PhD position in Organometallic Chemistry

PhD position in Organometallic Chemistry

The Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science at the University of Copenhagen invites applicants for a PhD position in Organic Chemistry. The project is part of the research project "Sustainable, earth-abundant transition-metal-catalysed reactions for the synthesis of fine-chemicals", which is financed by the Sapere Aude: DFF-Research Leader grant, and the research will take place in the group led by Asst. Professor Craig S. Day.

Start dates are expected to be January 1, 2027 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The project

The project will study the development of novel homogeneous transition metal-catalysed reactions utilizing earth-abundant metal catalysts (e.g., Mo, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu). These reactions will aim to transform abundant feedstock chemicals such as CO2 and biomass into high-value products using thermal, electrochemical, and photochemical means. To realize this goal, a mechanistically guided approach to reaction development will be taken that combines kinetics, organometallic synthesis, and method development. This technological breakthrough promises to serve as a cost-effective method to sustainably construct societally relevant molecules that will reduce our reliance on petrochemically derived chemicals.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for candidates within the field(s) of organic chemistry who must be proficient in English. Applicants can have a background in synthetic organic chemistry, methodology development, organometallic chemistry, mechanistic chemistry, or electrochemistry. All candidates will be assessed in one pool.

Our group and research
- what do

we offer
?

The Day group is a recently established research group at the University of Copenhagen that is working on cutting-edge research within homogeneous earth-abundant transition-metal catalysis. The research conducted will focus on understanding fundamental organometallic chemistry to inform the rational reaction design of new catalytic methodologies that can be applied to address current challenges in sustainability. These topics range from the synthesis of fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals to the synthesis of new types of plastics.

The PhD candidate will be working alongside Prof. Day and his team and will get consistent feedback, assistance, and support. Prof. Day has led numerous projects published in leading academic journals such as Nature Catalysis, Nature Communications, J. Am. Chem. Soc., Chem. Soc. Rev., and Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Prof. Day has worked in Canada, USA, Spain, and Denmark and expects to hire candidates to create a vibrant, multicultural group with frequent social activities.

Supervisor is Assistant Professor, Craig S. Day, Department of Chemistry, csd@chem.ku.dk.

Principal supervisor is Associate Professor Jiwoong Lee, Department of Chemistry, jiwoong.lee@chem.ku.dk.

The PhD programme

The PhD programme Depending of your level of education, you can undertake the PhD programme as either:

• Option A: A three year full-time study within the framework of the regular PhD programme (5+3 scheme), if you already have an education equivalent to a relevant Danish master’s degree. Candidates without such qualifications will not be considered.
• Option B: An up to five year full-time study programme within the framework of the integrated MSc and PhD programme (the 3+5 scheme), if you do not have an education equivalent to a relevant Danish master´s degree – but you have an education equivalent to a Danish bachelors´s degree.

Option A: Getting into a position on the regular PhD programme

Qualifications Needed For The Programme

To be eligible for the regular PhD programme, you must have completed a degree programme, equivalent to a Danish master’s degree (180 ECTS/3 FTE BSc + 120 ECTS/2 FTE MSc) related to the subject area of the project, e.g. Organic Chemistry. For information of eligibility of completed programmes, see General assessments for specific countries and Assessment database.

Terms of employment in the regular programme

• Employment as PhD fellow is full time and for maximum 3 years.
• Employment is conditional upon your successful enrolment as a PhD student at the PhD School at the Faculty of SCIENCE, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the applicant.
• Terms of appointment and payment accord to the agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State on Academics in the State. The position is covered by the Protocol on Job Structure.

Option B: Getting into a position on the integrated MSc and PhD programme

Qualification