3 PhD positions in heterogeneous catalysis (# of pos: 3)

The project focuses on engineering new heterogeneous catalysts for the preparation of added-value circular products such as pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and biofuels. Advanced in situ and in operando methods will be exploited to characterize the materials under reaction conditions, and unlock structure-function relationships. Besides, the application of these catalysts in a flow reactor will overcome the limitations of traditional chemical synthesis and will provide great advantages in terms of environmental sustainability and process safety. The PhD project has received European funding and is part of the EU Green Deal objectives. This project ("Green Pharmaceuticals") intends to design new catalytic processes for the synthesis of small molecules under continuous and circular conditions. It aims to move towards a sustainable pharmaceutical industry and improve the European readiness for sustainable production of small molecules (active pharmaceutical ingredients, APIs) that have environmental or supply concerns. The new group member is expected to have a solid background in chemical engineering, industrial chemistry, or chemistry, and have gained an experimentally driven experience on catalysis in its broadest definition (heterogeneous, homogeneous, enzymatic).

The project is based at Politecnico di Milano, one of the top 12th technical universities in the world, and 3rd in continental Europe together with ETH Zurich and EPFL. In particular, the position is based at the Department of Chemistry, Materials, and Chemical Engineering "Giulio Natta" of Politecnico di Milano, which is one of the excellence centers in Europe for catalysis. This department has historically played a key role in catalysis, with the Nobel-prize winning Natta catalyst for polymerizations, and the automotive catalytic converters.

The fellow will be part of the Vilé group, who is doing research at the interface of catalysis and microreactor engineering. To receive additional information and to apply for this position, please send your CV (containing the details of your educational background, professional experience, technical competences, and contact references) to: Prof. Gianvito Vilé (email: [email protected] ).