INT-27050- SUSTAINABLE BIO-BASED PLASMA COATINGS ON NATURE-INSPIRED MICRO- TO NANOSTRUCTURED SURFACES FOR FLUID DYNAMIC APPLICATIONS

The Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) is a leading Research and Technology Organisation (RTO) that drives innovation for the economy and society in Luxembourg and beyond. With cutting-edge expertise in Natural, Built, Industrial environments, Space, AI, Security and defence technologies. LIST bridges scientific excellence and applied research to design solutions that address real-world challenges and create positive impact.

Do you want to know more about LIST? Check our website: https://www.list.lu/

Your LIST benefits

• An organization with a passion for impact and strong RDI partnerships in Luxembourg and Europe that works on responsible and independent research projects
• Sustainable by design, empowering our belief that we play an essential role in paving the way to a green society
• Innovative infrastructures and exceptional labs occupying more than 5,000 square metres, including innovations in all that we do
• An environment encouraging curiosity, innovation and entrepreneurship in all areas
• Personalized learning programme to foster our staff’s soft and technical skills
• Multicultural and international work environment with more than 60 nationalities represented in our workforce
• Diverse and inclusive work environment empowering our people to fulfil their personal and professional ambitions
• Gender-friendly environment with multiple actions to attract, develop and retain women in science
• 32 days’ paid annual leave, 11 public holidays, 13-month salary, statutory health insurance

Internship contract | Belval | 6 Months

Are you passionate about research? So are we! Come and join us

How will you contribute?

Fluid-dynamic surfaces mimicking nature, such as shark-skin-inspired riblet structures, are already revolutionizing industries ranging from food processing to paper production. Yet achieving durable antimicrobial, hydrophilic, or hydrophobic properties on such complex micro- to nanostructured geometries remains a major scientific and industrial challenge. The INNOCOAT4PLASMA project tackles this challenge by combining bio-based monomer (derived from the waste-wood industry and from plant extracts) and atmospheric pressure plasma deposition, an energy-efficient, low-waste, and scalable coating technology, applied onto recycled thermoplastic foils with imprinted micro- to nanostructures.

You will be mainly in charge of:

• Conducting atmospheric pressure plasma deposition of bio-based functional coatings onto micro- to nanostructured thermoplastic foil substrates.
• Characterizing deposited coatings using surface analytical techniques (e.g., contact angle measurement, Micro-FTIR, SEM, fluorescence confocal microscopy).
• Supporting research staff in the antimicrobial performance assessment of plasma-coated micro- to nanostructured surfaces and in the multiscale modelling and simulation of atmospheric pressure plasma deposition processes.
• Regular technical reporting (in English) and writing a final report.

Is Your profile described below? Are you our future colleague? Apply now!

Education

• Currently enrolled in a Master's degree programme (Bachelor's degree obtained) in Materials Science, Physics, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related field.
• Background in surface science, polymer science, thin film technology, or green chemistry is a strong asset.

Experience and skills

Hard skills:

• Knowledge of or strong interest in plasma-based deposition techniques (e.g., atmospheric pressure PECVD, DBD plasma).
• Prior laboratory research experience on surface characterization methods (e.g., SEM, XPS, AFM, contact angle) is an advantage.
• Interest in bio-based and sustainable materials, functional coatings, and green processing technologies.

Soft skills:

• Genuine curiosity and scientific enthusiasm.
• Openness to cross-disciplinary collaboration spanning materials chemistry, surface engineering, and process simulation.

Language skills

• Fluency in English, both oral and written. Other relevant languages are an asset.