Post doctoral scholarship (2 years) within Catalytic fractionation of wood biomass at Umeå university

Post doctoral scholarship (2 years) within Catalytic fractionation of wood biomass

The Department of  Chemistry is offering a postdoctoral scholarship within the project Catalytic fractionation of wood biomass to phenols and aromatics over biomass derived carbon with NbOP4/Nb2O5The scholarship is full-time for two years with access May 1, 2026 or by agreement.

Departmental specific information 

The Department of Chemistry is one of the largest departments within the Faculty of Science and Technology and has about 200 employees, of which about 40 are research students and a strong and expanding research. Three major research areas, Biological Chemistry, Environmental and Biogeochemistry and Technical Chemistry bring together the department's research and education in chemistry. We are also a strong partner within KBC, Chemical-Biological Center.

Project description  

We are looking for a researcher who wants to come to Umeå University and delve into the development of Reductive Catalytic Fractionation (RCF), an advanced biorefining strategy that simultaneously delignifies lignocellulosic biomass and refines lignin into stable aromatic compounds with high added value.

Despite its “green stamp”, the forest industry also produces considerable amounts of carbon dioxide every year. Unlike traditional pulping, which often breaks down or burns lignin as waste, RCF integrates solvolysis and catalytic hydrogenation to selectively extract lignin while preserving its natural structures and minimizing condensation. The process not only produces a lignin oil rich in aromatic monomers and oligomers, but also leaves behind a carbohydrate-rich pulp suitable for further conversion into fuels, chemicals or materials.

The aim of this project is to fully utilize hard and softwood biomass through the RCF process. This research mainly focuses on synthesizing a high surface area activated carbon support material from hardwood biomass through a controlled pyrolysis process. The biochar obtained from the pyrolysis process will be subjected to chemical activation with KOH/H2O2 and H3PO4 to obtain high surface area activated carbon material. This support material would be provided with acidic active sites NbOPO4/Nb2O5 followed by loading of noble metals (Ru, Pd, Pt) and non-noble metals (Ni, Ni-Cu, Ni-Co). The obtained lignin oil would be upgraded to fuel grade aromatics through hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) with the same catalyst used in the RCF process.

The main objective of this research is to maximize the yield of the desired product through selective reductive catalytic fractionation (RCF).

The project also includes a close collaboration with researchers from the Wallenberg Wood Science Center (wwsc.se) and the Bio4Energy consortium (www.bio4energy.se) and the laboratory of Industrial Chemistry and Reaction Engineering at Åbo Akademi University (www.abo.fi/institution/tekniskkemi). We strive to collaborate with other research groups in chemical engineering, catalysis and reaction technology in Sweden and other countries. You will also interact with researchers and other research projects within the research specialization Technical Chemistry at the Department of Chemistry

The assignment concerns the development, synthesis and characterization of relevant catalytic materials for catalytic conversion of biomass. This also involves conducting studies in flow reactors with the aim of producing various chemical streams of interest for the renewable economy. This includes experimental design, MS analysis, identification of reaction products, quantification and subsequent optimization to generate the chemicals, fuels and materials of the future. Furthermore, knowledge of important characterization techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM, HRTEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and chemisorption techniques (TPD, TPR) is needed. Your contribution will also contribute to an increased understanding of the mechanisms behind various conversions of biomass into valuable products of industrial value.

The scholarship is tax free and concerns full-time studies for two years starting May 1, 2026 or as agreed. The scholarship amount is 360,000 SEK per year and is financed by the Kempe Foundations.

The postdoctoral researcher will have the opportunity to:

• - be merited by participating scientific conferences
• - be a part of an international research environment
• - collaborate with local biorefinery industry

Qualifications  

To qualify as a postdoctoral scholarship holder, the postdoctoral fellow is required to have completed a doctoral degree or a foreign degree deemed equivalent to a doctoral degree. This qualification requirement must be fulfilled no later than at the time of the decision about scholarship recipient. 

Priority should be given to candidates who completed their doctoral degree, according to what is stipulated in the paragraph above, no later than three years prior. If there are special reasons, candidates who completed their doctoral degree before that may also be eligible. Special reasons include absence due to illness, parental leave, appointments of trust in trade union organisations, military service or similar circumstances, as well as clinical practice or other forms of appointment/assignment relevant to the subject area.

The doctoral degree must be in materials science, chemical science or chemical engineering or a foreign degree that is deemed equivalent to a doctoral degree.

Additional requirements are:

A solid background and knowledge of the physical, chemical and material science methods that are relevant to work with biochar and biomass processes is required. You also have experience in the conversion of biomass into chemical products with added value.

Very good knowledge of English, both spoken and written, is a requirement. Very good skills in writing scientific publications.

Documented practical experience in the synthesis and characterization of heterogeneous catalytic materials and experience in the synthesis and characterization of biochar materials is necessary.

You also have experience in the synthesis of carbon materials from biomass and the conversion of biomass into chemical products with added value.

Merits are:

Experience in the passivation of biocoke/char and its safe storage is an asset.

We are looking for someone who has good teamwork skills, is highly motivated and interested in learning to develop new methods, as well as working in an international environment. You can structure your research independently.

Application  

The application should be written in English or Swedish, and attached documents should be in Word or PDF format. The application should be registered via Umeå University’s e-recruitment system Varbi and submitted by the deadline February 18, 2026.

A full application should include:

- Personal letter (the letter should describe how your previous research experience fits with the advertised fellowship)

- Curriculum vitae CV with publication list,

- Copy of doctoral degree certificate,

- Copies of other diplomas, list of completed academic courses and grades,

- Copy of doctoral thesis and relevant articles, 

- Contact information for at least two reference persons,

- Other documents that the applicant wishes to claim.

Further information 

Further information is provided by Professor Jyri-Pekka Mikkola, jyri-pekka.mikkola@umu.se

We look forward to receiving your application!