PhD student position in biobased surfactant synthesis

Publiceringsdatum: 2025-03-11

Här är din möjlighet att bli en del av teamet hos Chalmers Tekniska Högskola AB genom att arbeta som doktorand. Om du vill arbeta heltid hos Chalmers Tekniska Högskola AB, har de just nu en tjänst 6 månader eller längre som kan passa dig. Denna position är tillgänglig i Göteborg.

Om du tycker att det låter intressant att börja jobba hos Chalmers Tekniska Högskola AB i rollen som doktorand så har de just nu en ledig tjänst som skulle kunna vara en perfekt match för dig! Bli en del av teamet hos Chalmers Tekniska Högskola AB som doktorand genom att ansöka senast torsdag den tionde april 2025.

Jobbannons

The main purpose of this project is to develop new biobased surfactants using sustainable raw materials as an alternative to conventional petrochemical-derived surfactants. Since most surfactants today are synthesized from fossil-based feedstocks, transitioning to biobased alternatives could significantly reduce environmental impact and reliance on non-renewable resources. However, despite major advancements in the field, biobased surfactants often face challenges in achieving the same performance as their synthetic counterparts, particularly in terms of surface activity, stability, and efficiency in formulations. To overcome these limitations, novel synthesis strategies must be developed to enhance the functionality of biobased surfactants, ensuring they exhibit high interfacial activity, stability, and compatibility with industrial applications.

The position is part of a large EU project SurfToGreen where you will have the opportunity to interact with world-class researchers in a multidisciplinary environment.

Project overview

The position will be located at the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering in the Bordes Research Group, which has a long experience of research on surfactant. In recent years there has been a particular emphasis on different classes of amphiphilic substances: amino acid-based surfactants and switchable/cleavable surfactants. The amino acid-based amphiphiles constitute a class of environmentally benign surfactants. They are based on natural starting materials, they are rapidly biodegradable and have low aquatic toxicity, and they are mild to the skin.

Cleavable surfactants are also environmentally friendly in the sense that they have a function enabling better recyclability. The work on environmentally friendly surfactant now focuses on the use of new building blocks, and this project has a strong focus on the correlation between new biobased surfactant and their properties.

Information about the division and the department

The division of Applied Chemistry belongs to the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and gathers about 90 researchers who work mainly with surface chemistry, polymers and catalysis, in different sub-units. The research carried out at Applied Chemistry focuses on energy, material design, nanotechnology and catalysis, and surfactant chemistry with a strong emphasis on novel surfactants and investigations of surfactant-based formulations such as microemulsions or emulsions.

Main responsibilities

The main responsibility of the PhD candidate will be to pursue his/her doctoral degree by completing Chalmers requirements and by carrying out the research related to the development of methodologies to synthesize surfactant using biobased building blocks.

As a PhD student, the candidate will have to take care of others duties (approx. 10% of your time, mandatory, including teaching). Communication of the results of the work at conferences and in peer-reviewed journals is also expected.

Read more about doctoral studies at Chalmers here.

Qualifications

To qualify to this position the candidate must hold a Master degree in chemistry or chemical engineering or equivalent and have experience in studies related to surface chemistry. In addition, a general knowledge of spectroscopy and of the techniques related to the study of surface properties constitutes a strong asset. 

Furthermore, the candidate should appreciate to work experimentally and also with theoretical tools from the perspective of physical chemistry.

The position requires sound verbal and written communication skills in English. If Swedish is not your native language, Chalmers offers Swedish courses.

Contract terms

Full-time temporary employment. The position is limited to a maximum of five years.

What we offer

Chalmers provides a cultivating and inspiring working environment in the coastal city of Gothenburg. 

Read more about working at Chalmers and our benefits for employees.

Chalmers aims to actively improve our gender balance. We work broadly with equality projects, for example the GENIE Initiative on gender equality for excellence. Equality and diversity are substantial foundations in all activities at Chalmers.

Application procedure

The application should be written in English and be attached as PDF-files, as below. Maximum size for each file is 40 MB. Please note that the system does not support Zip files.

CV: (Please name the document: CV, Family name)

• CV
• Other, for example previous employments or leadership qualifications and positions of trust.
• Two references that we can contact.

Personal letter: (Please name the document as: Personal letter, Family name)

1-3 pages where you:

• Introduce yourself
• Describe your previous experience of relevance for the position (e.g. education, thesis work and, if applicable, any other research activities)
• Describe your future goals and future research focus

Other documents:

• Copies of bachelor and/or master’s thesis.
• Attested copies and transcripts of completed education, grades and other certificates, e.g. TOEFL test results.

Use the button at the foot of the page to reach the application form. 

Please note: The applicant is responsible for ensuring that the application is complete. Incomplete applications and applications sent by email will not be considered.

Application deadline: 2025-04-10

For questions, please contact:

Dr Romain Bordes, head of Unit,

Bordes@chalmers.se

• ** Chalmers declines to consider all offers of further announcement publishing or other types of support for the recruiting process in connection with this position. ***