PRISM programme - PhD student in Flow chemistry for Project POAT-CO2-V (MSCA COFUND)

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Testo originale dell'annuncio (in inglese)

*PRISM programme* The PRISM (PhD Research Programme for International Training in Sustainable Soft Matter) programme has launched its first call for applications, offering up to 14 fully funded PhD fellowships starting from 1 March 2027 at Paris Sciences & Lettres (PSL) University. The programme trains researchers to address ecological transition challenges through sustainable soft matter science, with projects focused on eco-friendly chemical processes, circular economy, renewable energies, and carbon capture, storage, and valorisation. Co-funded by the European Union under Horizon Europe MSCA COFUND (Grant Agreement 101261637) and partner institutions, PRISM provides interdisciplinary, international, and intersectoral training, including mobility opportunities, secondments, and courses in sustainability, innovation, entrepreneurship, career development, and transferable skills. Applications must be submitted via the PRISM website by 31 October 2026 (23:59 Paris time). *The PhD project* POAT-CO2-V: Plasma-driven Oxygen Atom Transfer for CO₂ Valorisation The “plasma, Processes, Microsystems” (2PM) group at Chimie ParisTech-PSL, headed by Prof. M. Tatoulian, is an internationally recognised pioneer in the integration of plasma activation within continuous-flow chemistry, with major advances in the optimisation of plasma–liquid interactions and the design of flow plasma reactors. The 2PM group is a member of the Pierre-Gilles de Gennes Institute for Microfluidics (IPGG), a national Labex of excellence ( https://www.institut-pgg.fr/ ), giving access to cleanroom and micro/nanofabrication facilities to design and fabricate our own gas–liquid plasma reactors. This expertise underpins two deep-tech spin-offs co-founded from our research group: Energo (in 2018), which converts CO₂ and biogas into green methanol ( https://energo.green/ ), and Plaskimia (in 2026), which industrializes plasma flow chemistry for fine-chemical synthesis and financially supports the POAT-CO2-V project ( https://www.plaskimia.com/ ). The doctoral project will thus be carried out in close collaboration with both spin-offs, offering the PhD candidate a rare research environment where cutting-edge science translates directly into industrial innovation, with direct exposure to technology transfer and industrial scale-up alongside frontier academic research, and a genuine opportunity to help shape the future of electrified, sustainable chemical manufacturing. This ambition is grounded in a scientific challenge central to both academic research and industrial practice: oxygen atom transfer (OAT: the insertion of an oxygen atom into organic substrates). OAT plays a central role in industrial and pharmaceutical chemistry, yet calls for more sustainable technologies. Among the most challenging transformations are the epoxidation of C═C double bonds[1] and the hydroxylation of C─H bonds.[2,3] Industrial oxidation processes typically rely on radical mechanisms, suffering from limited selectivity, over-oxidation and difficulty in activating less reactive substrates. While hydroxylation of activated benzylic C─H bonds is industrially mature, with yields exceeding 95% for p‑terephthalic acid,[2] it remains challenging for more demanding reactions. A key example is the oxidation of cyclohexane into cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone (KA oil),[3] essential intermediates for adipic acid and ε‑caprolactam in nylon production. This air/cobalt-catalysed process suffers from low selectivity (70–80% at only 4–5% conversion) and high energy input.[3] More sustainable strategies, electrochemical[4] and photochemical[5] routes using O₂ or water, have also been explored, but generally show limited activity or selectivity for industrial use.[4,5] In that context, cold plasma technology offers a promising alternative: it generates highly reactive oxygen species, enabling more selective reactions with substrates while minimising energy losses and unwanted side reactions. At the 2PM team, n