Researcher in Nanotechnology and Functional Materials with focus on the development of sustainable nanoporous materials for the recovery of critical metals

at the Division of Nanotechnology and Functional Materials, Department of Engineering Sciences, Ångström Laboratory.

Permanent, full-time position, starting 1st of February 2026 or by agreement.

Join us!

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering aims to be an environment for successful and valuable research and education with a focus on materials science solutions for important societal challenges. Our department is an exciting workplace with research in a broad technology-related area, from basic research to large-scale applied research, and close contacts with students through the department's involvement in engineering and master's programs. Our research and teaching are conducted within seven divisions with different research focuses, as well as a division that provides support and service. The department is an international place to work, and has around 230 active co-workers.

Read more about us here

About the division

The Division of Nanotechnology and Functional Materials is part of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Ångström Laboratory. At the division, we conduct research within functional porous materials for energy and environmental applications, nano biomaterials, sustainable electrical energy storage and energy transformations, functionalization of electrode surfaces for catalytic applications, additive manufacturing of pharmaceutical materials, microsensors for in vivo usage, and sustainable materials from biomass. Researchers here thus have extensive experience in the functionalization of biomaterials, biocompatibility, diagnostics, additive manufacturing, organic energy storage, nanosafety, and the development and characterization of functional porous materials.

Project description:

The project aims to develop new porous organic materials (POMs) from both conventional organic monomers and bio-based feedstock, processing them into application-friendly pristine or nanocomposite structures for advanced adsorption and catalytic applications. The research will focus on tailoring the structural and chemical properties of the POMs for the selective capture of critical metals from acidic leachate of secondary waste products, such as electronic waste. The processing of the tailored POMs will include additive manufacturing as well as interfacial synthetic approaches to shape the materials into, e.g., monoliths or membranes, using the pristine materials themselves or cellulose as a support. The resulting macroscopically structured POMs will serve as ready-to-use sorbents for the recovery of noble metals and subsequently act as metal-enriched supports to drive advanced catalytic reactions. The project, therefore, aims to advance the development of effective, sustainable, and cost-efficient sorbents while also addressing challenges related to the recycling of noble-metal-containing secondary waste.

Duties:

The duties include fundamental and applied research on POMs such as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), and porous organic polymers (POPs), specifically focusing on the synthesis and characterization of functionalized POMs constructed from conventional and bio-based organic monomers. Processing of the POMs into freestanding structures via additive manufacturing and bottom-up approaches, as well as nanoengineering techniques by using nanocellulose as a support. Assessment of the materials’ performance in recovering noble metals from acidic leachate from real-life secondary waste, which will include evaluation of the adsorption capacity, kinetics, selectivity, and adsorption mechanisms, as well as the utilization of the noble metal-loaded materials for heterogeneous catalysis.

You are expected to work safely and independently in a lab environment, as well as effectively in a large multidisciplinary group of chemists and materials scientists.

In addition to research, some participation in supervision of doctoral, master's, and project students, as well as communication of research results through scientific articles in well-established scientific journals and presentations at international conferences, are also included as important aspects of the employment. Some participation in undergraduate teaching may also be included. You are also expected to contribute to applications for external research funds.

Requirements:

The position requires a doctoral degree in chemistry, nanotechnology, or an equivalent degree in a related field.

We require documented knowledge and several years of research experience in:

• the development of functional nanoporous materials (MOFs, COFs, and POPs).
• studying gas sorption phenomena in functional nanoporous materials (e.g., MOFs, COFs, POPs).
• processing of polymers and porous materials using extrusion or laser-based additive manufacturing techniques, such as direct-ink-writing (DIW) and selective laser sintering (SLS).
• evaluating porous organic materials for noble metal capture from secondary waste.
• relevant analytical techniques, including gas adsorption, X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).

We require very good oral and written skills in English as well as very good skills in writing scientific publications.

Additional qualifications:

Large emphasis will be placed on personal qualities such as good cooperation and communication skills. You should be goal-oriented, structured, and able to work efficiently both individually and in a group.

Instructions for application:

• A letter describing yourself, your goals, and why you are a suitable candidate for this position.
• CV (max 2 pages)
• List of publications
• Copy of three publications of special relevance
• Copy of the PhD, master's degree (or equivalent), and course grades and other merits
• Short description (max 300 words) of your doctoral thesis
• If available, an electronic version of your doctoral thesis (or weblink).
• Names and contact information (e-mail and telephone) of two reference persons who have agreed to act as references for you. Please also describe the relationship with that person.

The application can preferably be written in English.

During the application period, we will continuously read application documents and call for interviews

About the employment:

The employment is a permanent, full-time position. Starting date 1 february 2026, or as agreed upon. Placement: Uppsala

For further information about the position, please contact:

Assoc. Prof. Chao Xu, chao.xu@angstrom.uu.se

Please submit your application no later than November 28, 2025 UFV-PA 2025/3019

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