Fellowship in Chemistry: Green chemistry and NMR 2010

Highlights: 

1. A one-year research position, starting 1st of April (extendable to one additional year) is available in the Chemistry Department in Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal, in the field of NMR applied to Green Chemistry.
2. The position is in the framework of the financed project - Study of intermolecular interactions in alternative solvents: A NMR based contribution to sustainable chemistry – ref. PTDC/QUI-QUI/098892/2008 (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia project 3599 – Promover a Produção Cientifica, o Desenvolvimento Tecnológico e a Constituição de Redes Temáticas)
3. Motivation: The use of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) as solvents is crucial to the majority of chemical processes but due to the negative impact on the environment, a huge research effort has been directed towards finding alternatives. One promising alternative media to VOCs is supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2).
4. Although scCO2 has received much attention as a green alternative to conventional VOCs the solvent behaviour of CO2 is still not well understood on a microscopic level. A basic understanding of the solvent attributes of CO2 is extremely important for the prediction and design of CO2 soluble materials to expand the utilization of CO2 as a sustainable solvent, alternative to VOCs. In order to build a consistent molecular based interpretation of the solvent properties of scCO2, both theoretical and physical-organic research have to be combined with an experimental technique that delivers structural information at the atomic level: Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy.
5. To perform a comprehensive and systematic NMR study of solute/solvent interactions in scCO2 in order to rationalize the origin of “CO2-philic” effects
6. Strategy And Methodology: The research is centered in the use of NMR techniques in tandem with molecular modelling to study the physical chemistry of molecular interactions in scCO2. The project will be perfomed in the Chemistry Department of FCT –Universidade Nova de Lisboa (Campus Caparica).
7. On a first stage we will be focused on the study of simple model compounds containing specific functional groups. The specificity and relative quantification
8. Objectives for this stage are:
9. a) establishment of a NMR protocol for the identification and quantification of site specific interactions under high-pressure CO2 conditions, using model compounds;
10. b) systematic study of the differences in hydrocarbon and perfluorocarbon interactions with CO2 On a latter stage, larger and more complex systems will be investigated. The methodology will be extended and adapted to study micelar salvation (solubilization) and particularly the formation and characterization of water-in- CO2 (W/C) micele systems.
11. Researchers will have access to all equipments within the Portuguese NMR network (http://ptnmr.dq.ua.pt)
12. Scientific Supervision: Prof. Eurico J. Cabrita and Doutora Teresa Casimiro
13. Requirements for the position are a master diploma (or related degree) in Chemistry, Physics, material science or related fields. Preference will be given to candidates with previous experience in NMR
14. Salary: 980 €/month
15. Researchers will be contracted in full-time in accordance with the regulations for the advanced formation of human resources from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology FCT-MCTES (http://www.fct.mctes.pt/pt/apoios/formacao/ambitoprojectos) and the grants regulations from Fundação da FCT/UNL.
16. Applicants should send: Detailed Curriculum Vitae, motivation letter and at least one letter of reference by email to Prof. Eurico Cabrita (ejc@dq.fct.unl.pt)

Prof. Eurico J. Cabrita

Departamento de Química

Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia

Universidade Nova de Lisboa,

2829-516 Caparica

Portugal

Tel. (+351) 21 2948358

Application deadline: 9th March 2010

Selection criteria: Master thesis, previous research experience and achievements, and reference letters. Relevant candidates will be called for an interview.