PhD student (M/F) organic synthesis & alternative polymers to PFAS

European Commission; France; Sur place; EUR 20 000 - 40 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

Une opportunité de doctorat est offerte dans un projet Carnot MICA en partenariat avec plusieurs laboratoires, comprenant l'étude de la chimie fluorée et des alternatives sûres aux PFAS. Le poste est basé à l'Université de Strasbourg et implique des recherches sur la synthèse organique et la caractérisation des polymères.

Prestations

Accès direct aux transports en commun

Repas universitaires à tarif préférentiel

Qualifications

• PhD étudiant en chimie ou domaine connexe.
• Experience en synthèse organique et polymérisation souhaitée.

Responsabilités

• Conduire des recherches sur des polymères fluorés sans PFAS.
• Participer aux réunions de suivi de projet avec les partenaires.

Connaissances

Chimie

Recherche environnementale

Formation

Diplôme en chimie ou domaine connexe

Description du poste

Organisation/Company: CNRS

Department: Laboratoire d'Innovation Moléculaire et Applications

Research Field: Chemistry, Environmental Science

Researcher Profile: First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country: France

Application Deadline: 16 Jul 2025 - 23:59 (UTC)

Type of Contract: Temporary

Job Status: Full-time

Hours Per Week: 35

Offer Starting Date: 1 Oct 2025

Funding: Not funded by a EU programme

Research Infrastructure Staff Position: No

Offer Description

The position is part of a Carnot MICA project (https://www.carnot-mica.fr), involving a public/private consortium comprising three CNRS laboratories (LIMA UMR 7042 University of Strasbourg, IS2M UMR 7361 University of Haute-Alsace & ICS UPR 22 University of Strasbourg) and two private partners (CETIM & APS Coating).

The PhD student (M/F), attached to ED 222 at the University of Strasbourg, will mainly conduct their research at LIMA in Strasbourg (organic synthesis - Morgan Donnard and Frédéric Leroux) and IS2M in Mulhouse (polymerization - Florence Bally Le Gall, Vincent Roucoules and Abraham Chemtob). Project progress meetings will be held with all partners. Once the work has reached certain milestones, a scientific visit of several weeks to the laboratories of one of the industrial partners will be organized.

Working environment: Direct access by public transportation, on-site university dining at preferential rates.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a major environmental and health concern due to their persistence in the environment, earning them the nickname “forever chemicals,” and their potential adverse effects on human health. These compounds, used in countless industrial and consumer products, are suspected of causing health problems such as cancer, hormonal disorders, and immune dysfunction. In response to these major concerns, the European Union (EU) is currently organizing a phase-out of PFAS with relatively short deadlines. This announced ban requires significant efforts to discover safe and sustainable alternatives, as PFAS are used in highly strategic areas such as health (medicines and equipment), agriculture, energy, and transportation. To support the transition to viable substitutes, our public/private consortium (Public: Laboratoire d'Innovation Moléculaire & Applications LIMA UMR 7042 Université de Strasbourg, Institut de Science des Matériaux de Mulhouse IS2M UMR 7361 Université de Haute-Alsace & Institut Charles Sadron ICS UPR 22 Université de Strasbourg ; Private: Centre Technique des Industries Mécaniques - CETIM & APS Coating) will leverage its expertise in fluorine chemistry, polymerization, and polymer characterization to offer a new generation of non-PFAS fluorinated polymers. LIMA will develop original monomers whose polymerization using various processes will be studied at IS2M (thermal, photochemical or plasma-induced). This study will generate innovative PFAS-free fluorinated side-chain polymers, whose viability as alternatives to PFAS will be evaluated on four properties by ICS, CETIM and APS coating: surface energy, thermal stability, chemical resistance and mechanical behavior (coefficient of friction and wear resistance).