Overview As a flagship research center in nanoscience and nanotechnology, our mission is to open and explore new frontiers of knowledge at the nanoscale, and bring value to society in the form of new understanding, capabilities and innovation, while inspiring and providing broad training to the next generations of researchers. Our values are Commitment, Collaboration and Transformation.
Our research lines focus on the newly-discovered physical and chemical properties that arise from the behaviour of matter at the nanoscale. ICN2 has been awarded with the Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence distinction for three consecutive periods (2014-2018, 2018-2022 and 2023-2026). ICN2 comprises 19 Research Groups, 7 Technical Development and Support Units and Facilities, and 2 Research Platforms, covering different areas of nanoscience and nanotechnology.
Job title: Postdoctoral Researcher
Research area or group: Nanostructured Functional Materials
Description of Group / Project: The Nanostructured Functional Materials group (NANOSFUN) is a research group of the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2) that focuses on the research and development of novel molecular and polymeric functional nanomaterials. The Nanostructured Functional Materials group develops novel (supra)molecular and polymeric functional nanomaterials with application in Health, Energy-Efficient Devices and Environment, including polymeric coatings for modulation of surface properties and bioinspired catechol-based materials with adhesive properties under wet conditions.
Our society must change the water usage model, ensuring its purity through the development of more efficient filters and pursuing a circular economy. The objective is to develop a bioinspired polymer coating based on catechols to cover existing filters and/or propose new (bio)filters as a recyclable support.
Main Tasks and responsibilities The candidate's research activity will be mainly part of the BIORESEC project, which aims to reduce the health impact of drought through innovative bio-inspired coatings for water purification and regeneration. The candidate will be involved in the entire material lifecycle: molecular design and bio-inspired synthesis to the validation of functional prototypes. Tasks will focus on fabrication and characterization of polymeric coatings based on catechol functional groups, mimicking adhesion and chelation properties found in nature. A fundamental part of the work will be the study of the process for capturing and removing Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) such as pharmaceutical antibiotics (e.g., sulfonamides, tetracyclines), nitrates, and metal oxides in complex water matrices. This project covers polymer chemistry and organic/functional synthesis, surface interactions, and filtration prototype validation (high TRL). The candidate will work as part of an international team and is expected to actively participate and lead a substantial part of the project.
The main tasks will include:
Synthesis and modification of bioinspired coatings: synthesis of phenol-based polymers and coatings (catechols, quinones) and their functionalization to enhance affinity for key contaminants.
Surface engineering: deposition approaches (dip-coating, spraying) to integrate coatings onto commercial filtration surfaces.
Structural and biophysical characterization: FTIR, UV-Vis, electron microscopy, TGA, NMR / EPR for structural elucidation, and elemental analysis.
Study of adsorption and CEC removal: adsorption/capture capacity for selective removal of antibiotic classes using real wastewater samples.
Environmental performance analysis: adsorption kinetics, isotherm capacity, durability, stability, and biodegradability under operational conditions.
Prototype integration and validation: collaboration with project partners for integration into real-scale filtration systems.
Documentation and data management: technical and scientific reports, project meetings, and data storage/analysis.
Requirements Education: PhD in Biochemistry and Biology, Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Materials Science or similar.
Knowledge: polymeric coatings science and technology; organic chemistry and functionalization routes; surface modification; coatings deposition techniques; scalable processes; antibiotics biotechnology assessment.
Professional Experience: experience in synthesis of polymeric materials; chemical synthesis and modification of organic and polymeric materials; microscopic and spectroscopic characterization techniques (FTIR, UV-Vis, EA, TGA, NMR, SEM, TEM, FIB, etc.); experience in reporting technical data.
Personal Competences: excellent communication and writing skills; fluent in Spanish and English both spoken and written; intrinsic motivation, strong commitment, responsibility, independence, teamwork; ability to write complete technical reports.
Summary of conditions Full time work (37.5 h / week)
Contract Length: Temporary
Location: Bellaterra (Barcelona)
Salary will depend on qualifications and demonstrated experience.
Support for relocation issues.
Life Insurance.
Work-Life Balance and flexible schedules.
28 holidays per year.
Flexible compensation plan: tax-advantaged benefits (health insurance, childcare, training, among others).
Training activities: languages, mentoring programme, wellbeing programme.
International environment.
Estimated Incorporation date: as soon as possible.
The BIORESEC project belongs to the Colaboración Publico-Privada 2023 grant CPP2023-010996 aiming to reduce the impact of drought on health through innovative bioinspired coatings for water regeneration. Project funded by MICIU / AEI / 10.13039 / 501100011033 and by ERDF / UE.
How to apply All applications must be made via the ICN2 website and include the following:
A cover letter.
A full CV including contact details.
2 Reference letters or referee contacts.
Deadline for applications: 12 November 2025
Equal opportunities At ICN2 we foster an inclusive and safe work environment, free from any form of discrimination based on gender, orientation, identity, age, origin, culture, religion, disability, or any other personal or social condition. We are committed to equal treatment and opportunities in all processes, especially recruitment, based on talent, experience, and ability. We implement proactive policies for inclusion and harassment prevention. If you share these values, ICN2 welcomes you.
#J-18808-Ljbffr