PhD in Functional Soft Matter for Sustainable Metal Extraction

This PhD position at ENS Chimie Paris focuses on advancing sustainable extraction of critical metals like germanium and gallium from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). The project leverages functional soft matter systems—such as polymer networks, membranes, and hybrid materials—to create selective, scalable, and regenerable adsorbents. The work combines molecular design, materials chemistry, and process engineering, with applications in urban mining and circular economy. The successful candidate will collaborate with industrial partners and contribute to both fundamental research and real-world industrial applications.

• Design and synthesize functional soft matter systems (e.g., polymer networks, membranes) for selective metal extraction from complex aqueous environments.
• Investigate thermodynamic speciation of target metals in WEEE-derived leachates using computational tools like PHREEQC.
• Develop and test ligands (e.g., catechols, hydroxamates) for targeting oxoanionic metal species under environmentally relevant conditions.
• Fabricate structured soft materials using techniques like additive manufacturing (FDM 3D printing) and evaluate their performance in batch/column experiments.
• Assess material performance metrics including adsorption capacity, selectivity, kinetics, and regeneration efficiency.
• Collaborate with industrial partners to translate research findings into scalable, industrially relevant separation processes.
• Publish findings in peer-reviewed journals and present results at international conferences.