2024

Ph.D. student in Chemistry, School of Engineering and Natural Sciences, University of Iceland

We have a vacancy for a PhD position at the Department of Chemistry funded by the Icelandic Centre for Research (Rannís) and the University of Iceland Research Fund in Prof. Krishna K Damodaran’s group.

Title: Supramolecular gels as media for synthesizing organic and inorganic compounds

Project: Supramolecular gels based on low molecular weight gelators (LMWGs) have been used for synthesising inorganic compounds (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2021, 60, 24406) and as a medium for crystallisation (Cryst. Growth Des. 2021, 21, 9, 5383, Chem. Soc. Rev.,2014, 43, 2080 and New. J. Chem, 2018,42, 19963). This project aims to develop chiral LMWGs as a media for synthesising inorganic compounds and for crystallisation. The successful candidate will develop bis(urea/amide) gelators, which gel to give a fiber surface that chemically mimics the target materials. The candidate will try to develop a better and more efficient mechanism of supramolecular gel formation and their importance in gel phase synthesis and crystallisation. In addition, the candidate will have an opportunity to get hands-on experience in X-ray crystallography, which will enable the candidate to utilise this expertise in associated research areas.

Prof. Damodaran’s research group: For details visit https://uni.hi.is/krishna/research/

The candidate: We are looking for an intelligent, hardworking and enthusiastic PhD student to design, synthesize and characterize supramolecular gels. The candidate should have an MSc. degree in Chemistry, a good knowledge of multi-step organic synthesis is preferred, and an interest in research at the interface with inorganic and/or materials chemistry will be beneficial. Valuable skills include analytical and interdisciplinary thinking, initiative, and motivation to excel, as well as the ability and interest to collaborate with other scientists. The candidate must have an excellent command of the English language, both written and spoken.

The application: Applications should be sent to Prof. Krishna K Damodaran by email (krishna@hi.is) by 1st July 2024 with the subject line "PhD application [Your Name]." The application should include i) an informal cover letter outlining the motivation for applying to this program (max 2 page), ii) a CV, and preferably iii) a documented TOEFL score for non-native English speakers. The candidate should provide the details of three referees, who can be contacted for letters of recommendation letter if the application is successful.