Sylvestre Bonnet
1 week ago
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Postdoctoral Researcher in Photocatalysis for Water-Based Paint and Coating Photocuring Leiden University in Netherlands
Degree Level
Postdoc
Field of study
Chemistry
Funding
Available
Deadline
Sep 14, 2026
Country
Netherlands
University
Leiden University
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About this position
Leiden University’s Faculty of Science and the Leiden Institute of Chemistry are seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher in photocatalysis for water-based paint and coating photocuring. The position is based in the Bonnet group in Leiden, the Netherlands, and is embedded in a large Dutch research consortium involving academia and industry.
The project addresses a major sustainability challenge: conventional paint and coating curing often depends on heat or high-energy UV light. This postdoc will help develop photocatalysts and photocatalytic surfactants that can enable low-carbon, visible-light curing, with an emphasis on waterborne coatings and low-energy photochemistry. The work includes developing photocatalytically active surfactants that can be incorporated into paint formulations, studying curing under visible, red, or near-infrared light, and contributing to upscaling tests supported by a robotic optimisation platform.
Scientific interests aligned with this role include photochemistry, coordination chemistry, supramolecular chemistry, catalysis, surfactant chemistry, and the photochemical behaviour of colloidal mixtures and formulations. The project offers the chance to work with home-built advanced photochemical equipment and measurement techniques, and to collaborate closely within the institute, across the consortium, with companies, and with the broader research community.
The successful candidate should hold a PhD in Chemistry and bring strong experimental skills, excellent English, analytical thinking, and a collaborative attitude. Experience with photocatalysis, surfactant chemistry, ligand and transition-metal complex synthesis, and spectroscopy is advantageous. Publication experience in respected peer-reviewed journals is also expected.
The appointment is for 12 months initially and may be extended for a further year if performance is satisfactory. The salary is €3,546–€5,538 gross per month for a full-time 38-hour appointment, with additional Dutch university benefits including holiday allowance, end-of-year bonus, pension scheme, commuting reimbursement, and flexible working arrangements where possible.
Applications are open until 2026-09-14. Applicants should submit a motivation letter, CV, publication list with accepted papers only, and contact details for at least two referees. For more information about the project, contact Prof. dr. S.A. Bonnet at [email protected].
Funding details
Available
What's required
Applicants should have a PhD degree in Chemistry or a closely related field, with a strong interest in coordination chemistry, photochemistry, and supramolecular chemistry. Excellent English proficiency is required, along with good technical experimental skills, analytical thinking, good communication skills, and an independent working attitude. Proven publication skills in internationally renowned peer-reviewed journals are expected. Experience in photocatalysis and/or surfactant chemistry is considered an advantage, as are skills in the synthesis of organic ligands and their transition metal complexes and in photochemistry and/or spectroscopy.
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