Master’s Projects – Fall 2025
If you are interested in learning more about any of the projects below, please contact Prof Yee at [email protected]. Please note that all projects will be at the Neuchâtel campus.
Tough Polymers for Hydrogel Infusion Additive Manufacturing (HIAM) (Thesis)
One line summary: Developing polymers for HIAM
One of our group’s research thrusts is on the development of polymers that can be thermally converted into composites, ceramics, and metals. We achieve this by infusing hydrogels with metal precursors and then running an in-situ synthesis reaction to convert them into the desired product. Using our technology, we have been able to make a variety of functional materials, from zinc oxide to tungsten.
In this project, you will work with us to develop polymers compatible for use with HIAM. This will entail the following: developing compliant and tough polymers, characterising the mechanical properties of these polymers, and assessing their equilibrium swelling ratio.
Required experience: Must have worked in a wet chemistry lab before.
Preferred experience: Polymer synthesis; Resin-based 3D printing
Understanding Diffusion in Hydrogels (Semester)
One line summary: Investigating how polymer composition impacts diffusion of metal ions
In this project, you will work with us to explore the rate of metal ion diffusion through a polymer. This will entail the following: formulating photoresins, printing polymers with different compositions, swelling the polymer with different reagents, and measuring the extent of diffusion. The measurements will be done optically.
Required experience: Must have worked in a wet chemistry lab before.
Preferred experience: Polymer synthesis; Resin-based 3D printing; optical microscopy
Low Shrinkage Printing of Carbon (Semester or Thesis)
One line summary: Investigating how to print carbon with low conversion shrinkage
Today, the 3D printing of carbon is achieved via the pyrolysis of 3D printed polymers. By heating polymers to >1000˚C in an inert atmosphere, the polymer can be converted into amorphous carbon. However, a challenge with this process is shrinkage. Depending on the polymer used, shrinkages of up to 90% can occur. In this project, you will work with us to develop additives that can reduce shrinkage experienced during pyrolysis. This will entail the following: formulating photoresins with the appropriate additive, polymer printing, thermal treatment, and material characterization (TGA, SEM, X-Ray CT, etc.)
Required experience: Must have worked in a wet chemistry lab before.
Preferred experience: Polymer synthesis; Resin-based 3D printing, Thermal processing
Volumetric Printing of Natural Biopolymers (Semester or Thesis)
One line summary: 3D printing of stimuli-responsive natural biopolymers
We have recently been exploring the volumetric additive manufacturing of natural biopolymers with Prof. Chris Moser (LAPD). In this project, you will work with us to understand the properties of these VAM-printed polymers. We aim to understand the impact of resin formulation on printability and mechanical properties; the stimuli-responsive behaviour of such biopolymers; etc.
Required experience: Must have worked in a wet chemistry lab before
Volumetric Printing of Composites (Semester or Thesis)
One line summary: Volumetric printing of composites
This is a project with Readily3D (EPFL Startup) on exploring how composites can be fabricated with volumetric printing. In this project, you will work with us to understand how inorganic particles can be incorporated in VAM-printed hydrogels. Please contact Prof. Yee for more information on this project.
Required experience: Must have worked in a wet chemistry lab before
Anisotropic Composites (Semester or Thesis)
One line summary: 3D printing of composites with anisotropic fillers
We have recently developed a 3D printer that can fabricate anisotropic composites. In this project, you will work with us to fabricate 3D composite materials with spatially varying properties. This will entail the following: synthesis of nanoparticles, developing soft polymers, fabricating composites, characterising the mechanical properties of these composites, and actuating these composites.
Required experience: Must have worked in a wet chemistry lab before
Preferred experience: Nanoparticle synthesis
Open Projects
If none of the projects above interest you but you are interested in working with ALCHEMY in general for a Masters Semester Project, Masters Thesis, or otherwise, please contact Prof. Yee to discuss. We are open to the creation or modification of projects as long as they are aligned with our lab’s research goals of developing molecules, materials, and machines for advanced manufacturing.