed MSc thesis.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of materials science preferably with soft matter experience.
• Fluent in English required for scientific communication.
• Completed MSc thesis or equivalent prior to start.

Responsabilités

• Fabricate magnetic, bio-based, porous particles.
• Investigate assembly methods for bio-based aerogel beads.
• Explore rheological properties in magnetic fields.

Connaissances

Knowledge of materials science

Experience in soft matter and rheology or mechanics

Fluent in English

Initiative

Formation

MSc thesis (or equivalent)

Description du poste

Organisation/Company Centre de Mise en Forme des Matériaux (CEMEF) Research Field Chemistry » Biochemistry Technology » Materials technology Physics Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Leading Researcher (R4) First Stage Researcher (R1) Established Researcher (R3) Country France Application Deadline 29 Dec 2025 - 22:00 (UTC) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Offer Starting Date 1 Oct 2025 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Magnetic soft materials are capable of tether-free, instantaneous and “programmable” shape change in a magnetic field, which is promising for various biomedical and industrial applications, including minimally invasive medical procedures and targeted delivery [1].

Precise magnetic actuation requires the use of bottom-up fabrication techniques in which magnetic interactions are well-controlled on the level of the structural element.

The objective of this PhD project is the fabrication of magnetic, bio-based, porous particles with tailored magnetic and mechanical properties.

Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles will be embedded within bio-based aerogel beads (nanostructured, stable and porous materials) and different methods for the assembly of these beads into macroscopic structures will be investigated. Also the rheological properties and behaviour in magnetic field of the granular materials will be explored towards their use in soft robotics.

This explorative and interdisciplinary project is located at the interface of material chemistry and soft matter. The majority of the work will be performed at CEMEF - MINES Paris in Sophia Antipolis in the south of France. This lab has extensive experience in the preparation and physico-chemical characterization of bio-based aerogels [2]. The rheological characterization and magnetic behavior of the bio-aerogel bead assemblies will be investigated at the SIMM - ESPCI lab in Paris.

The PhD candidate will take benefit of the scientific environment and expertise of both MINES Paris and ESPCI, and will be the key actor in this fully funded collaborative project.

The PhD candidate will be encouraged to participate in dissemination of results at national and international conferences and in the form of scientific publications.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about this project.

Keywords: Bio-based polymers, porous materials, physico-chemical properties, functional materials

2. Budtova, T.; Aguilera, D. A.; Beluns, S.; Berglund, L.; Chartier, C.; Espinosa, E.; Gaidukovs, S.; Klimek-Kopyra, A.; Kmita, A.; Lachowicz, D.; Liebner, F.; Platnieks, O.; Rodríguez, A.; Tinoco Navarro, L. K.; Zou, F.; Buwalda, S. J. Biorefinery Approach for Aerogels. Polymers 2020, 12, 2779. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12122779

Profile: Knowledge of materials science, ideally with experience in soft matter and rheology or mechanics; fluent in English; taste for initiative; MSc thesis (or equivalent) completed

Duration: 3 years, starting in autumn 2025

Locations: CEMEF (part of MINES Paris but located in Sophia Antipolis in the south of France) and SIMM (part of ESPCI Paris, France)

Funding: PSL University (METASOFT program)

PhD position starting in the autumn of 2025

Additional Information

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute Centre de Mise en Forme des Matériaux (CEMEF) Country France City Sophia Antipolis Geofield