🚀 Internship
Deuteration Chemist Industrial Placement
UK Research and Innovation
•
7d ago
🚀 Placement Program
Oxford
🤑 £21.6K
AI generated summary
- The candidate must currently be enrolled in an undergraduate degree course, have a 2:1 or higher average in Chemistry or a science area, possess synthetic chemistry practical experience, be familiar with standard purification techniques and analyzing reaction outcomes, and have knowledge of COSHH and risk assessments. Desirable qualifications include previous laboratory experience and familiarity with chemical databases.
- The candidate will be responsible for developing a new synthetic route to produce deuterated Oleic acid for neutron experiments, which involves studying the impact of gas-phase oxidants on organic films that form on atmospheric particulate matter. This role involves conducting research, performing laboratory experiments, and contributing to the understanding of climate change.
Description
- Deuteration is an isotopic contrast technique, critical to neutron scattering. It enables complex hydrogen containing chemical and biochemical structures to be investigated and structural and chemical properties to be determined that would otherwise remain hidden. Although some deuterium-containing molecules are commercially available in gram quantities (for instance those commonly used as NMR solvents), most systems of interest to the user community are prohibitively expensive, or are not commercially available at all.
- The Deuteration Facility provides custom synthesis of target isotopic materials for the ISIS and ILL user communities in order to enable their experimental programmes.
Requirements
- Essential:
- Currently enrolled on an undergraduate degree course
- Are required or have requested to take an industrial placement year
- Able to commence employment in summer 2024
- Have the right to live and work in the UK for the duration of the placement
- Degree in a Chemistry, or science area averaging 2:1 or higher
- Synthetic Chemistry practical experience
- Experience with standard purification techniques such as distillation, chromatography
- Experience with analysing reaction outcome, eg NMR, LCMS, GCMS
- Familiar with COSHH and risk assessments
- Desirable:
- Knowledge of good laboratory practise gained from previous laboratory experience
- Experience with chemical databases, eg Scifinder, Reaxys, Web of Science.
Education requirements
Currently Studying
Undergraduate
Area of Responsibilities
Research & Development
Science
Responsibilities
- Organic films that form on atmospheric particulate matter change the optical and cloud condensation nucleation properties of the particulate matter and consequently have implications for modern climate and climate models.
- The organic films are subject to attack from gas-phase oxidants present in ambient air. Oleic acid is a mono-unsaturated omega-9 fatty acid found in various animal and vegetable sources is typically used in neutron studies to model this. Deuterated Oleic acid is required as a contrast within these studies. Therefore, this project will look into a new synthetic route for producing deuterated Oleic acid for neutron experiments.
Details
Work type
Full time
Work mode
office
Application deadline
Oct 29, 2023
Location
Oxford
Salary
21600 GBP