SOFTMAT4MET : Functional Soft Matter for Sustainable and Selective Extraction of Critical Metals
Description of 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 strategies for the selective recovery of critical metals from WEEE-derived leachates. The central hypothesis is that functional soft matter systems—such as structured polymer networks, interfaces, and hybrid materials—can provide unique control over molecular recognition, 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 open new pathways for selective separation in complex aqueous environments.
The approach combines molecular design, materials chemistry, and process engineering. First, the thermodynamic speciation of target elements in realistic leachates will be investigated using modeling tools (e.g., PHREEQC), enabling the rational design of selective ligands. Particular attention will be paid to ligands capable of targeting oxoanionic species (e.g., catechols, hydroxamates, phosphonates) under environmentally relevant conditions.
These ligands will then be integrated into functional soft materials, including polymer networks, porous structures, fibrous architectures, and membranes, prepared through grafting, self-assembly, or phase structuring processes. Such structured soft matter systems will provide enhanced control over interfacial area, diffusion pathways, and mass transport, thereby improving both selectivity and kinetics in complex aqueous media in order to form robust and regenerable adsorbents. Additive manufacturing techniques (e.g., FDM 3D printing) will be explored to fabricate structured soft materials with controlled architectures, enabling their integration into continuous flow systems and separation devices.
Material performance will be evaluated through batch and column experiments, focusing on adsorption capacity, selectivity in multicomponent systems, kinetics, and regeneration efficiency. Coupling experimental results with reactive transport modeling will enable the prediction and optimization of large-scale processes.
This project is strongly interdisciplinary, bridging coordination chemistry, soft matter physics, 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 in complex fluids, this work aims to deliver scalable soft matter-based solutions for sustainable separation processes, contributing to the circular economy and reducing the environmental footprint of metal recovery. The expected outcomes include new design principles for functional soft 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), offering a generic platform for selective separation 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.
Keywords
Critical metals recovery, Electronic waste (WEEE), Functionalized polymers, Selective extraction ; Soft matter materials ; Circular economy
Research Unit, UMR number and acronym
ENSCP - Institut de Recherche de Chimie Paris, UMR 8247, IRCP
Description of the research Unit/subunit
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.
Name of the supervisor
Vincent SEMETEY (vincent.semetey@chimieparistech.psl.eu)
Name of the co-supervisor
Grégory LEFEVRE (enric.santanach-carreras@totalenergies.com)
3i Aspects of the proposal
The PhD student will be supervised by Annie Colin, HDR, with regular involvement of Enric Santanach Carreras from TotalEnergies as industrial co-supervisor. A weekly meeting with the academic supervisor will ensure close scientific follow-up, experimental planning and risk assessment. The PhD candidate will also spend part of the project in Pau (one third), as part of the joint TotalEnergies–ESPCI laboratory. The student will present results in MIE/CBI meetings and in dedicated steering meetings with milestones on device design, high-pressure operation, spectroscopy, machine learning and validation on the three use cases. A thesis committee will be set up according to PSL rules.
Intersectoriality
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.…
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.
Interdisciplinarity
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.
Expected profile of the candidate
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.
Important dates
Call for applications : from September 1st to October 31st 2026
Eligibility check results : November
3i Committee evaluation results : December
Interviews from the shortlisted candidates with the Selection Committee : January 2027
Start of the PhD : March 1st 2027