Doctoral Student in Sustainable Photocatalysis for Plastic Upcycling

Organisation/Company

Chalmers University of Technology

Research Field

Chemistry » Other
Engineering » Chemical engineering
Engineering » Other

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Application Deadline

20 Aug 2026 - 21:59 (UTC)

Country

Sweden

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Horizon Europe - EIC

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Join us at the forefront of photocatalysis and sustainable materials research, where you will help develop innovative technologies that harness solar energy to create value from challenging waste streams.  

About us 

The Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering  pushes the knowledge of chemistry and chemical engineering forward in a broad field of research and education. We offer an international environment, with scientific areas ranging from fundamental chemistry, health and medical technology, materials science, renewable energy, to chemical engineering processing, material recycling, nuclear chemistry, theory and modelling. 

At the division of Applied Chemistry  we primarily focus on applied research, that is, research aimed at addressing societal challenges and that is ready for implementation either immediately or in the near future. Examples of application areas include fossil-free fuels and energy systems, electronic devices, health and technology, the utilisation of fibres and forest-based materials, and various forms of catalysis. 

The Ergang Wang group focuses on synthesis of organic semiconductors for organic electronics and photocatalysts for hydrogen generation and polymer degradation. Presently, the group consists of 1 Professor, 1 permanent researcher, 6 Postdocs and 2 PhD students.

About the research project  

This PhD position is part of SPECTRA, a Horizon Europe EIC Pathfinder project bringing together Chalmers University of Technology (Sweden), Karlstad University (Sweden), Eindhoven University of Technology (Netherlands), Chalmers Industriteknik (Sweden), Cicci Research (Italy), and Antares Electrolysis (Italy). The consortium combines expertise in materials science, photocatalysis, modelling, optical engineering, reactor development, sustainability assessment, and industrial innovation to develop next-generation technologies for circular resource utilization. At Chalmers, the PhD project will focus on the development of advanced photocatalytic materials and processes for the selective conversion of plastic waste into valuable products. The work will include photocatalyst synthesis and characterization, photocatalytic reaction studies, product separation and purification, mechanistic investigations, and collaboration with European partners working on modelling, reactor engineering, and sustainability assessment. The successful candidate will join an international and interdisciplinary team addressing one of the most important sustainability challenges of our time.

Who we are looking forThe following requirements are mandatory:

• To qualify as a Doctoral student, you must have a Master's degree (masterexamen) of 120 credits or a Master’s degree (magisterexamen) of 60 credits* in material science, chemistry, chemical engineering, environmental engineering or equivalent.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English
• Experience in at least one of the following areas:
  • catalysis / heterogeneous catalysis
  • photocatalysis / photochemistry / photoredox processes
  • environmental chemistry / polymer science
  • analytical chemistry relevant to chemical structure/materials characterization (e.g., chromatography, spectroscopy, ion analysis)

*for students with an education earned outside of Sweden, a 4-year Bachelor’s degree is accepted. 

The following experience will strengthen your application: 

• Experience in photocatalysis, photochemistry, electrocatalysis, or heterogeneous catalysis.
• Experience in polymer science, plastic recycling, depolymerisation, or sustainable materials research.
• Experience in organic synthesis, polymer synthesis, or functional materials synthesis.
• Hands-on experience with materials characterization techniques such as UV–Vis spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, or thermal analysis.
• Experience with chromatographic and analytical techniques for product identification and quantification (e.g., GC, GC-MS, HPLC, LC-MS, NMR).
• Experience in reaction engineering, reactor operation, flow chemistry, process intensification, or catalyst immobilisation.
• Experience with product separation, purification, membrane processes, adsorption, or related downstream processing technologies.
• Experience with mechanistic studies, reaction kinetics, or data-driven optimization of chemical processes.

What you will do

• Take courses at an advanced level within the Graduate school of Materials Science or Chemistry
• Develop your own scientific concepts and communicate the results of your research verbally and in writing
• The position generally also includes teaching on Chalmers' undergraduate level or performing other duties corresponding to 5-10 percent of working hours
• Develop and characterize advanced photocatalytic materials for sustainable plastic upcycling.
• Investigate photocatalytic depolymerisation mechanisms and optimize catalyst performance, selectivity, and stability.
• Design and perform photocatalytic experiments in batch and flow reactors.
• Develop product separation and purification strategies to improve product quality and recovery.
• Use advanced analytical techniques to identify reaction products and guide process optimization.
• Collaborate with modelling, reactor engineering, and sustainability experts across the SPECTRA consortium.
• Publish research findings in scientific journals and present results at international conferences.
• Work in an interdisciplinary and international research environment addressing circular economy and sustainability challenges. 

Contract terms  

• The Doctoral student positions are fully funded from start.
• The position is a fixed-term appointment of four years, with the possibility to teach up to 10%, which extends the position up to 4 years and 3 months.
• A starting salary of 35,725 SEK per month (valid from May 1, 2026).
• Doctoral studies require physical presence throughout the entire study period. A valid residence permit must be presented by the study start date; otherwise the admission may be withdrawn.

What we offer 

• As a Doctoral student at Chalmers, you are an employee and enjoy all employee benefits. Read more about  working at Chalmers  and our benefits  for employees. 
• A dynamic and inspiring working environment in the coastal city of Gothenburg . 
• Read more about Sweden’s generous parental leave, subsidized day care, free schools, healthcare etc at Move To Gothenburg.  

Chalmers is dedicated to improving gender balance and actively works with equality projects, such as the GENIE Initiative for gender equality and excellence . 

If Swedish is not your native language, Chalmers offers Swedish courses to help you settle in.

Find more general information about doctoral studies at Chalmers here .  

Application procedure 

The application should be written in English and attached as PDF-files, as below. Maximum size for each file is 40 MB. Please note that the system does not support Zip files. 

CV 

Personal letter 

• A brief introduction about yourself. 
• A brief motivation as to why you are interested in this position. 

Bachelor’s and, if available, master’s thesis together with the transcripts. 

Use the button at the foot of the page to reach the application form.  
A background check may be conducted as part of the application process.
Please note: The applicant is responsible for ensuring that the application is complete. Incomplete applications and applications sent by email will not be considered. Contact details to references will be requested after the interview. Please do not inform us about your applications by email.

We welcome your application no later than August 20, 2026

For questions, please contact:  

Professor Ergang Wang
Email: [email protected]

*** Chalmers declines to consider all offers of further announcement publishing or other types of support for the recruiting process in connection with this position. ***  

 Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg conducts research and education in technology and natural sciences at a high international level. The university has 3100 employees and 10,000 students, and offers education in engineering, science, shipping and architecture. With scientific excellence as a basis, Chalmers promotes knowledge and technical solutions for a sustainable world. Through global commitment and entrepreneurship, we foster an innovative spirit, in close collaboration with wider society. 
Chalmers was founded in 1829 and has the same motto today as it did then: Avancez – forward. 

Website

https://academicpositions.com/ad/chalmers-university-of-technology/2026/doctora…

Research Field

Chemistry

Years of Research Experience

1 - 4

Research Field

Engineering

Years of Research Experience

1 - 4

Research Field

Engineering

Years of Research Experience

1 - 4

Website for additional job details

https://academicpositions.com

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Chalmers University of Technology

Country

Sweden

City

Gothenburg

Postal Code

412 58

Street

Maskingränd 2

City

Gothenburg

Website

https://www.chalmers.se/en/

Postal Code

412 58

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