Late First-Row Transition Metal-Oxo Complexes

Applications are invited for a Ph.D. studentship in the Bioinspired Inorganic Chemistry group led by Dr. Aidan McDonald based in the School of Chemistry at Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin (http://chemistry.tcd.ie/staff/people/mcdonald/index.php). The Ph.D. studentship is fully funded (EU academic fees and stipend) for four years, subject to satisfactory progress.

Requirements: Applicants should be citizens of the European Union and have a Masters degree in Chemistry (I or high II.1 grade or equivalent) and have a keen interest in synthetic or biological inorganic Chemistry. Applicants should be highly motivated and have research experience in inorganic Chemistry. Applications should be submitted before November 30th 2016. The anticipated start date is March 2017.

Details: This research project will focus on the preparation of late transition-metal-oxo complexes, and investigations into their reactivity towards hydrocarbons containing strong C–H bonds. The researcher will design and synthesise low-valent Co-, Ni-, and Cu-, complexes and prepare high-valent metal-oxo complexes from the low-valent precursors. This research will involve a combination of inorganic synthesis and spectroscopic and kinetic analyses. The researcher will develop a strong skill-set of inorganic synthetic practices for handling air and moisture sensitive compounds, and will be trained on an array of spectroscopic characterisation techniques (UV-vis, NMR, EPR, XRD, XAS, FT-IR, resonance Raman). Students will automatically be enrolled in the Dublin Chemistry Graduate Programme and will be required to act as demonstrators in undergraduate laboratories within the School of Chemistry as part of their duties.

For further information or to apply please email a PDF copy of a brief cover letter and CV, including names and contact details for 2-3 referees, to [Email Address Removed].