A key player in research and innovation in Luxembourg, the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) covers with its 630 employees the domains of materials, environment and IT. As an RTO (Research and Technology Organisation) and with its
interdisciplinary impact-driven approach, LIST contributes to the development of Luxembourg’s economy and society.
The Materials Research and Technology Department (MRT) translates cutting-edge materials research into applicable technology, with about 150 collaborators. For this, the department cultivates close relationships and joint projects with both academic and industrial partners, and contributes to Luxembourg's and Europe's innovation agenda in Materials Research and Technology.
Description
Scope of the project:
Coatings based on the alternate adsorption of oppositely charged species constitute a promising way to confer new functionalities on the surfaces of materials in an easy manner. Up to now, the deposition of polyelectrolyte multilayer films has been limited to substrates of small surface areas mainly for biomedical applications and high added value microelectronics. The interest of such coatings will increase and their application field will broaden if new methods allowing to speed up their deposition and allowing for up-scalling to macroscopic substrates can be available. The main objective of the ”EnergyCell” project is to propose a method to deposit films of similar properties as polyelectrolyte multilayer films on macroscopic substrates for fuel cell applications : the design of fast prepared and long lasting electrodes for fuel cells. The films will be constituted from polyelectrolyte-polyelectrolyte and polyelectrolytes-nanoparticles complexes instead of individual polyelectrolytes and will be deposited by means of spray deposition methods. This project will be performed in order to use the equivalent of polyelectrolyte multilayer films, prepared by horizontal spray of complexes, in fuel cell applications. For such applications, membranes of controlled proton permeability and electrical conductivity are required.
Before the development of up-scalling methods, a part of the project will be devoted to an investigation aimed at a better understanding of the coalescence of polyelectrolyte complexes, which is mandatory to form homogeneous films from those complexes during the spraying process.
Mission:
During the project, the candidate will focus on the investigation of polyelectrolyte complexes and their dynamics (intermixing, coalescence) using dynamic light scattering, conductimetric titration, zeta potential measurements, etc...
In addition, the candidate will have to perform the spray deposition of the polyelectrolyte complexes and oxides obtained by sol-gel method. After the deposition of those films the candidate will have to characterize their thickness using spectroscopic ellipsometry technique.
Profile:
-Hold a PhD in chemical engineering, electrochemistry or physical-chemistry
-Have a previous experience in Fuel cell applications
-Have a good knowledge in surface science and nanomaterials
-Be familiar with electrochemistry, microscopy, supramolecular assembly
-Possess a sound expertise in polymer chemistry, synthesis of nanoparticles and sol-gel methods
-Have excellent communication, organisational, flexibility and interpersonal skills with a mandatory team-spirit
-Be fluenct in English (scientific exchanges), knowledge of French being an asset
Nr of positions available : 1
Research Fields
Physics
Career Stage
Experienced researcher or 4-10 yrs (Post-Doc)
Research Profiles
First Stage Researcher (R1)