IMDEA Energy is opening a postdoctoral researcher position for the Thermochemical Processes Unit, looking for talented and motivated candidates for mainly the preparation of new catalysts and their testing for the conversion of 2,3-BDO into Jet Fuel-range hydrocarbons for the BIOCTANE project.

In particular, the BIOCTANE project, a European project granted in the call topic “Hybrid catalytic conversion of renewable energy to carbon-neutral fuels” (HORIZON-CL5-2021-D3-03-03), aims the “sustainable conversion of organic waste streams from agriculture, industry and municipalities via integration of smart biotechnological and thermochemical conversion steps to market-ready renewable jet-fuel”. Within this project, which is coordinated by IMDEA Energy, the Thermochemical Process Unit is focused on the development of the proof of concept of one-pot reaction processes for the direct conversion of the platform molecules, in particular 2,3-butadienol (2,3-BDO), into a pool of hydrocarbons suitable for the formulation of jet-fuel, via dehydration-oligomerization and hydrogenation reactions.

The requirements are as follows:

Tasks Description:

• Monitoring of the state of the art of the fundamentals and technological advances related to the project.
• Synthesis and characterization of catalysts based on zeolites or oxides modified with functionalities for dehydration, oligomerization or hydrogenation reactions.
• Running reaction tests to assess the activity of catalysts.
• Discussion and critical analysis of the experimental results.
• Communicate and disseminate research results through high-quality scientific channels including high impact scientific publications, presentations in conferences, etc.
• Supervision of Master or undergraduate studies.
• Participation in the reporting activities of the results.

Compulsory Requirements:

• PhD degree in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Applied Chemistry or equivalent, completed in the last 4 years.
• At least 1 year of experience in these two topics:
  • Synthesis of zeolite-based catalysts and their characterization techniques (e.g.: powder XRD, gas-physisorption, acidity determination, microscopies (TEM, SEM), TGA, etc.)
  • Catalytic tests in fixed-bed reaction systems involving gas and liquid products

NOTE: Each compulsory requirement must be explicitly stated and addressed individually in both the CV and motivation letter. Failure to clearly confirm compliance with all mandatory criteria will result in automatic rejection from the selection process.

Other merits to value:

• Experience in operating pressurized reaction systems and/or involving flammable gases (light HCs or H2).
• Experienced in national and international research projects and collaborations.
• Publications in indexed relevant journals.
• Motivation to pursue the goals of the project.
• Oral and written communication skills in English.

• Adequacy of the candidate's training and experience to the requested profile.
• Work experience related to the profile of the job position.
• Knowledge of English.
• Motivation for accomplishing high-quality research.

• Remuneration: Between 39.000€ – 42.000€ per year, depending upon qualification and expertise.

*The contract includes all the benefits of the Spanish Public Health and Social Security System.

• Contract: Until the end of the project - October 2026

IMDEA Energía, Móstoles, Madrid