ESPCI web site
About ESPCI Paris :
ESPCI (https://www.espci.fr/en/) is a leading French “Grande Ecole” founded in 1882, educating undergraduate and graduate students through a programme merging basic science and engineering, as well as a world-renowned research institution. ESPCI Paris hosts 9 research units, all associated to CNRS and/or INSERM and/or other Parisian Universities in the form of joined research units, covering the fields of physics, chemistry and biology. Favouring interdisciplinary, and operating at the frontiers between fundamental research and innovation, are two major objectives of the School.
ESPCI is also a part of Paris Science et Lettres (PSL) Research University (https://www.univ-psl.fr/en) – an ambitious collaboration project of 26 research institutions in a broad range of disciplines from engineering, chemistry and oncology to economics, management, the humanities and the performing arts
About the laboratory/Research Unit :
Laboratoire de Science et Ingénierie de la Matière Molle
At SIMM, research focuses on soft matter, ranging from rather homogeneous (liquids, bulk polymers or gels) to more complex (self-organization, multiple elastomer networks, nanocomposites, multilayers, emulsions, foams). The areas we are primarily interested in are functional assembly, mechanical properties across length scales and interfacial dynamics. Through material chemistry, we exert control over molecular interactions, structural disorder and dynamics to interrogate properties such as polymer toughness and adhesion, complex wetting dynamics and the glass transition, and develop our understanding of their relation to the structure of complex soft systems. For that purpose, SIMM benefits from the complementary expertise of researchers from different fields, ranging from chemistry and physical chemistry to physics and mechanics.
Offer information
MISSIONS and ACTIVITIES :
We are seeking a motivated applicant to work on a post-doctoral project on the detection of molecular forces and bond scission during the fracture of soft polymer materials. The post-doc will be part of a team working on multi-scale characterization of fracture of soft materials with the framework of the ERC Advanced Grant CHEMECH (GA N° 695351), under the supervision of Costantino Creton (PI).
The focus of the project is on multiple network elastomers made of interpenetrated networks. We seek to use mechanosensitive molecules as labels to detect damage in the materials during deformation and fracture. The applicant should have a strong background in organic and polymer chemistry and some knowledge of polymer physics and polymer engineering in particular polymer rheology.
The work will be carried out in collaboration with polymer physicists for the characterization of the mechanical properties in large strain and for the analysis of the optical signals due to mechanophore activation under stress.
The key aspect of the project is the incorporation of mechanosensitive molecules that give an optical response when loaded with a force or when specific bonds break. The optical signal (emission of photons upon breakage, fluorescence, change in absorption) will be detected with a camera and with a laser scanning confocal microscope. For heterogeneous loading situations the objective will be to map spatially and temporally the occurrence of stress and of damage to the material. The work will be based on recently published papers demonstrating the feasibility of the method.
PROFIL OF THE CANDIDAT
COMPETENCES REQUIRED : Strong knowledge of organic chemistry, polymer chemistry and basic knowledge of soft matter physics and mechanics.
EDUCATION LEVEL : PhD in Polymer Science or Materials Science is necessary.
EXPERIENCE REQUIRED : 1-4 years’ experience in Chemistry. Experience in testing materials is a plus. English proficiency in writing and orally is a requirement
Catégorie : Post-Doc
Filière : Enseignement et recherche
The position : A 1 year full-time temporary contract
(par voie contractuelle pour une durée de 1 an pour les agents non titulaires.)
Start of the contract : 1st of January 2019
Applications from people with RQTH are encouraged. These people may benefit from a derogatory recruitment system of the City of Paris