PhD Scholarship - Synthetic Organic Chemistry & NMR Spectroscopy

5w1 month ago

DTU - Technical University of Denmark

DK · Full-time · DKK 350,000 – DKK 450,000

About this role

This PhD position offers an exciting opportunity to work at the interface between synthetic organic chemistry and NMR spectroscopy. The project focuses on developing and synthesizing new chiral alignment media to enable improved NMR-based enantiomer structure elucidation of potential drug scaffolds.

As a PhD candidate, you will design and synthesize chiral functionalized graphene oxide coupled with chiral molecules such as macrocyclic peptides or carbohydrates. You will use advanced NMR spectroscopic methods to evaluate alignment properties and elucidate the stereospecific 3D structure of unknown natural and synthetic drug scaffolds.

The project is supervised by Professor Charlotte H. Gotfredsen at DTU and Professor Morten Meldal at UCPH, providing a multi- and interdisciplinary environment. You will collaborate closely with experts in synthetic organic chemistry, advanced NMR spectroscopy, and computational calculations.

This full-time position offers a rewarding and challenging job in an international environment at a leading technical university. The appointment is for 3 years with a starting date of 1st August 2026 or according to mutual agreement.

Requirements

Two-year Master of Science degree (120 ECTS points) or equivalent in Chemistry or a master’s degree providing a strong basis within synthetic organic and analytical chemistry
Prior experience and a thorough interest in synthetic organic chemistry
Prior experience and a thorough interest in NMR spectroscopy in structure elucidation and method development
Experience with analytical chemistry workflows
Excellent written and spoken English, and the ability to communicate scientific areas clearly
Desire to be part of an interdisciplinary environment as a team player with a proactive attitude

Responsibilities

Design and synthesize new chiral alignment media based on chiral functionalized graphene oxide coupled with chiral molecules
Use advanced NMR spectroscopic methods to evaluate the alignment properties of new media
Elucidate the stereospecific 3D structure of unknown natural and synthetic drug scaffolds and lead structures
Examine experimentally derived NMR structural parameters RDC and RCSA in combination with Density Functional Theory calculations
Work in an interdisciplinary setting at the interface between synthetic organic chemistry and NMR spectroscopy
Contribute to the development of improved NMR-based enantiomer structure elucidation methods

Benefits

Rewarding and challenging job in an international environment
Academic excellence with collegial respect and academic freedom
Salary and appointment terms based on collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations
Full-time position for 3 years with flexible starting date (1st August 2026 or mutual agreement)
Opportunity to explore career paths at DTU