Previous news
July 2021. A new Ph.D. position just opened to work in the ERC project 3DALIGN. Check our positions for more info.
Previous open positions at FMolina-Lopez Research Lab
​There are currently no open positions. However, we are always happy to hear from outstanding motivated candidates!
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Postdoc: Exploring electric field-induced alignment in 3D-printed thermoelectric nanocomposites: This research focuses on the processing and characterization of 3D-printed conducting polymer materials with nanofillers and the possibility of boosting their thermoelectric performance by inducing filler and/or polymer chain alignment by applying strong external electric fields. This project is funded by a European Union H2020 ERC grant 3DALIGN. The ideal starting date is July 2024. If you are interested, please click here for more information and to apply through the KU Leuven doctoral school. Hurry up, the deadline is May 24th!
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Materials characterization and transfer printing of electrodes on thin-film semimetal crystals: The goal of this experimental Ph.D./postdoc research is to help develop the first thermoelectric cooler device exploiting the quantum properties of Weyl semimetals within the framework of the EOS project CONNECT. The project combines material characterization (mostly by XRD and TEM) Weyl semimetal crystalline thin films developed by our colleagues at imec and the department of Physics, and the development of a solvent-free patterning technique for electrodes. The thermoelectric properties of the films will be characterized by our partner Prof. P. Gehring at UC Lovain. Therefore, strong interaction with those groups is foreseen. The ideal starting date is September 2022. If you are interested, please click here for more information and to apply through the KU Leuven online application tool. The deadline for application is June 15th.her are currently no open positions. However, we are always happy to hear from outstanding motivated candidates!
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Additive Manufacturing of Inorganic Thermoelectrics: This PhD research will be realized in collaboration with Dr. Daiman Zhu. The goal is to investigate novel phases of Bi-Sb-Te-Se alloys by means of selective laser melting (SLM) in order to develop performing additively-manufactured thermoelectrics. This project is open only for citizens of the People’s Republic of China who must also apply to the Chinese Scholarhips Council (CSC) grant. If you are intersted, please contact Francisco.
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Fabrication of inkjet-printed organic photovoltaic cells for integration on smart contact lenses: The goal of this PhD research is to develop organic photovoltaic cells for integration on a smart contact lens. For that, inkjet printing and transfer printing techniques will be explored. The device will harvest energy to power the contact lens platform. This project will be developed in collaboration with Prof. A. Vásquez Quintero (UGent/IMEC), which is an expert in smart contact lenses. This project is funded by an FWO Junior Research Project. The ideal starting date is April-May 2021. If you are interested, please click here for more information and to apply through the KU Leuven online application tool. Hurry up, the deadline for application is March 1st!
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3D printing of highly aligned thermoelectric polymers: The goal of this PhD research is to develop polymer-based thermoelectrics for wearables by using a novel 3D printing technique that uses an external electric field to improve printing resolution while inducing high molecular alignment in the polymer. High molecular alignment will result in a boost of the polymer thermoelectric performance. This project is funded by a European Union H2020 ERC grant 3DALIGN. The ideal starting date is February 2021.
If you are interested, please click here for more information and to apply through the KU Leuven doctoral school. Hurry up, the deadline for application is October 15th!
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Boosting the performance of printed thermoelectric polymers by molecular alignment: The goal of this PhD project is to develop polymer-based printed thermoelectrics for wearables, and to enhance their performance via tuning their molecular alignment. The focus of this research is on both the processing of the material and its thermal and electrical characterization. This project is funded by a European Union H2020 ERC grant 3DALIGN. The ideal starting date is February 2021.
If you are interested, please click here for more information and to apply through the KU Leuven doctoral school. Hurry up, the deadline is October 15th!
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Wey2Cool: Unveiling the Cooling Potential of Anomalous Ettingshausen Effect in Magnetic Weyl Semimetals: The goal of this experimental Ph.D. research is to develop the first thermoelectric cooler device exploiting the quantum properties of Weyl semimetals. The project combines the deposition and physical characterization of thin films and their application for microchips cooling. This project is a collaboration between the Nanoscopic Physics Department at UCLovain under the supervision of Prof. P. Gehring and KU Leuven under the supervision of Prof. F. Molina-Lopez and Dr. Clement Merckling. The ideal starting date is November 2021. If you are interested, please click here for more information and to apply through the KU Leuven online application tool. Hurry up, the deadline for application is June 27th!
