Job description
We invite applications for a 3-year postdoctoral position (preferably a physicist or physics-minded chemist) on stimuli-responsive adaptive polymer brush systems. This is a collaborative project between the University of Twente and partners at the Leibniz Institute for Polymer Research (IPF) in Dresden, Germany.
Polymer brushes—densely tethered polymer chains extending from surfaces—exhibit strong responsiveness to environmental stimuli such as solvent composition, temperature, light, or electric fields. In this project, we aim to exploit this responsiveness to design multi-layer polymer brush architectures with dynamically tunable wetting, solute transport, and trapping properties. The work connects fundamental polymer and soft-matter physics with concepts from intelligent materials and bio-inspired autonomous systems.
The research involves experimental studies of swelling, wetting, and transport phenomena, and the development of physical interpretations of responsive behavior in confined polymer systems. (Synthesis of complex polymer architectures will primarily be carried out by the partners in Dresden.)
Your profile
- You are an ambitious candidate with a PhD Degree in Physics, Physical Chemistry, Polymer Science, or a related field
- Have a strong interest in interfacial phenomena, soft matter, or polymer physics
- Enjoy quantitative analysis and physical interpretation of experimental results
- You are fluent in English and able to collaborate intensively with internal and external parties in regular meetings and work visits
Our offer
- A stimulating interdisciplinary research environment with strong international collaboration
- Access to advanced experimental facilities at UT and IPF Dresden
- A full-time 3-year postdoctoral appointment with competitive salary and benefits
- Excellent mentorship and a stimulating international research environment.
- Salary and associated conditions are in accordance with the collective labour agreement for Dutch universities (CAO-NU); depending on experience gross monthly pay of € 4.241,- to € 5.538,-
- Excellent employment benefits, including a holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary, an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%, and a solid pension scheme
- A minimum of 29 holidays in case of full-time employment.
- Free access to sport facilities on campus.
Information and application
Interested? Send your application before 31 May 2026 through the provided button, which should include:
- transcript of your MSc course grades – executive summary of your PhD thesis and DOI
- CV, including publication list
- motivation letter targeted to the project as a whole and/or the specific subprojects mentioned above
The starting date is 26 September 2026 at the latest.
Screening is part of the selection procedure
About the department
The research goal of PCF is to understand and to control liquids and their interfaces from molecular to macroscopic scales. Our research connects fundamental phenomena in static and dynamic wetting, nanofluidics, microfluidic two-phase flow, functional surfaces, chemical reactivity at interfaces to practically relevant applications. In recent years, our application focus has shifted towards challenges of the energy transition and CO2 mitigation, such as photocatalysis, mineral carbonation (olivine), biogas upgrading and advanced lubrication strategies, e.g. for electric vehicles and/or wind turbines.
About the organisation
The Faculty of Science & Technology (Technische Natuurwetenschappen, TNW) engages some 700 staff members and 2000 students in education and research on the cutting edge of chemical technology, applied physics and biomedical technology. Our fields of application include sustainable energy, process technology and materials science, nanotechnology and technical medicine. As part of a people-first tech university that aims to shape society, individuals and connections, our faculty works together intensively with industrial partners and researchers in the Netherlands and abroad, and conducts extensive research for external commissioning parties and funders. Our research has a high profile both in the Netherlands and internationally and is strengthened by the many young researchers working on innovative projects with as doctoral candidates and post-docs. It has been accommodated in three multidisciplinary UT research institutes: Mesa+ Institute, TechMed Centre and Digital Society Institute.
