INT-26028 INTERNSHIP IN ORGANOMETALLIC CHEMISTRY FOCUSED ON DESIGNING NOVEL CATALYSTS FOR ADDITIVE POLYMERIZATION

Internship contract – 6 months | Fulltime/40h | From 01.02.2026 on | Belval

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

The Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) is a Research and Technology Organization (RTO) active in the fields of materials, environment and IT. By transforming scientific knowledge into technologies, smart data and tools, LIST empowers citizens in their choices, public authorities in their decisions and businesses in their strategies :

How will you contribute?

A tire is one of the most critical components of any vehicle - it's the only element that actually touches the road , enabling load bearing, shock absorption, handling, and driving comfort. To meet all these demanding functions, future tires require new generations of high-performance, energy-efficient, and sustainable rubber materials. Developing innovative copolymers from bio-based monomers is therefore essential, not only to improve durability ·and performance, but also to support the global transition toward greener and more responsible mobility.

At LIST, a cutting-edge family of organometallic catalysts has recently been created, opening the door to copolymerizing isoprene with a range of sustainable monomers to produce entirely new elastomers with tunable and exciting properties. During this internship, you will help expand this catalyst platform and explore how changes in ligand design influence catalytic activity and the properties of the resulting rubbers. You will be directly involved in designing and synthesizing new

organic ligands and organometallic catalysts, applying them in polymerization reactions, and analyzing the materials using state-of-the-art techniques such as NMR, GPC, DSC, TGA, rheology, and mechanical testing.

This internship provides an exceptional training opportunity: you will gain hands-on experience in organic synthesis, catalyst preparation, polymer chemistry, advanced material characterization, and functional performance evaluation-skills highly valued in both academia and industry.

Your main tasks will include:

• Synthesizing innovative organic ligands.

• Preparing and characterizing organometallic catalysts (NMR, IR, etc.).

• Testing these catalysts in the copolymerization of isoprene with bio-derived monomers.

• Optimizing reaction conditions to achieve high molar mass and high-yield copolymers.

• Characterizing the resulting materials (DSC, TGA, rheology, tensile testing, etc.).

• Gaining comprehensive training in catalyst, monomer, and polymer synthesis, material processing, and advanced analytical techniques.

If you are curious, motivated, and excited to work at the frontier of sustainable materials science, this internship will give you a unique chance to grow, learn, and contribute to the future of ecofriendly tire technology.

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

Education

Bachelor's degree in Organic Chemistry or Organometallic Chemistry.

More preferably last year undergraduate student (M2)

Experience and skills

The candidate should :

• Be passionate about organic chemistry.

• Have a strong desire to perform experimental

research in a lab environment.

• Display a clear commitment to safe working practices.

• Communicate effectively and work well with others.

Experience in standard lab purification methods such as distillation, vacuum distillation, crystallization, etc.

Experience in air and moisture sensitive synthesis.

Language skills

Good command of English. French is an asset.

Your LIST benefits

An organization with a passion for impact and strong RDI partnerships in Luxembourg and Europe that works on responsible and 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 such as our Viswall, high-scale incubators and top of the range 3D/4D printings that are part of our toolkit for excelling in all we do;

Multicultural and international work environment with more than 45 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 for a full time internship, 11 public holidays per annum, flexible working hours,

An environment encouraging curiosity, innovation and entrepreneurship in all areas.

Apply online

https://www.list.lu/en/jobs/interns/

Your application must include a motivation letter oriented towards the position and detailing your experience

Application procedure and conditions:

We kindly request applicants to provide their nationality for statistical purposes only, as part of our commitment to promoting diversity and ensuring equal opportunities in our workforce. This information will be kept confidential and will not be used for any discriminatory purposes.

LIST is dedicated to maintaining an inclusive work environment and is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to attracting, hiring, and retaining a diverse workforce. All applicants will be considered for employment without discrimination based on national origin, race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, religion, age, or disability.

Applications will be continuously reviewed until the position is filled. An assessment committee will thoroughly evaluate applications, adhering to guidelines designed to ensure equal opportunities. The primary criteria for selection will be the alignment of the applicant's existing skills and expertise with the requirements mentioned above.