Laser-printed flexible sustainable thermoelectrics

Laser-printed flexible sustainable thermoelectrics (Postdoc position)

KU Leuven is an autonomous university. It was founded in 1425. It was born of and has grown within the Catholic tradition.

This work will be performed in the FMolina-Lopez group within the FunMat unit of the Department of Materials Engineering at KU Leuven. We are an international and interdisciplinary team working on next-generation hybrid organic-inorganic soft materials and manufacturing technologies for energy and sensing.

Thermoelectric (TE) materials can convert waste heat into electrical energy and vice versa; they use electricity to provide active heating/cooling. However, the current fabrication process of TEs is complicated and expensive. Also, current TEs are small and rigid. Finding a way to integrate high-performance thermoelectric materials into flexible devices could unlock new opportunities for waste heat harvesting from sources such as the human body and enable thermoregulating garments with reduced energy consumption.

This project explores the use of laser-printed metal chalcogenides on flexible substrates to develop high-performance thermoelectric harvesters and coolers for wearable applications. In this project, the postdoc candidate is expected to:

• Develop thermoelectric alloy powders, formulate printable inks, and develop a sintering and patterning process on a flexible substrate based on selective laser exposure. Alternatively, direct ink writing of the same material can be investigated for 3D building.
• Investigate the concepts of mobility, charge carrier concentration, Seebeck coefficient, and thermal conductivity. The candidate will be required to master the use of commercial tools to measure these properties and, in some cases, to develop specialized setups.
• Characterize the morphology and elemental composition of the produced powders and films: SEM/EDS, TEM, XRD, ICP-OES, EBSD, etc.
• Correlate material morphology and composition with final TE material and device performance.
• Develop TE devices optimized for both energy harvesting and cooling.

Offer

• We offer a fully funded 18-month postdoctoral position at KU Leuven, including a competitive salary and benefits package in accordance with university regulations, access to world-class research facilities for materials processing, characterization, and device fabrication, and support for conference participation and international collaborations.

Located in Belgium, at the heart of Europe, and less than 3 hours by train from cities such as Paris, London, and Amsterdam, Leuven is a cultural and historical city with a vibrant international student scene.

For more information, please check our group website: https://www.molina-lopezresearchlab.com/

KU Leuven strives for an inclusive, respectful and socially safe environment. We embrace diversity among individuals and groups as an asset. Open dialogue and differences in perspective are essential for an ambitious research and educational environment. In our commitment to equal opportunity, we recognize the consequences of historical inequalities. We do not accept any form of discrimination based on, but not limited to, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, ethnic or national background, skin colour, religious and philosophical diversity, neurodivergence, employment disability, health, or socioeconomic status. For questions about accessibility or support offered, we are happy to assist you at this email address.

Job details

Title

Laser-printed flexible sustainable thermoelectrics (Postdoc position)

2026-09-30 23:59 (Europe/Brussels)
2026-09-30 23:59 (CET)

Closing on: 2026-09-30 (Europe/Brussels)

Closing on: 2026-09-30 (Europe/Brussels)

Closing on: 2026-10-12 (Europe/Brussels)

Closing on: 2026-09-14 (Europe/Brussels)

Closing on: 2026-10-16 (Europe/Brussels)

KU Leuven is an autonomous university. It was founded in 1425. It was born of and has grown within the Catholic tradition.