PRISM programme PhD student in Physics / Engineering for Project AIM-CO₂ (MSCA COFUND) ESPCI Paris - PSL in France

The PRISM programme at ESPCI Paris - PSL is recruiting for an up to 14 fully funded PhD fellowships initiative in sustainable soft matter, with this position focused on Project AIM-CO₂: AI-assisted high-pressure microfluidics for CO2 capture, transport and utilization. The doctoral candidate will join the Chimie Biologie Innovation (CBI), UMR 8231 research unit and the MIE team at ESPCI Paris, working in a highly interdisciplinary environment spanning physics, chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science, spectroscopy, and machine learning.

This project addresses a major challenge in decarbonization: the lack of experimental data for CCUS processes under controlled yet industrially relevant conditions. The research will develop a robust high-pressure microfluidic platform for studying reactive, corrosive, and multiphase fluids, operating up to 100 bar and between -25°C and 80°C. The platform will be coupled with micro-Raman spectroscopy, optical imaging, pressure/flow/temperature control, and machine-learning tools for data analysis and autonomous optimization.

The project is organized around three use cases. First, it will investigate corrosion risk during CO2 transport by analysing microdroplets formed from SOx/NOx impurities, water, and CO2. Second, it will support online monitoring of solvent loading in CO2 capture, studying absorption and desorption in amine-based solvents such as MEA and DEA. Third, it will examine controlled CaCO3 precipitation for CO2 valorisation, with structural analysis by X-ray and electron microscopy. Expected outputs include a validated experimental platform, reproducible protocols, interpretable datasets, machine-learning tools for process monitoring, and design rules relevant to industrial CCUS operation.

The programme is fully funded under Horizon Europe MSCA COFUND. Doctoral candidates receive an approximate net monthly salary of €2,200, with possible family and mobility allowances for eligible fellows. Additional benefits include support for sustainable mobility, access to campus and wellbeing resources, and employment through ESPCI Paris regardless of the final host laboratory.

The position includes strong international and intersectoral training. A compulsory secondment of at least one month is planned, with potential destinations including the University of Amsterdam or Toronto. The project is co-supervised with TotalEnergies, giving the student direct exposure to industrial constraints, safety, robustness, scale-up, and decision-oriented modelling.

Applicants must hold a Master’s degree or equivalent that allows entry to doctoral study, and applicants with a PhD are not eligible. A strong background in physics, physical chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science, microfluidics, or process engineering is preferred. Experience with spectroscopy, high-pressure systems, image analysis, data processing, or machine learning is advantageous. Good English is required, and applicants from non-English-speaking countries must meet C1 English level. The transnational mobility rule applies: incoming applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity in France for more than 12 months in the three years before the deadline.

Application deadline: 31 October 2026 at 23:59 (Paris time). Start date: 1 March 2027. Applications must be submitted in English via the PRISM website.