Research Fellow (111192-0526)

This is a re-advertisement. Previous candidates for this role need not apply.

Location: University of Warwick Campus, Coventry

Duration: Fixed-term contract until 30th June 2027

About the Role  

Informal Queries

• For informal queries, please contact Hannes Houck, Royal Society University Research Fellow, Hannes.Houck@warwick.ac.uk.

The Photochemistry for Materials lab is looking for postdoctoral researchers to join our research team at the University of Warwick (UK) under the supervision of Dr Hannes Houck. The positions are part of the ‘DeCoDER’ programme that is funded by the European Research Council (ERC-StG, 101222417 – press release).

Research Project:

As global dependence on synthetic materials is intensifying, waste-accumulation of end-of-life products has become a major concern. Specifically fast-growing 3D photo-printing technologies to make bespoke products such as dental aligners, shoes and car parts present a major challenge as a liquid ink is transformed into a permanently hardened crosslinked photo-polymer that can no longer be recycled. Current photochemical processes that underpin light-based 3D printing processes, however, are single-use and fail to address the urgently needed closed loop recycling of the resulting 3D printed materials. The overall ambition of the ERC DeCoDER project is to make fundamental step-changes in 3D printing ink technology so that 3D printed waste can be effectively and completely re-used as functional photo-ink to allow for 3D-print-to-re-printing. You will join our team efforts to develop new 3D printing inks for light-based printing and evaluate structure-property relationships of introducing intrinsically recyclable bonding mechanisms in the 3D printed materials.

Informative Reading:

• J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024, 146, 28, 19177–19182. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.4c04193
• Adv. Funct. Mater. 2024, 2414713. https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202414713

Research Team:

Our research in the Photochemistry for Materials team is situated at the interface of organic synthesis, photochemistry and polymer science with the overarching ambition to meticulously design novel chemical building blocks and finetune their reactivity to design materials with advanced functionality and improved sustainability. Specifically, we develop small molecule photo(cyclo)addition reactions that allow for the efficient formation of covalently bound reaction products under (visible) light irradiation. Importantly, the thus formed adducts display subsequent reactivity that can be activated on-demand to introduce smart and responsive behaviour, including (bio)degradation and closed-loop recyclability. For example, we have (i) developed a poly(ethylene glycol) photo-modification strategy to access 3D printed materials and mRNA lipid nanoparticles that can degrade in water, (ii) introduced a new type of photo-responsive materials (e.g. microparticles) that can be programmed to de-crosslink through a spontaneous cycloreversion at room temperature, and (iii) invented a novel thermoset material based on the [2+2] photodimerisation of monothiomaleimide that can be intrinsically recycled. 

Research Positions:

Applications are invited to join our investigations on the ERC-StG DeCoDER project for a min. 12-month post-doctoral position, with the possibility for extension upon positive evaluation. In this role, you will be investigating new organic photochemical reactions and their introduction into crosslinked polymer materials with a focus on light-based 3D printing applications.

We are looking for two researchers with specific expertise/interest in either:

• Developing new photo-chemistry platforms for light-based 3D printing inks 
  (organic photochemistry + 3D printing).
• Structure-property relationships of 3D printed materials containing dynamic covalent bonds (material characterisation).

CLOSING DEADLINE: Thursday 4 June 2026 at 11:55pm (UK Time)

Full details of the duties and selection criteria for this role can be found in the vacancy advert on the University of Warwick's jobs pages. You will be routed to this when you click on the 'Apply' button.

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