Research Associate in Organic Synthesis and Supramolecular Chemistry

We invite applications for a 36-month postdoctoral research associate position in organic synthesis and supramolecular chemistry. This multi-disciplinary EPSRC project, led by Dr. Stephen Butler at Loughborough University, aims to synthesise macrocyclic luminescent probes to detect specific analytes in vapour and liquid.

The successful candidate will join a collaborative team with expertise in synthetic organic chemistry, photophysical analysis, polymer chemistry, optical engineering, and data science. The primary objective is to develop a portable luminescent sensing device to identify and locate specific chemicals. This breakthrough technology will enable security and defence organisations to quickly and safely identify the nature and spatial distribution of target chemicals, facilitating faster decision-making and response measures.

Building on our recent development of analyte-responsive luminescent lanthanide probes, the project aims to:

• Synthesise luminescent molecular probes capable of specific chemical recognition.
• Embed these probes within porous hydrogels integrated with LED optics.
• Develop a portable device to identify, measure and locate chemicals in liquid or vapour via an easy-to-interpret emission colour change (g. from green to red)
• Overcome limitations of existing methods by avoiding the need for time-consuming, power-intensive lab instrumentation or expert analysis.
• Evaluate probe performance, including selectivity, sensitivity, stability, emission colour change, and operational simplicity.

The position is ideally suited for an ambitious early career researcher with a strong background in multi-step organic synthesis. You will be proficient in the accurate characterisation of organic molecules and comfortable in the safe handling of reactive species and hazardous materials. Experience in photophysical analyses and supramolecular techniques (e.g. spectroscopic host-guest titrations) is advantageous. The successful candidate will be motivated to advance fundamental supramolecular chemistry research and collaborate with a skilled team to translate chemical probes into real-world sensing applications for environmental, security and defence sectors.

This is a full-time 36-month position to commence on or after 7^th October 2024.

For relevant publications please see: Chem. Sci., 2023, 14, 4979–4985; Chem. Commun., 2024, 60, 284–287; Chem. Sci., 2022, 13, 3386–3394. 

More information about the Butler Group can be found here: https://butler-researchgroup.wixsite.com/welcome.

For further details contact Dr Stephen Butler at s.j.butler@lboro.ac.uk.

For more information refer to the Job Description and Person Specification.

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