Fixed-Term Researcher (M/F) for the Development of 17O NMR at Natural Abundance

About this position

At the CNRS, in the CEMHTI laboratory (Extreme Conditions and Materials: High Temperature and Irradiation) in Orléans (France), the MatRMag team (Materials and Magnetic Resonance) is recruiting an engineer to work on solid-state NMR characterization of model inorganic material surfaces and weathered glasses in the context of environmental challenges.

The primary responsibilities of the successful candidate will be to:

• develop an action plan (in consultation with the OSONS consortium)

• conduct a multinuclear NMR structural study to characterize healthy and altered samples

• implement relevant NMR sequences to specifically characterize the surface of the materials of interest using solid-state 17O NMR.

• process and model the spectra,

• analyze and interpret the measurements,

• interact regularly with the various members of the OSONS project team

• present results at conferences

• author one or more publications

• compile a report summarizing all the results of the work: bibliographic references, NMR spectra, characterizations of glasses and surfaces, mechanisms, etc.

CEMHTI is an independent CNRS research unit spread across two nearby sites (High Temperature and Cyclotron) and comprising approximately 105 staff members. The laboratory develops expertise and innovative tools at the national and international levels, particularly for the in situ study of the physicochemical properties of materials under extreme conditions. The MatRMag team at CEMHTI (UPR 3079 CNRS, Orléans) has, since late 2025, had access to the first prototype of a magic-angle spin probe with cryogenic detection operating at a high magnetic field of 20.0 T. It also possesses recognized expertise in the implementation of multi-pulse methods for sensitivity enhancement.

This innovative analytical approach using solid-state NMR enables unprecedented exploration of the molecular oxide arrangements present on the surface of glasses, which is crucial for modeling reaction mechanisms. As part of the OSONS (Explore 2026) team project, researchers from the team have come together to apply these measurements to several strategic areas of glass development (reducing its carbon footprint, mechanical performance of phase-separated glasses, and functionalization of glass surfaces). The glasses will be synthesized and aging (or chemical exposure) experiments under accelerated conditions in aqueous solution and under atmospheric conditions will be conducted at CEMHTI.

This will be followed by multinuclear NMR characterization, which will be supplemented by ion beam analysis (IBA) of the surfaces and standard physicochemical characterization of the materials. The experiments will primarily use the Bruker 850 MHz NMR spectrometer with its cryogenic detection system. In addition, the laboratory's other NMR spectrometers, UV-visible-IR, FT-IR, and Raman spectrometry equipment, the RBS-NRA-ERDA devices of the Pelletron accelerator, drying ovens and climatic chambers, and high-temperature furnaces may be utilized.

The successful candidate will work at both of the laboratory's sites and will report to the MatRmag team leader. Annual leave: 44 days. Staff cafeteria located nearby; lush, green surroundings on the CNRS campus in Orléans.

Partial coverage of supplemental health insurance (PSC) provided by the employer.