Catalysis Researcher

Catalysis Researcher

Who we are

Syntetica is an early stage chemistry startup decarbonizing the textile industry through textile-to-textile recycling, starting with nylon.

Synthetic materials are made from crude oil entailing a major carbon footprint. When these materials become waste, less than 1% of them are recycled to produce new textiles. Syntetica is on a mission to eradicate crude oil from synthetic materials. We are creating a world in which the waste we generate is seamlessly recycled into the new clothes we wear and the textiles we use daily in automotive or home applications. Our mission is to create circularity in the textile industry, making net zero an achievable reality.

And the starting point is nylon. Our nylon depolymerization process is the first of its kind, capable of breaking down all nylon rich textile waste into circular virgin-equivalent nylon monomers, and separating materials such as elastane, cotton and polyester for further recycling. We are backed by the world-leading accelerator Entrepreneur First and are currently finalising our seed fundraising round. What’s next? We are looking to scale our process at speed to produce recycled nylon for our customers, which already includes two of the largest fashion brands in the world.

Context

We are looking for a Catalysis Researcher with a strong background in catalysis and expertise in purification processes.

As our Catalysis Researcher, you will lead efforts to improve the synthesis of recycled polymers, from optimization of the depolymerization of polyamide, to the methodologies of separation and purification of organic compounds, working closely with the rest of the scientific team. Your responsibilities will include optimising the synthesis/catalysis and reaction conditions to maximise efficiency and yield, optimising the purification of the resulting products to reach high purity.

You will work side by side with the founders to integrate our technology into existing industry workflows. If you want to play a pivotal role in an early-stage start-up on a mission to decarbonise the textile industry, this job is for you.

Key responsibilities

You will play a crucial role in transforming our groundbreaking technology to an outstanding ready to scale process. Key responsibilities include:

Optimization of the process

• Improvement of the efficiency of the depolymerization playing on selected parameters (nature of reactant, concentration, catalyst loading, etc) with the aim of optimising for scale.
• Analytical characterization of the monomers and determination of their purity through NMR, HPLC, GCMS, etc.

Purification & characterization of organic compounds

• Improve the purification system to maximise the yield and the efficiency of the recycling process.
• Characterization of impurities and residues of the process of purification.
• Analytical characterization of the monomers and determination of their purity through NMR, HPLC, GCMS, etc.

Scale-up:

• Actively participate in the scale-up of the depolymerization process of the monomers and use of chemical reactors (10-20 L)
• Work closely with the lead process engineer and the rest of the team to build the flow sheet of the process and the lab pilot plan (determination of kinetic laws, determination of the energy and mass balance, etc)

What we’re looking for :

Education & background :

• A PhD in Catalysis, Molecular Chemistry or a related field, with a strong background in optimization and catalyst development.
• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to quickly grasp complex concepts and adapt to new challenges.
• Demonstrated autonomy and initiative in research projects, with a track record of delivering results in a dynamic environment.
• Experience within industry or working on industrial projects in academia.

Chemistry skills :

• Proven experience in catalysis processes (optimization of conditions, kinetic determination, thermodynamic studies, etc), preferably in complex catalytic systems (reactants, effect of solvents, etc).
• Proven experience in characterization of organic compounds and inorganic compounds.
• In-depth knowledge of catalysis and organic chemistry, especially in amidification, esterifiation and related-field.
• Knowledge of purification methodology in an industrial environment (distillation, precipitation, recrystallization, sublimation, etc).
• Experience with synthetic materials depolymerization and monomers production would be a nice to have (but not required)

Personal qualities :

• Strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively within interdisciplinary teams.
• Demonstrates scientific rigour and meticulous attention to detail
• Shows adaptability and a commitment to continuous learning
• Possesses humility and openness to growth

Starting date: flexible, preferably 15/06/2024

Contact person for more (technical) information: Louis Monsigny (louis.monsigny@syntetica.fr).