The Graduate School of Physics and Chemistry was established in 2019 by the National Centre for Nuclear Research (NCBJ) and the Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology (IChTJ). We are now accepting applications for February 2020. The application deadline for Chemistry subjects it is the 30^th of November. Interested persons are invited to submit documents on the page: gradschool.ncbj.gov.pl. In frame of Graduate School of Physics and Chemistry IChTJ offers following chemical topics of doctoral dissertations:

1. Potential radiopharmaceuticals labeled with α-emitter ²²⁷Th for targeted radionuclide therapy
   
   Supervisor: dr hab. Marek Pruszyński
   Description: The aim of this dissertation will be to obtain potential radiopharmaceuticals labeled with ²²⁷Th for targeted radionuclide therapy. The PhD student will conduct research on the separation of ²²⁷Th from its parent radionuclide ²²⁷Ac, finding and selecting the best chelate ligand to stably bind ²²⁷Th to a suitable biomolecule (monoclonal antibody, its fragment or a simple peptide), followed by a series of biological studies on cells of the potential radiopharmaceutical candidate: receptor specificity and binding affinity, internalization, toxicity etc. Preliminary tests will also be carried out using other thorium radionuclides: ²³²Th and ²²⁶Th.
   Funding: IChTJ Fellowship
2. Novel Metal-Organic Framework based materials for the sequestration of radioactive nuclides from the aqueous environment
   
   Supervisor: Prof. dr hab. Zakrzewska-Kołtuniewicz
   Auxiliary Supervisor: dr eng. Bożena Sartowska
   Description: Metal-Organic Framework materials emerged as a new class of hybrid porous materials built up of metal (metal-oxide) clusters linked by polytypic organic linkers via coordinative bond. We are witnessing an extraordinary dynamic development in the field of MOF synthesis and applications in the last years, especially in the field of gas sorption and storage, separation of the gaseous mixtures, catalysis, drug encapsulation. The aim of the project is to develop novel MOF type sorbents for radioactive species sequestration from aqueous environment e.g. pertechnetate anion or uranyl anion.
   Funding: NCBiR grant/IChTJ Fellowship
3. Removal of the selected representative emerging organic pollutants from aqueous solution or waste water using radiation technology
   
   Supervisor: dr hab. Yongxia Sun
   Description: Emerging organic pollutants (EOPs) are causing people’s concern in recent years due to their toxicity and harmful to the ecosystem. They are water soluble and very difficult to treat with conventional technologies. In this PhD dissertation, PhD student will conduct the study on the degradation of several representative emerging organic pollutants using the advance oxidation technology- radiation technology. Different parameters (dose, dose rate, pH of the solution, anions etc. ) influencing on the degradation efficiency of EOPs will be investigated, the degradation products will be identified using LC-MS. Numerical simulation of the EOPs degradation will be carried out to elaborate the degradation mechanism of the chosen EOPs.
   Funding: IAEA grant/IChTJ Fellowship
4. New molecular descriptors constructed based on computational chemistry
   
   Supervisor: Prof. dr hab. Jan Cz. Dobrowolski
   Description: For a decade we are constructing molecular descriptors of substituent effect in the ground and excited singlet states, effect of substitution through a double bond, atom or group incorporation effect, chirality measures based on molecular structure and atomic properties or chiral graph theory, topological indices based on structural formula version of graph theory, structural and magnetic aromaticity indices. The PhD thesis prepared within this project will be devoted to developing software facilitating calculations and usage of the already existing indices, as well as extracting and analysing the obtained results. It will also involve the construction of new indices, possibly using artificial intelligence (AI) methods. As a result it requires prior knowledge about graph theory and well developed programming skills. The new descriptors could be possibly use to reflect some local features of coordination chemistry ligands, introduce new features characterizing chiral structures, or develop structural and magnetic aromaticity indices.
   Funding: NCN grant/IChTJ Fellowship
5. New molecular descriptors constructed based on computational chemistry
   
   Supervisor: Prof. dr hab. Andrzej G. Chmielewski
   Description: The work covers the determination of mechanisms and technological aspects of the decontamination of excessive sewage sludge, from commonly used biological municipal sewage treatment plants. Current regulations in force in the EU they do not allow their storage, and their agricultural use requires microbiological control chemical impurities. The doctorate will cover both basic and industrial research in radiation chemistry and biochemistry.
   Reference "Electron Accelerators for Research, Industry and Environment − the INCT Perspective"
   Funding: NCBR grant/IChTJ Fellowship
6. Radiation treatment of balast water
   
   Supervisor: Prof. dr hab. Andrzej G. Chmielewski
   Description: The work covers study on mechanisms and technological aspects of decontamination and treatment of residual ballast water, which before discharge or reuse must meet the requirements of EU and IMO Directives. The work covers both basic and industrial works in the field of radiation chemistry, biochemistry and separation processes.
   Reference "Electron Accelerators for Research, Industry and Environment − the INCT Perspective"
   Funding: NCBR grant/IChTJ Fellowship
7. Characteristic of chiral molecules using chiroptical methods supported by computational chemistry
   
   Supervisor: Dr hab. Joanna Rode, Co-supervisor: dr. Krzysztof Łyczko
   Description: Since early 2000s we are calculating and for about five years we are measuring the Vibrational Circular Dichroism and Electronic Circular Dichroism spectra. In cooperation with Raman Spectroscopy Group supervised by prof. Malgorzata Baranska in Jagiellonian University we are studying the Raman Optical Activity spectra too. Quite recently we are also cooperating with the Mieczysław Łapkowski's Department of Physical Chemistry and Technology of Polymers of Silesian University of Technology in ECD spectroelectrochemisty measurements. New chiral substances are synthesized in prof. Robert Kawęcki's Organic Chemistry Department of Siedlce University. The PhD Thesis can be devoted to spectroscopic measurements, computational interpretation and crystal structure determination of a congruent series of chiral substances such as chiral organic semiconductor molecules or chiral lanthanide coordination complexes.
   Funding: IChTJ Fellowship