Background information
The project you will join is called Totally Nuts. In several regions around the world, large quantities of residual waste are generated from cashew nut processing. The shells contain cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL), a complex mixture rich in phenolic compounds such as cardol and cardanol.
Valorising this residual stream is an important step towards a more sustainable and circular bio-based economy. By isolating and characterising individual compounds from CNSL, it becomes possible to use them as bio-based building blocks for new materials such as bioplastics.
Assignment description
The goal of this assignment is to separate cardol and cardanol derivatives from CNSL using flash chromatography and to obtain them as pure compounds. These purified compounds will:
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serve as reference standards for analytical work in the lab
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be used as building blocks for the synthesis of biobased polyesters
Your main activities will include:
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Performing flash chromatography to separate cardol and cardanol from CNSL
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Using HPLC and/or GC-MS (FID) to identify and quantify the separated fractions
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Assessing purity and yield of the isolated compounds
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Contributing to the preparation of bioplastic (polyester) samples based on the purified building blocks
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Keeping accurate lab notes and contributing to internal reporting
Research questions
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How efficiently can cardol and cardanol be separated and purified from CNSL using flash chromatography?
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What purity and yield can be achieved, and how suitable are the purified compounds as reference standards and building blocks for biobased polyesters?
Desired Skills
We are looking for a student with:
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A background in chemistry (preferred) or a closely related field
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Ability to carry out independent laboratory research
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Interest in organic/analytical chemistry and bio-based materials
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Careful and precise working style in the lab
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Motivation to contribute to the valorisation of bio-based residual streams
Supervision
You will be supervised by researchers from the lab team. For this assignment, your main contacts will be:
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Qian Zhou
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Marieke van Deursen
Practical details
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Compensation: Internship fee of €350 per month
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Working language: English