Postdoctoral Associate
“Hydrogel microparticles for the destruction of micropollutants found in water”
Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Associate position in the Doyle Lab at MIT. The Doyle Lab has developed a suite of hydrogel technologies for applications in water treatment, focusing on the elimination of emerging contaminants and micropollutants (lead, PFAS, BPA, xenoestrogens, etc.) [1,2], and is currently working on further developing the Fenton catalyst approach [3] to degrade pollutants, especially PFAS compounds. The postdoctoral associate will lead synthesis of hydrogel particles using microfluidics, use a range of experimental technique to assess their physical properties, study and optimize their performance in UV Fenton-oxidation of PFAS compounds, and work towards developing a lab-scale flow reactor incorporating UV-Fenton.
The postdoctoral associate will have frequent interactions with an industry sponsor and be responsible for reporting to them. Candidates should have experimental experience in one or more of the following areas: hydrogel synthesis, catalysis or reaction engineering, microfluidic systems, water purification systems.
Required skills include: background in chemical/mechanical/environmental engineering or allied disciplines, and strong communication skills. Familiarity/interest in building simple mechanical devices is helpful in this project.
Applicants must have a demonstrated record of impactful scientific contributions (not necessarily limited to academic papers, patent applications, etc.), a passion for innovation, and a capacity to communicate effectively with stakeholders from a range of disciplines and backgrounds. The position to be filled this summer.
To apply: please email (i) your cover letter & CV and (ii) the names and contact information for 3 references to Prof. Patrick Doyle (pdoyle [at] mit [dot] edu) “Fenton Postdoc Application” in the subject line.
MIT is an equal opportunity employer, and we welcome diverse experiences, backgrounds and perspectives.
References:
1. Gokhale, Hamelberg, and Doyle, “Multifunctional zwitterionic hydrogels for the rapid elimination of organic and inorganic micropollutants from water”, Nature Water, 2024.
2. Gokhale, Chen, and Doyle, “Micelle-Laden Hydrogel Microparticles for the Removal of Hydrophobic Micropollutants from Water”, ACS Applied Polymer Materials 4(1), 2022.
3. Gokhale, D., Chen, I., Wu, W.N., Gagnaire, A.M., and Doyle, P.S., “A Zwitterionic Hydrogel-Based Heterogeneous Fenton Catalyst for Water Treatment”, Small, 2024.