Dear colleagues,
I would like to draw your attention to an open position for a doctoral student for developing solid-state NMR approaches in catalysis and mechanochemistry, which is available in my laboratory located at the Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry at RWTH Aachen University (Germany).
The project aims at gaining structural and dynamic information of active centres in a variety of catalysts by solid-state NMR. These insights will be used to (i) develop a mechanistic description of the underlying catalytic processes and (ii) further fine-tune the catalytic properties of the systems investigated. The experimental approaches will be supported by quantum-chemical calculations, for instance of NMR observables, enabling a structural modelling of the active sites. The candidate will work in close collaboration with our partners at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion and RWTH Aachen University offering a broad range of catalytic systems, ranging from multifunctional adaptive catalysts, zeolites to frustrated Lewis pairs.
A central research theme will be to explore solid-state NMR experiments at fast magic-angle spinning frequencies (> 100 kHz) in characterizing hydrogenation reactions. We will also explore the synthesis and subsequent structural characterization of heterogeneous catalysts using mechanochemical concepts, such as ball milling or resonant-acoustic mixing. This project also comprises NMR method development to design and apply 1H- and 19F-detected NMR strategies at fast MAS to study ball-milling reactions.
For more information please see below.
I would be happy if you could distribute the job offer to interested candidates who should send their application to thomas.wiegand@cec.mpg.de.
Thank you in advance, stay healthy and all the best,
Thomas Wiegand
-- Thomas Wiegand Professor for Magnetic Resonance of Complex Materials and Catalysts Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion Mülheim a. d. Ruhr/ Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University Worringerweg 2 52074 Aachen (Germany) Room: 38B012 Phone: +49 241 80 26420 E-Mail: thomas.wiegand@cec.mpg.de; wiegand@itmc.rwth-aachen.de
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The Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion (MPI CEC) in Mülheim an der Ruhr studies fundamental chemical processes for energy storage in chemical molecules. The research group of Prof. Dr. Thomas Wiegand at the MPI CEC and the Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH Aachen University) is looking for an enthusiastic
Doctoral student (m/f/d) for studying catalysts by solid-state NMR spectroscopy
The starting date is flexible; the temporary position is open from June 2023 for a period of 3 years.
We study catalytic processes in biology and chemistry by magnetic-resonance spectroscopy. We are employing and developing solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) approaches to unravel catalytic reactions (e.g. hydrogenation reactions), self-assembly phenomena in the context of phase separation and protein-nucleic acid interactions for instance in motor proteins fuelled by ATP hydrolysis. A central research theme is the analysis of weak chemical interactions at the heart of molecular recognition events, particularly noncovalent ones, using fast Magic-Angle Spinning (MAS) NMR. Very recently, we also explore the influence of mechanochemical forces, with pressure being the most important one, on organic reactions and on bond scission events in biomolecules. The lab located at the Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry at RWTH Aachen University is equipped with NMR spectrometers up to 700 MHz and MAS experiments up to 100 kHz. Our vision is to develop unified concepts in catalysis bridging the gap between biology and chemistry.
Available topic
The project will focus on developing and applying solid-state NMR strategies in studying catalysts. The project aims at achieving atomic-level insights in active centres of those systems. The objective is to gain structural and dynamic information of such centres and to use these insights to (i) develop a mechanistic description of the underlying catalytic processes and (ii) further fine-tune the catalytic properties of the systems investigated. The experimental approaches will be supported by quantum-chemical calculations, for instance of NMR observables, enabling a structural modelling of the active sites. The candidate will work in close collaboration with our partners at MPI CEC and RWTH Aachen University offering a broad range of catalytic systems, ranging from multifunctional adaptive catalysts, zeolites to frustrated Lewis pairs. A central research theme will be to explore solid-state NMR experiments at fast magic-angle spinning frequencies (> 100 kHz) in characterizing hydrogenation reactions. We will also explore the synthesis and subsequent structural characterization of heterogeneous catalysts using mechanochemical concepts, such as ball milling or resonant-acoustic mixing.
Prerequisites
Successful candidates should have a graduate science education in chemistry and a strong interest in spectroscopic techniques. The candidate should be highly motivated in NMR method development and application of NMR to research questions in chemical catalysis.
Our offer
We offer an international, dynamic working environment in a renowned research institute, family-friendly jobs and flexible working hours. The salary is in accordance with the funding guidelines of the Max Planck Society for junior scientists.
The Max Planck Society is committed to increasing the number of individuals with disabilities in its workforce and therefore encourages applications from such qualified individuals. Furthermore, the Max Planck Society seeks to increase the number of women in those areas where they are underrepresented and therefore explicitly encourages women to apply.
If you are interested in working on challenging interdisciplinary projects in materials science, please send your complete application with the reference code TW006 until the 31st of May, 2023 by e-mail to
Your application should contain a curriculum vitae (CV) and the names of two professional references whom we may contact. We are looking forward to getting to know you!
Encrypted data transfer is possible on the site Cryptshare.mpg.de.
Further information regarding the data protection for applicants can be found on our webpage:
https://cec.mpg.de/en/career/data-protection-information-for-applicants/