Internship: Nanomaterial Deposition for Advanced Gas Sensor Applications

VSPARTICLE (VSP) is an ambitious nanotechnology company that is on a mission to change the world of material development. For the development of clean energy and breakthrough applications, millions of new materials need to be explored. VSP develops cutting-edge technology that unlocks and accelerates the discovery of novel materials with advanced properties—materials that can contribute to solving some of the world’s biggest challenges in green hydrogen, gas sensing and batteries. About the traineeship We are offering an internship opportunity focused on the development of nanostructured sensing materials for next-generation gas sensor technologies, in collaboration with VSParticle B.V., a leader in spark ablation-based nanomaterial synthesis and deposition. This internship provides hands-on experience with a state-of-the-art material fabrication technique and its application in emerging sensing technologies for health, environmental, and smart-device applications. Project Overview Gas sensors for health and environmental monitoring require highly sensitive, selective, and stable sensing layers. One promising approach is the use of nano-porous materials with high surface area and controlled composition. In this project, you will work with VSParticle’s spark ablation deposition technology, a solvent-free method enabling the fabrication of high-purity nanomaterials directly onto sensor substrates. You will contribute to the development and optimization of these materials for use in MEMS-based gas sensors, targeting applications such as: Non-invasive health monitoring (e.g., detection of VOC biomarkers) Indoor air quality sensing Smart home and wearable systems Your Responsibilities During the internship, you will: Perform nanomaterial deposition using VSParticle (spark ablation) equipment Develop and optimize nano-porous thin films (e.g., metal oxides or composite materials) Characterize material properties such as morphology, composition, and structure Analyze and document experimental results Collaborate with researchers and engineers on sensor integration and performance evaluation Participate in measurement campaigns at partner sites, including potential travel to collaborators in Germany for electrical characterization and sensor validation.