SOFTMAT4MET - Functional Soft Matter for Sustainable and Selective Extraction of Critical Metals

PRISM programme

The PRISM (PhD Research Programme for International Training in Sustainable Soft Matter) programme has launched its first call for applications, offering up to 14 fully funded PhD fellowships starting from 1 March 2027 at Paris Sciences & Lettres (PSL) University. The programme trains researchers to address ecological transition challenges through sustainable soft matter science, with projects focused on eco-friendly chemical processes, circular economy, renewable energies, and carbon capture, storage, and valorisation. Co-funded by the European Union under Horizon Europe MSCA COFUND (Grant Agreement 101261637) and partner institutions, PRISM provides interdisciplinary, international, and intersectoral training, including mobility opportunities, secondments, and courses in sustainability, innovation, entrepreneurship, career development, and transferable skills.

Applications must be submitted via the PRISM website by 31 October 2026 (23:59 Paris time).                                                                    

The PhD project

The increasing demand for advanced technologies and renewable energy systems is driving the consumption of critical metals such as germanium and gallium. However, their primary supply is limited and geopolitically constrained, while current recycling processes remain inefficient at recovering these elements from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). These metals are typically present at low concentrations in complex matrices and often occur as oxoanionic species, making their selective extraction particularly challenging.

This PhD project aims to develop innovative soft matter-based materials for the selective recovery and transport of critical metals from WEEE-derived leachates. The central hypothesis is that functional polymer architectures can provide unique control over molecular recognition, ion transport, and separation mechanisms beyond what conventional rigid adsorbents allow. By leveraging the adaptive, tunable, and dynamic nature of soft matter, this project seeks to establish new strategies for selective extraction and directed transport of metal species in complex aqueous environments.

The approach combines molecular design, polymer materials chemistry, and process engineering. First, the thermodynamic speciation of target elements in realistic leachates will be investigated using modelling tools (e.g., PHREEQC), enabling the rational design of selective ligands. Particular attention will be paid to ligands capable of recognizing oxoanionic species (e.g., catechols, hydroxamates, phosphonates) under environmentally relevant conditions.

These ligands will then be incorporated into structured polymer materials including fibers, membranes, porous beads, and three-dimensional architectures prepared through grafting, self-assembly, phase separation, or additive manufacturing approaches. Beyond simple adsorption, these materials will be engineered to create controlled transport pathways capable of promoting selective uptake, diffusion, and migration of targeted metal species through hydrated polymer networks. The organization of functional groups, porosity, morphology, and hydration domains will be investigated as key parameters governing both molecular recognition and mass transport. Additive manufacturing techniques (e.g., FDM 3D printing) will also be explored to fabricate materials with tailored geometries suitable for continuous-flow separation systems.

Material performance will be evaluated through batch, membrane, and column experiments, focusing on adsorption capacity, selectivity in multicomponent systems, transport properties, kinetics, and regeneration efficiency. Coupling experimental results with reactive transport modelling will enable the prediction and optimization of large-scale separation processes.

This project is strongly interdisciplinary, bridging coordination chemistry, soft matter physics, polymer science, and chemical engineering, and includes a significant intersectoral dimension through collaboration with stakeholders in recycling and urban mining. International partnerships will further support comparative studies and secondments.

Beyond fundamental insights into selective recognition and transport phenomena in complex fluids, this work aims to deliver scalable soft matter-based solutions for sustainable metal separation processes, contributing to the circular economy and reducing the environmental footprint of metal recovery. The expected outcomes include new design principles for functional polymer materials, improved recovery efficiencies, and transferable methodologies for industrial applications. Beyond the targeted elements, this strategy could be extended to a wide variety of critical raw materials (CRMs), providing a generic platform for selective capture and transport of metal species in complex aqueous systems. The project will also benefit from the support of the “Mines Urbaines” academic chair, providing access to industrial partnerships, real WEEE-derived streams, and applied expertise in urban mining, thereby facilitating the translation of these approaches toward scalable and industrially relevant processes.

3i dimensions

INTERNATIONAL: The project includes a strong international dimension through established academic and industrial collaborations in the field of recycling and critical raw materials in Europe and Brazil. The PhD candidate will benefit from interactions with international partners working on hydrometallurgy, polymer materials, or environmental chemistry, enabling access to complementary expertise and diverse waste streams. A compulsory international secondment of at least one month is planned in a partner laboratory specialized in either advanced materials or metal recovery processes. This secondment will be directly linked to the project objectives, for instance by investigating alternative ligands or testing materials under different process conditions. In addition, the candidate will participate in international conferences and collaborative projects, fostering scientific exchange and visibility. These activities will contribute to the candidate’s training in a global research environment and strengthen the international impact of the project.

