PhD Position in Materials Chemistry: Biomass Valorisation and Ionic Liquids for Sustainable Porous Materials Institut Charles Gerhardt Montpellier in France

PhD opportunity in Materials Chemistry at Institut Charles Gerhardt Montpellier in Montpellier, France, focused on biomass valorisation, ionic liquids, thermochemical conversion, and the development of sustainable porous materials for environmental applications such as adsorption of PFAS.

The project sits within an interdisciplinary research environment involving adsorption, heterogeneous catalysis, analytical chemistry, biomass valorisation, and materials chemistry. The PhD candidate will work on the preparation and characterization of ionic liquids and NaDES, thermochemical treatment of lignocellulosic agro-wastes, characterization of soluble molecular co-products, and characterization of ionochars using FTIR, NMR, microscopy, gas sorption volumetry, XPS, and calorimetry. The work also includes active participation in life cycle assessment (LCA), data processing and analysis, presentations in meetings, conference participation, and quarterly reporting.

Eligibility: MSc in Chemistry or a related field, or a final-year engineering student. A background in materials chemistry or analytical chemistry is expected, and knowledge of DoE and/or LCA is preferred. The post also highlights motivation, rigor, curiosity, autonomy, and teamwork as important qualities.

Funding: ANR-funded project with an approximate gross monthly salary of €2,300. The contract duration is 36 months, starting 2026-08-31.

Application: Complete applications must be submitted via the designated platform linked in the post. Only complete applications submitted through that platform will be considered.