Post-Doctoral Research Fellowships - (BL203/2021-IST-ID)

Updated: about 2 years ago
Deadline: 11 Feb 2022

Workplan: Inspired by Nature the project will build on the principles of natural processes for detoxification of methylamine via formaldehyde to carbon dioxide. In Nature, a group of microorganisms, methylotrophs, have the capacity to use simple organic molecules, e.g. methylamine, for energy conversion and for detoxification processes. Aqueous methylamine consequently has the potential to provide an energy source and also of enabling conversion of methylamine from e.g. wastewater streams for detoxification. The primary challenge in this project is to mimic Nature's enzymatic reactions to enable methylamine conversion to formaldehyde and ammonia. The proposed approach is to use and synthesize biomimetic copper complexes to transform methylamine into formaldehyde and ammonia. And in presence of a formaldehyde dehydrogenase mimic the in situ formed formaldehyde decomposes into dihydrogen and carbon dioxide. Copper forms a critical component of the natural enzymes enabling conversion of methylamine, and the idea is to mimic this catalytic capacity through development of synthetic catalysts. In this project we want to focus on methylamine as model system for deamination. Moreover, we will test the methods for alkylamines in general for the conversion of amines into aldehydes. In addition we will apply this reactivity for more complex synthetic applications in tandem reactions where the in situ formed formaldehyde acts as hydrogen source which is used in transfer-hydrogenation reactions. Furthermore dehydrogenative cross-coupling reactions will be performed based on amines as substrates under oxidative and reductive coupling conditions. The results will be disseminated in journals and conferences to the scientific community and results of certain interest for the public, will be communicated through press releases and social media channels. More information: https://fenix.tecnico.ulisboa.pt/homepage/ist428147/fct-pex-project---biomalametal

Duration: The research fellowship will have the duration of 14 months. It’s expected to begin in April 2022, and the fellowship is not renewable

It is mandatory to formalize applications with the submission of the following documents: i) B1 Form – Fellowship application (https://ist-id.pt/concursos/bolsas/ ); ii) Curriculum Vitae; iii) academic degree certificate; iv) motivation letter; v) 1 or 2 letter(s) of recommendation (from PhD supervisor(s) and/or post-doc supervisor(s)); vi) declaration on honour that the applicant does not exceed with this contract an accumulated period of three years in this type of fellowship, continuously or with interruptions, within the technological and scientific system, and that the research work that led to the PhD degree was carried out in a different entity from the host institution of the fellowship.

Applications must be submitted to the email: [email protected] and [email protected]



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