Internship | Electrocatalytic CO₂ Reduction for Next‑Generation E‑Fuels

About this internship

Are you motivated to tackle climate change through science and engineering? Curious about how we can transform CO₂ into sustainable aviation fuels and high value chemicals? Join our team and contribute to cutting edge research on electrocatalytic CO₂ conversion, with a strong focus on materials development and scaling technologies for real world impact in aviation and beyond.

What will be your role?

You will take an active role in both research and development, combining experimental work with scientific analysis.

Your activities will include

Getting started and building knowledge

• Explore the latest literature on CO₂ electroreduction and synthetic fuel pathways
• Understand catalyst materials, especially copper based systems for ethylene production
• Learn about electrochemical reactor and cell design

Materials and device development

• Design and fabricate novel electrodes
• Investigate materials that improve conductivity, selectivity, and durability

Experimental research

• Perform electrochemical CO₂ reduction experiments
• Optimise operating conditions such as electrolyte composition, humidity, and current density
• Analyse performance in terms of efficiency, selectivity, and stability

Collaboration and communication

• Discuss results with a multidisciplinary team
• Contribute ideas and improvements to the project
• Present your findings in reports and presentations

Project focus

In this internship CO2 reduction will be studied to produce ethylene on copper catalyst due to its preferable selectivity. The electrodes will be manufactured using various techniques and then used to prepare a membrane electrode assembly stack. Composition of the electrodes and assembly procedure of this stack and the cell operating conditions will be varied to find the most optimal configuration.

An approximate description of the activities to be encountered during this project are

Performing literature review and gain acquainted with:

• Materials to produce ethylene via electrocatalysis.
• Electrode design strategies.
• Electrochemical cell design.

CO2 reduction via electrocatalysis

• Investigation of strategies to manufacture gas and liquid diffusion electrodes with different catalysts.
• Manufacturing custom MEAs.
• Electrochemical experiments with full data analysis.
• Participating in active discussion with colleagues about your results.
• Reporting and presenting your findings.

What you will gain

This internship offers a hands on experience at the forefront of CO₂ conversion and sustainable fuel technologies. You will work on a real world challenge, contributing to the development of technologies that aim to decarbonise aviation and enable scalable electrofuel production.

• Practical experience in electrochemistry, catalysis, and energy materials
• Insight into scaling up technologies from lab to industrial relevance
• Experience working on CO₂ to fuel pathways, including synthetic aviation fuels
• Close mentorship and guidance throughout your project
• The opportunity to take ownership of your work and explore your ideas
• A collaborative environment with experts from different disciplines

What we expect from you

• You are available for an internship of at least 6 months, ideally during your MSc phase.
• You have a strong interest in the energy transition and sustainable technologies.
• You are curious, proactive, and enjoy tackling complex challenges.
• You are comfortable working independently as well as collaborating within a team.
• You communicate clearly in English.

Students from disciplines such as chemical engineering, materials science, chemistry, or related fields are encouraged to apply. If your background is different but you are excited about the topic, we would still love to hear from you.

What you'll get in return

You want an internship opportunity on the precursor of your career; an internship gives you an opportunity to take a good look at your prospective future employer. TNO goes a step further. It’s not just looking that interests us; you and your knowledge are essential to our innovation. That’s why we attach a great deal of value to your personal and professional development. You will, of course, be properly supervised during your work placement and be given the scope for you to get the best out of yourself. Furthermore, we provide:

• A highly professional, innovative internship environment, within a team of top experts.
• A suitable internship allowance (615 euro for wo-, hbo- and mbo-students, for a full-time internship).
• Possibility of eight hours of free leave per internship month (for a full-time internship).
• A free membership of Jong TNO, where you can meet other TNO professionals and join several activities, such as sports activities, (work-related) courses or the yearly ski-trip.
• Use of a laptop.
• An allowance for travel expenses in case you don’t receive an OV-card.

TNO as an employer

At TNO, we innovate for a healthier, safer and more sustainable life. And for a strong economy. We find each other in wonder and ingenuity. We are driven to push boundaries. There is all the space and support for your talent and ambition. You work with people who will challenge you: who inspire you and want to learn from you. Our state-of-the-art facilities are there to realize your vision. What you do at TNO matters: impact makes the difference. Because with every innovation you contribute to tomorrow’s world.