Postdoctoral Researcher in Purification of Acidic and Complex Aqueous Media Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Morocco

Postdoctoral Researcher in Purification of Acidic and Complex Aqueous Media at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), Morocco.

This postdoctoral opportunity is based in the Materials Science, Energy, and Nano-engineering (MSN) department at UM6P, an internationally oriented university focused on applied research, innovation, and sustainable development challenges in Morocco and across Africa. The department works across energy transition, surface technology, polymers and composites, and sustainable materials, and the advertised project sits at the intersection of chemistry, materials, and chemical engineering.

The project aims to develop sustainable and optimized processes for purifying industrial acidic and complex aqueous media through the selective removal and recovery of impurities. The research is centered on enabling higher-purity acid products, impurity valorization, and more sustainable industrial processing. The successful candidate will contribute to process development involving selective purification and impurity-recovery strategies, selection of reagents and precipitation agents, use of functionalized materials and ion-exchange resins, staged separation, and optimization of selectivity and yield in multi-impurity systems.

Additional responsibilities include reactor design and scale-up from batch to prototype, process integration, and mass-transfer optimization under corrosive conditions. The postdoc will investigate material stability, impurity control, and competing-species effects in highly acidic and complex matrices. The work also involves extensive characterization and quantification using tools such as XRD, FTIR, and ICP to identify phases and quantify major and trace impurities in acid and aqueous feeds and purified products. The role includes contributing to collaborative proposals and high-impact publications.

Eligibility highlights: a PhD in Environmental Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Materials Science, or Chemical Engineering is required, with a focus on separation, purification, or resource recovery. Candidates should bring strong hands-on experience in advanced characterization of complex materials and multi-component solutions, as well as practical familiarity with FTIR, XRD, SEM/EDS, ICP, and HPLC. Knowledge of acid-base equilibria, speciation, and selectivity in chemically complex media is important, along with demonstrated research in selective separation or recovery of metals and impurities. Experience in reactor prototyping, scale-up, batch-to-flow or modular configurations, and delivery of scalable solutions is expected. Good English communication skills are required.

Application materials: detailed CV; cover letter with a synthetic presentation of background, research works, projects, activities, publications, and key achievements; research and teaching plans; entrepreneurial ideas and concepts if any; and services to the UM6P community. Include contact information for three referees.

Deadline: not specified in the post.

Institution: Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Benguerir, Morocco.