This project is funded by a European Union H2020 ERC grant 3DALIGN. The ideal starting date is October 2021. If you are interested, please click here for more information and to apply through the KU Leuven doctoral school. Hurry up, the deadline for application is August 15th!
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There are currently no open positions. However, we are always happy to hear from outstanding motivated candidates!
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Inducing molecular alignment in thermoelectric polymers for improved performance: The goal of this Ph.D. research is to study the morphology of polymer-based thermoelectrics fabricated with a novel 3D printing technique that uses an external electric field to induce high molecular alignment in the polymer. The high molecular alignment is expected to result in a boost in the polymer thermoelectric performance. The material morphology will be correlated with the final performance. The interaction between the polymer and the electric field must be understood and theoretically described.
1. Fabrication of inkjet-printed organic photovoltaic cells for indoor energy harvesting on small wearables: The goal of this PhD research is to develop organic photovoltaic cells for integration on small wearables such as smart contact lenses. For that, inkjet printing and transfer printing techniques will be explored. The device will harvest energy from indoor light. The ideal starting date is March 2022 (or earlier).
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If interested, please click here for more information and to apply through the KU Leuven online tool. The deadline for application is January 31st!
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2. In quest of the optimal morphology for solution-processed thermoelectric polymers with high performance: The goal of this PhD research is to fabricate customized (semi)conducting polymers films from solution, induce molecular alignment during the processing, and study the correlation between multi-scale morphology and thermoelectric properties. We will use a systematic approach based on simulation and experiments to find the best molecular structures and solid-state arrangements leading to the best thermoelectric performances. The project involves an iterative collaboration with our colleagues Prof. Guy Koeckelberghs and Prof. Daniel Escudero from the Department of Chemistry, who are working in polymer synthesis and transport simulation, respectively. The ideal starting date is April 2022 (or earlier).
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If interested, please click here for more information and to apply through the KU Leuven online tool. The deadline for application is February 14th!
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3. Towards additive manufacturing of flexible thermoelectric energy harvesters: boosting the performance by laser sintering-induced nanostructuring: The goal of this PhD research is to develop flexible performing thermoelectric generators based on 2D and 3D laser printing of inorganic powders. The focus is on the study of the relationship among process, nanostructure, and thermoelectric performance. The ideal starting date is April 2022 (or earlier).
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If interested, please click here for more information and to apply through the KU Leuven online tool. The deadline for application is February 14th!
There are currently no open positions. However, we are always happy to hear from outstanding motivated candidates!
1. Development of 3D printable organic thermoelectric materials with improved performance via multiscale ordering, and their integration on flexible devices: This research focuses on the processing and characterization of organic electronic materials and their assessment as potential components of high-performing thermoelectric devices for wearables. Of crucial importance is the evaluation of the morphology-performance relation for both p- and n-type organic materials along with the development of sustainable routes for device integration based on printing electronics technologies. This project is funded by a European Union H2020 ERC grant 3DALIGN.
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If interested, please click here for more information and to apply through the KU Leuven online tool.
The deadline for application is February 14th!
There are currently no open positions. However, we are always happy to hear from outstanding motivated candidates!
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1. Improving printed organic thermoelectric energy harvesters via multiscale morphological ordering: See Ph.D. position #1 above for details, and apply here if you are a postdoctoral researcher. This project is funded by the European Union H2020 ERC grant 3DALIGN.
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2. Improving printed organic thermoelectric energy harvesters via multiscale morphological ordering: The goal of this experimental Ph.D./postdoc research is to develop solution-processed organic thermoelectric materials with improved performance achieved by controlled molecular alignment. The project combines material characterization (UV-Vis, GIWAXS, Raman, etc.), thermoelectric characterization (electrical/thermal conductivity, and Seebeck coefficient measurements) and process/integration of semiconductor polymers by means of printing electronic techniques. The ideal starting date is December 2022. If you are interested, please click here for more information and to apply through the KU Leuven online application tool. The deadline for application is November 4th!