M2 Internship – Development of gas sensors based on water processable polymers

Public establishment belonging to IMT (Institut Mines-Télécom), placed under the supervision of the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, IMT Nord Europe has three main objectives: providing our students with ethically responsible engineering practice enabling them to solve 21st century issues, carrying out our R&D activities leading to outstanding innovations and supporting territorial development through innovation and entrepreneurship. Ideally positioned at the heart of Europe, 1 hour away from Paris, 30 min from Brussels and 1h30 from London, IMT Nord Europe has strong ambitions to become a main actor of the current industrial transitions, digital and environmental, by combining education and research on engineering and digital technologies.

Located on two main campuses dedicated to research and education in Douai and Lille, IMT Nord Europe offers research facilities of almost 20,000m² in the following areas:

•              Digital science,

•              Energy and Environment,

•              Materials and Processes.

For more details, visit the School’s website : www.imt-nord-europe.fr

The successful applicant will work in the research centre of IMT Nord Europe in Douai (https://imt-nordeurope.fr/), Centre for Energy and Environment (CERI EE), and be part of the Laboratoire Capteurs, which conducts research on sensor development and their metrological qualification. The lab counts 3 research engineers, 2 PhD candidates, and 2 postdoctoral researchers working on several regional, national, and international projects related to air quality monitoring. This internship is part of a starting collaboration between IMT Nord Europe (Dr Alberto GREGORI) and Imperial College London (Prof Nicola GASPARINI). The opportunity to contribute to publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals will be offered.

PROJECT:

Nanoparticles (NPs) prepared from polymer or small molecule π-conjugated organic semiconductors (OSCs) are under intense investigation as promising materials for the green processing of organic photovoltaics, transistors and photodetectors. These NPs have the potential to detect Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) directly. However, their application in electrical sensors has not been explored so far. Leveraging the Laboratoire Capteurs' expertise in conductive polymer sensors and gas sensing measurement, this internship aims to develop waterborne OSCs colloids to apply in chemiresistors for VOCs sensing, improving their sensing properties at RT. This work is part of a starting collaboration between IMT Nord Europe and Imperial College London.

Objectives and methodology: The internship will involve these main steps:

·         Polymers/composite water emulsification;

·         Thin film deposition (dropcasting, deepcasting, spincoating, bladecoating,…) and characterization (SEM, AFM,…);

·         Sensor fabrication and characterizations (gas exposure test bench and data analysis).

We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated Engineering/MSc/M2 student with a solid foundation in materials science, formulation, and thin-film deposition, willing to engage in applied research for sensor development. Strong analytical, organisation, communication skills, and proficiency in English language are required. Aptitude and/or appeal for experimental work is essential. Additional desirable skills (not mandatory) would be: basic programming skills (Python, LabView) and data analysis, prior experience with formulation and thin films deposition, sensor characterizations, ability to read and speak French.

 Skills :

• Thin film deposition and characterization

• Formulation of nanoparticles inks

• Programming and data analysis

Knowledge :

• Organic electronics

• Colloids

• Sensors (in particular chemiresistor)

CONDITIONS :

The job is to be filled as to 01/03/2026 for a period of 6 months.

INFORMATION AND APPLICATION METHODS :

For any information on the missions, please contact GREGORI, Alberto, Chargé de Recherche, alberto.gregori@imt-nord-europe.fr

For any administrative information, please contact the Human Resources Department: jobs@imt-nord-europe.fr

This job is offered to civil servants on a mobility basis, or on a contractual basis under public law.

In addition, the position can be adapted for a disabled person.

DEADLINE DATE FOR SUBMISSIONS : 11/01/2026