Job offer

Organisation/Company INSA RENNES Department Bretagne Research Field Chemistry Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Positions Postdoc Positions Application Deadline 30 Apr 2026 - 23:23 (Europe/Paris) Country France Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 35 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

During this two-year postdoctoral research project funded by the ANR (French National Research Agency), the selected candidate will join the INSA component of the Solid State Chemistry and Materials team at the Institut des Sciences Chimiques de Rennes (more information available at: The candidate will become part of a multidisciplinary team of ca. 20 people, composed of researchers, faculty members, and doctoral/postdoctoral students. More specifically, The candidate will join a team consisting of a CNRS research director, an INSA lecturer, and a PhD student.

This postdoctoral research position is funded by the ANR PRC project "LumiCup," led by the INSA team in partnership with ICPEES (Institut de Chimie et Procédés pour l'Énergie, l'Environnement et la Santé), CNRS–University of Strasbourg. The candidate will be in regular collaboration with this partner. Synthetic work and structural and photophysical characterizations will be carried out within the INSA group, while theoretical studies will be pursued in close collaboration with researchers from the University of Rennes, including another postdoctoral researcher also hired for this ANR project.

The Project Luminescent materials have become essential in numerous everyday applications such as lighting, displays, and detection systems. A current challenge is to develop multifunctional, stimulus-responsive materials addressing various needs, such as the detection of hazardous chemical substances (chemical weapons, poisons) or serving as luminescent markers for quality control, traceability, and anti-counterfeiting.

This research work will focus on the preparation of novel photoactive molecular systems based on Cu(I) precursors—a non-strategic and abundant metal. It aims to develop luminescent Cu(I)-based monomers and corresponding supramolecular luminescent polymers. The synthetic approach adopted in this project will be general and adaptable, paving the way for new families of efficient and environmentally friendly luminophores.

Based on straightforward and already-established synthetic methods developed in the lab, this project will generate a wide variety of structures and associated photophysical properties. This will enable the emergence of innovative materials combining intrinsic luminescence with sensitivity to external stimuli (temperature, pressure, atmosphere, solvents...), offering a broad range of emission colors and behaviors. The approach will notably include monomers with ESIPT properties developed at ICPEES, which will be used as linking ligands with Cu(I) TADF-emitting precursors to obtain supramolecular polymers with enhanced luminescence efficiency and innovative sensitivity to external stimuli.

The new derivatives will be characterized using various techniques such as powder and single-crystal X-ray diffraction, NMR, UV-Vis, and IR spectroscopy. Their photophysical properties will be studied in the solid state as a function of temperature (emission spectra, quantum yield measurements, and excited-state lifetimes), allowing to elucidate the electronic structure of the prepared compounds in both ground and excited states. The most efficient compounds will be embedded into various matrices, and device performances will be assessed with the aim of developing prototypes for real-world applications.

As part of this research, the recruited candidate may be invited to actively participate in ongoing collaborations within the group (including short-term research visits), with our partner at ICPEES, as well as with the research groups of Prof. Dr. Manfred Scheer at the University of Regensburg (Germany) and Prof. Leonard MacGillivray at the University of Sherbrooke (Canada).

Where to apply

E-mail

Requirements

Research Field Chemistry Education Level PhD or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have expertise in coordination chemistry, supramolecular or organic chemistry, and be familiar with standard analytical techniques (NMR, UV-Vis, IR, etc.). A strong interest in solid-state characterizations, such as X-ray crystal structure determination and solid-state photophysical studies, is essential. Experience in embedding molecular materials into polymer matrices would be appreciated, as well as good practice of English.

Languages ENGLISH Level Good

Additional Information

Selection process

Application Requirements:Applications (cover letter, resume, letters of recommendation, diplomas) must be submitted no later than April 30, 2026.Selected candidates will be invited to an interview in May 2026.

Additional Information:24-month fixed-term contractStart date: as soon as possible45 days of annual leave + RTT (reduced working hours) possible depending on work scheduleFixed salary

Our hiring decisions are based on skills, regardless of origin, age, or gender, and all our positions are open to people with disabilities.