Research Fellow (Organic Chemistry)

Nanyang Technological University; Singapore; On-site; SGD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

NTU Singapore's School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology invites applications for a Research Fellow in Organic Chemistry to develop sustainable glycoside synthesis. The role emphasizes traceless activation and radical coupling, focusing on selective carbohydrate modification, method development, and rigorous analysis.

The candidate will design multi-step routes, optimize reactions, and perform purification and structural characterization to support a project on sustainable

Qualifications

• PhD in Chemistry or related field with hands-on experience in carbohydrate chemistry and glycoside synthesis.
• Experience designing and optimizing radical coupling, including photochemical or electrochemical approaches.
• Strong skills in protecting-group strategies and control of chemoselectivity, regio- and stereochemistry.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute multi-step syntheses of carbohydrates, glycosides and glycomimetics.
• Develop selective sugar modification and traceless activation methods.
• Advance radical coupling reactions with attention to selectivity and scope.
• Plan protecting-group strategies to control chemoselectivity in complex substrates.
• Purify products via flash chromatography and preparative HPLC; perform thorough analytical characterization.

Skills

carbohydrate chemistry

sugar modification

glycosides synthesis

radical coupling reactions

protecting-group strategies

Education

PhD in Chemistry

Organic Chemistry

Chemical Biology / Biochemistry

Tools

flash chromatography

preparative HPLC

1D/2D NMR

LC-MS/HRMS

HPLC/UPLC

Job description

The School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology (CCEB) conducts interdisciplinary education and research across chemistry, chemical engineering and biotechnology, with research strengths that include synthetic, biological and medicinal chemistry. We are looking for a Research Fellow in Organic Chemistry to develop sustainable synthetic methods for high-value glycosides through traceless activation and radical coupling. The role will focus on selective modification of carbohydrates and glycosides, radical reaction development, synthesis and purification of complex products, mechanistic studies and rigorous analytical characterization under the project “Sustainable Chemistry for High-Value Glycoside Products via Traceless Activation.”

Key Responsibilities

• Design and execute multi-step syntheses of carbohydrates, glycosides, glycomimetics and related high-value products.
• Develop selective sugar-modification and functionalization methods using traceless activation strategies.
• Develop and optimize radical coupling reactions, including reaction design, selectivity, efficiency and substrate-scope evaluation.
• Plan protecting-group strategies and control chemoselectivity, regioselectivity and stereoselectivity in complex carbohydrate substrates.
• Purify products and intermediates using flash chromatography, preparative HPLC, recrystallization and other suitable methods.

Job Requirements

• PhD in Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Chemical Biology, Biochemistry or a related discipline.
• Hands‑on experience in carbohydrate chemistry, sugar modification, and the synthesis of glycosides, glycomimetics or related compounds.
• Demonstrated experience in designing and optimizing radical coupling reactions, including photochemical or electrochemical approaches where applicable.
• Strong organic synthesis and reaction‑development skills, including protecting‑group strategies and control of chemoselectivity, regioselectivity and stereoselectivity.
• Proficiency in product purification and structure characterization using flash chromatography, preparative HPLC, 1D/2D NMR, LC-MS/HRMS and HPLC/UPLC.

We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

Hiring Institution

NTU A research-intensive public university, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has 33,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students in the Engineering, Business, Science, Humanities, Arts, & Social Sciences, and Graduate colleges. It also has a medical school, the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, established jointly with Imperial College London. NTU is also home to world-class autonomous institutes – the National Institute of Education, S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Earth Observatory of Singapore, and Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering – and various leading research centres such as the Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute (NEWRI) and Energy Research Institute @ NTU (ERI@N). Ranked amongst the world’s top universities by QS, NTU has also been named the world’s top young university for the past seven years. The University’s main campus is frequently listed among the Top 15 most beautiful university campuses in the world and has 57 Green Mark-certified (equivalent to LEED-certified) buildings, of which 95% are certified Green Mark Platinum. Apart from its main campus, NTU also has a campus in Novena, Singapore’s healthcare district. Under the NTU Smart Campus vision, the University harnesses the power of digital technology and tech-enabled solutions to support better learning and living experiences, the discovery of new knowledge, and the sustainability of resources.

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