Available Projects

Projets Matériaux / Research Projects – Spring 2024

Programmable Motion of Robotic Food

In the laboratory of intelligent systems (LIS) and Soft Materials Laboratory (SMaL), we are looking for a master student who will work on robotic food that can be morphed into various shapes upon exposure to different environmental stimuli (e.g., heat, humidity, etc.). We envision that such morphable robotic food will provide multi-sensory dining experience in the future. This project is part of the RoboFood project (https://www.robofood.org/) funded by the European Union. This robotic food must be entirely made of food-grade materials and be able to change its shape in prescribed manners, such as by engraving geometric patterns or selectively applying inactive layers.

A selected student will have a unique multidisciplinary research experience of food material science and soft robotics. Tentative tasks include (1) literature review of robotic food and its actuation principle, (2) characterizing the shape memory property of starch-based edible films (focusing on thermo-mechanical behavior), (3) investigating the method(s) of controlled morphing of starch films, and (4) demonstrating a robotic food dish as a showcase that exhibits morphing upon exposure to environmental stimuli. Highly motivated students who are interested in futuristic food, edible actuator, and soft robotics are welcome.

Please contact Bokeon Kwak ([email protected]) and Francesca Bono ([email protected]). When promising results are obtained at the end of this project, it will be published in a high-impact journal.

Encapsulation and pH-controlled release of bovine chymosin in food-grade capsules

Bovine chymosin is an aspartic peptidase that is widely used in cheese production. It releases the negatively charged C-terminus in the milk protein κ-casein, leading to the separation of the milk into curds and whey. However, bovine chymosin tends to be removed from the fat-rich coagulant due to its hydrophilic nature, decreasing cheese production efficiency. This difficulty can be addressed by encapsulating bovine chymosin in capsules that are surface-functionalized such that the bovine chymosin can be retained in the coagulant. If capsules are appropriately functionalized, they even enable the controlled release of these enzymes. In this project, you will encapsulate bovine chymosin in food-grade capsules that are surface functionalized to selectively stick to certain locations. In addition, you will render the capsules pH-responsiveness to realize the controlled release of the bovine chymosin, and the release rate under various pHs will be investigated. For more information, please contact [email protected].

Master Thesis – Spring 2024

Patterning conductive tracks within hydrogel matrix for soft bioelectronics devices

Hydrogels, being highly hydrophilic polymeric networks that are filled with water, have gained significant attention in the biomedical field due to their exceptional water-retention capability, biocompatibility, and anti-biofouling properties. These versatile materials can be synthesized from a wide range of monomers and via various crosslinking routes. While hydrogels exhibit excellent ionic conductivity thanks to their high water content, their electronic conductivity remains limited. To address this limitation and broaden their applications in soft bioelectronic systems, novel approaches are required to enhance the electronic properties of hydrogels.

In this master thesis project, you will pattern conductive features within a hydrogel matrix. You will introduce noble metal nanoparticles (NPs) within the hydrogel by an in-situ synthesis approach. By combining the benefits of hydrogel substrates and the electronic properties of metal NPs, we aim to create a seamless interface between soft tissues and external electronic equipment, opening up new possibilities for manufacturing soft bioelectronic devices. In your thesis you will learn how to prepare hydrogels, pattern them using clean room facilities and how to characterize their electrical conductivity.

For more information and to discuss the next steps, please contact Lorenzo Lucherini at [email protected].

Stimuli responsive eutectogels for soft robotic applications

Smart materials can respond to environmental stimuli, an effect that can be exploited for developing soft robotic sensors and actuators. Hydrogels that are swollen with deep eutectic solvents, eutectogels, are an environmentally-friendly category of soft responsive materials. These eutectogels are typically ionically conductive at room temperature. The goal of this project is to develop environmentally friendly, low-cost sensors based on eutectogels.

Within this project, you will develop resistive sensors and actuators based on eutectogels. 3D printing will be used for integrating conductive paths in flexible substrates and producing the desired geometries. You will study the influence of the composition of the materials on the sensitivity of the sensors and their mechanical properties. You will produce a soft robotic prototype that responds to certain external stimuli.

For more information, please contact Dr. Antonia Georgopoulou [email protected]

Development steps for multi-sensory networks based on eutectogels. 

Meta-Stable Particle Synthesis for Low Energy Sintering

Fabrication of brittle, non-ductile materials with high melting points – such as ceramics – requires a powder technology-based processing route with a consolidating and densifying heat treatment at the end: the sintering step. Sintering is typically done between 0.6-0.8 times the fusion temperature (in K) for several hours. This processing step therefore involves thermally activated diffusion mechanisms that may lead to rapid microstructural changes, largely affecting the mechanical, physical and chemical properties of the final material.

As a means to lower the energy needs for sintering to occur and offer new pathways for the advanced microstructure and thus property engineering of technical ceramics and minerals, synthesis of meta-stable powders is a promising research avenue for future scientific and technological breakthroughs.

In this project, we will study the effects of the crystallinity, chemistry, additives and size on the consolidation behavior of calcium carbonates, as a model material. The student will synthesize his/her own materials, varying the synthesis conditions in a controlled manner. Prior to studying the sintering behavior of the synthesized powder, thorough characterization will be performed, to learn and understand how the synthesis conditions will affect the powder properties (XRD, in-situ XRD, TGA, DSC, SEM/EDS, …). Conventional and flash sintering will be done in convention and SPS ovens, directly following in-situ the shrinkage of the samples.
We expect to build correlations of synthesis conditions and meta-stability of the particles with the sintering behavior and microstructural development of the product to build a roadmap for bringing the approach to other ceramic materials.

The project will start at EPFL with initial training and familiarization with the particle synthesis process, before following-up at Empa in Dübendorf.

For more information on this interesting opportunity in an emerging research field contact: Prof. Dr. Esther Amstad ([email protected]), and Dr. Michael Stuer ([email protected]).