INTERSECTORAL: The project has a significant intersectoral dimension through its close connection with industrial and non-academic partners involved in electronic waste recycling and urban mining. In particular, the work is embedded within a collaborative framework that provides access to real WEEE-derived leachates and ensures alignment with operational constraints and industrial needs. The PhD candidate will interact regularly with industrial stakeholders to guide material design toward scalable and economically viable solutions. A short intersectoral secondment is planned with a recycling company or industrial partner specializing in hydrometallurgy or adsorbent development, allowing the candidate to test materials in realistic process conditions and gain insight into industrial implementation challenges. The project also presents strong innovation potential, with the development of functionalized polymer materials and transferable methodologies that could lead to process optimization, technology transfer, or future valorization pathways.…

INTERDISCIPLINARY: The project is inherently interdisciplinary, integrating chemistry, materials science, and chemical engineering to address complex challenges in critical metal recovery. It combines coordination chemistry for the design of selective ligands, polymer chemistry for the synthesis and structuring of functionalized materials, and process engineering for the implementation of separation techniques in realistic operating conditions. In addition, the project incorporates elements of physical chemistry through thermodynamic speciation and reactive transport modeling, enabling a molecular-level understanding of the interactions governing metal extraction. This interdisciplinary approach allows bridging fundamental science and applied processes, ensuring that materials developed at the molecular scale can be effectively translated into industrially relevant separation systems. Such integration is essential to develop efficient, sustainable solutions aligned with circular economy objectives and ecological transition challenges.

Salary

The PRISM programme offers a competitive salary above the national average for PhD candidates in France to attract and support excellent researchers. Doctoral candidates will receive an approximate net monthly salary of €2,200, with additional family and mobility allowances available for eligible fellows. The salary is subject to French income tax, with the exception of the family and mobility allowances. Depending on the candidate's individual tax situation, income tax may represent approximately 2–5% of the net salary and is levied by the French tax authorities independently of the employer. To ensure consistent management and equal employment conditions across the programme, all PRISM doctoral candidates will be employed by ESPCI Paris, regardless of the host laboratory where their research is carried out.

Employer’s benefits

Remote working opportunities, access to sports and leisure activities, free access to public Paris city council’s swimming pools, access to CROUS canteen, scientific campus in central Paris, professional development programs, well-being workshops, social benefits through CNAS, partial health insurance support, and 75% support for sustainable mobility.

Name of the school of PSL

ENSCP - PSL (Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie Paris)

Research Unit

Institut de Recherche de Chimie Paris (UMR 8247, IRCP)

The Institut de Recherche de Chimie Paris (IRCP), affiliated with Chimie ParisTech – PSL University, is a leading research center dedicated to both fundamental and applied chemical sciences. It brings together multidisciplinary teams working at the interface of molecular chemistry, materials science, and chemical engineering. The institute is internationally recognized for its expertise in synthesis, catalysis, electrochemistry, and physical chemistry, with a strong focus on sustainable and environmentally friendly processes. IRCP promotes innovative, interdisciplinary approaches to address major societal challenges, including energy transition, circular economy, and the development of advanced functional materials. It maintains strong collaborations with academic and industrial partners at national and international levels, fostering knowledge transfer and technological innovation. The institute also plays a key role in education through research, hosting numerous PhD students and postdoctoral researchers. Through its scientific excellence, IRCP contributes significantly to the global visibility of Chimie ParisTech and PSL University.

Supervision

Supervisor: Vincent SEMETEY vincent.semetey@chimieparistech.psl.eu

Co-supervisor: Grégory LEFEVRE gregory.lefevre@chimieparistech.psl.eu

All projects are open PhD projects, meaning that the research plan will be further developed collaboratively by the selected doctoral candidate and the supervisors.

The candidate should hold a Master’s degree in chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science, or a related field. A strong background in physical chemistry, coordination chemistry, or polymer science is expected. Knowledge of separation processes, hydrometallurgy, or environmental chemistry would be advantageous.

The candidate should demonstrate solid experimental skills, ideally including synthesis and characterization of materials (e.g., polymers, adsorbents) and analytical techniques. Experience with modeling tools (e.g., thermodynamic speciation or transport modeling) is a plus but not mandatory.

The candidate must have a strong interest in interdisciplinary research at the interface of chemistry and process engineering, as well as motivation to work on sustainability and circular economy challenges. Good communication skills in English (minimum C1 level) and the ability to work in an international and collaborative environment are required.