The candidate’s responsibilities will include independent research and development work in the Department of Nanostructured Polymers and Composites at the Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences.

The Department’s research focuses on the design, synthesis, and characterization of new advanced multifunctional polymers and nanocomposites, and on elucidating the relationships between their multiscale structure and their properties. We exploit approaches based on self-assembly, nano-phase separation, interfacial interactions, and the functionalization of polymers and nanofillers. The materials studied include thermoplastics, thermosets, elastomers, hydrogels, and hydrogel-related super-elastomeric xerogels (“solvent-free gels”).

(https://www.imc.cas.cz/cs/veda-a-vyzkum/vedecka-oddeleni/polymerni-materialy-a-technologie/nanostrukturovane-polymery-a-kompozity/zamereni)

Depending on the postdoctoral fellow’s area of expertise, his or her research will focus on:

• advanced polymer nanocomposites containing inorganic or organic nanofillers, including carbon nanomaterials, nanotubes, graphene-based materials, clay nanoplatelets and other 0D, 1D, 2D and 3D nanostructures;
• self-healing and stimuli-responsive polymer materials responding to temperature, pH, mechanical or other external stimuli;
• smart hydrogels and nanocomposite hydrogels with tailored mechanical and transport properties;
• dynamic polymer networks and vitrimers based on reversible chemical or physical interactions;
• self-assembled and supramolecular polymer systems with controlled nano- and microstructure;
• biodegradable, biocompatible and waterborne polymer systems, including polyurethane-based materials;
• control of polymer/nanofiller interfacial interactions and morphology to achieve tailored mechanical, thermal, rheological, transport and functional properties.

The specific research topic will be tailored to the expertise and interests of the successful candidate and will be developed in connection with ongoing research activities and projects within the Department.

The position will also involve planning and conducting experiments, comprehensive materials characterization, critical interpretation of experimental data, publication of results in international peer-reviewed journals, and active participation in national and international research projects.

Experimental approaches

The research activities will involve, in particular:

• rheological and viscoelastic characterization of polymer systems;
• mechanical testing and evaluation of mechanical properties;
• DSC, TGA and other thermal analysis techniques;
• DMA (DMTA);
• GPC/SEC and spectroscopic techniques including FTIR and NMR;
• SAXS, WAXS and XRD;
• SEM and TEM;
• microscopic and other techniques for characterization of nano- and microstructure;
• characterization of surface- and interfacial properties;
• synthesis, modification and functionalization of polymers and nanofillers;
• preparation and characterization of hydrogels, polymer networks and nanocomposites.