Photonastic materials convert light energy into mechanical energy and are the subject of pre-determined and repeatable deformations in response to light stimuli. This phenomenon is usually associated with plants and flowers, whose petals open in the daylight and close in the evening in response to a light stimulus.
 
Bio-inspired photoactuator devices based on crystals, liquid crystals, metal-organic framework, or polymers were recently proposed. In this project, we are interested in bio-inspired polymeric photoactuator devices which can have applications in microfluidics, biomedics, soft robotics and motors. The keystone of these systems is the insertion of photoactive molecule within polymer films. Our purpose is to identify the key parameters at the molecular and supramolecular scales involved in the mechanical response of a photoresponsive polymeric thin film. The challenge is to rationalize the multiscale mechanisms underlying these phenomena, namely the ultrafast photochromic reactions at the molecular level, the momentum transfer to the surrounding matrix, and after a cascade of processes, the long-term polymer relaxation which yields the macroscopic experimental deformation.

The candidate should have a PhD in Computational Chemistry and a good experience in the application of theoretical methods for photochemical processes. The postdoctoral fellow will mainly use Time-Dependent DFT (TD-DFT) and Molecular Dynamics simulations. Experience in the Force Field parametrizations would be highly appreciated, and programming skills are expected.
More information on the attached document.

This project is funded by the ANR - Agence Nationale pour la Recherche - « Appel à projets générique 2021 ».

Work place: Institute of Chemistry for Life and Health sciences ( i-CLeHS), Chimie Paris Tech, 11 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75 005 Paris, France

Starting date: February 2022 or March 2022

Contract: 15 to 18 months

Gross salary: 2 800 € to 3 150 €/ month (depending on experience)

Application documents: CV, motivation letter, one recommendation letter.

Contact:

Dr. Aurelie PERRIER, Institute of Chemistry for Life and Health Sciences (i-CLeHS) - UMR 8060 (CNRS / Chimie Paris Tech)- [email protected]

Dr. Claire LEMARCHAND, Laboratoire Matière en Conditions Extrêmes (LMCE)  - Université Paris Saclay / CEA-DAM Ile de France- [email protected]