IMST — Institut für Werkstoff- und Oberflächentechnologie · Kiel

Prof. Mohammed
Es-Souni

Honorary Member, Kiel University of Applied Sciences. Pioneering sustainable functional coatings that protect surfaces and enable clean energy — from antibiofouling surfaces to electrocatalytic thin films for green hydrogen production.

Antibiofouling Surfaces
Hydrogen & Electrocatalysis
160+Publications
15Patents
€15M+Research funding
35+Years active
Explore Technologies → Get in touch
Prof. Mohammed Es-Souni
About

Materials scientist &
surface engineer

Prof. Mohammed Es-Souni is an Honorary Member of Kiel University of Applied Sciences and founder of IMST — Institut für Werkstoff- und Oberflächentechnologie. Over 35 years, his research has consistently delivered functional coating technologies that solve real-world problems in medicine, industry, and energy.

His work centres on two commercially impactful pillars: release-free antibiofouling and scratch-resistant coatings for medical devices, contact lenses, implants, and industrial surfaces; and electrocatalytic thin-film coatings for green hydrogen production alongside nanostructured electrochemical energy storage systems.

All coating technologies are developed using environmentally sustainable methods — photografting, sol-gel deposition, and electrochemical processing — enabling scale-up from laboratory to industrial production without hazardous processing routes.

His research has been funded by the DFG, German Federal Ministries, and the European Union, with a cumulative portfolio exceeding €15 million. Five technology transfer awards recognise the consistent translation of research into industrial value.

€15M+ Cumulative research funding
DFG · Federal Ministries · European Union
Awards
  • 2019
    Innovation Award — City of KielOutstanding contribution to applied research and technology
  • 2012
    Technology Transfer Award (1st Prize)Innovation Foundation Schleswig-Holstein
  • 2010
    Transfer AwardOutstanding Research & Technology Transfer activities
  • 2002
    Technology Award — Land Schleswig-HolsteinExcellence in research and technology transfer
  • 1992
    Best Paper AwardInternational Metallographic Society
Technology Pillar I

Antibiofouling &
Scratch-Resistant Surfaces

Release-free, durable anti-adhesive coatings that resist protein adsorption, bacterial colonisation, and mechanical wear — without biocides or leachable agents. Engineered for medical, optical, and industrial applications.

◎

Photografted Polymer Brush Systems

UV-initiated photografting of PEG, pSBMA, and related antifouling polymer chains directly onto substrate surfaces including porous alumina, metals, and polymers. Chemically anchored brushes resist protein adsorption and bacterial adhesion without releasing agents.

PEG brushespSBMAPhotograftingProtein resistance
⬡

Porous Oxide / Polymer Brush Composites

Pore walls of anodized alumina and other porous oxide supports are functionalized with photografted antifouling brushes. This architecture combines mechanical robustness of the oxide scaffold with the antifouling chemistry of the brush — enabling scratch-resistant, non-fouling surfaces.

Porous aluminaAnodizationNanomechanicsScratch-resistant
◈

Oxide-Polymer Nanocomposite Coatings

Inorganic-organic hybrid coatings combining metal oxide nanoparticles (TiO₂, SiO₂, Al₂O₃) with photografted antifouling polymer matrices. The hard oxide phase provides mechanical reinforcement and scratch resistance while the polymer brush imparts protein repellency — a superior architecture to purely organic multilayer systems.

TiO₂ / SiO₂Hybrid nanocompositeScratch-resistantProtein-repellent
01
Contact Lens Coatings (Patented)
Antifouling and wettability-enhancing coatings for rigid gas-permeable (RGP) contact lenses. Patented process (DE102018127812B4, granted 2020) providing long-term protein resistance and improved wearer comfort.
02
Medical Implant Surfaces (Patented)
Antibacterial and anti-adhesive coatings for medical implants (DE102018115709B4, granted 2020). NiTi shape memory alloy surfaces modified with photografted polymer brushes for smart implant applications.
03
Transparent Scratch-Resistant Antifouling (Patented)
Porous oxide-polymer nanocomposite architecture underpins the European patent (EP 18703549.8, granted 2022) for a transparent, scratch-resistant antifouling coating. The oxide scaffold provides hardness and optical transparency while the polymer brush prevents biofouling — validated for sensor covers, optics, and precision glass surfaces.
04
Membranes, Polymers & Silicones
Surface treatment of polymer nets, membranes, and silicone substrates for antifouling and hydrophilic performance. Suitable for filtration, microfluidics, and medical device housings via scalable photografting processes.
Technology Pillar II

Electrocatalytic Coatings
for Green Hydrogen

Thin-film electrocatalysts and nanostructured electrode coatings engineered for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) — maximising activity and durability while minimising precious metal loading. Sustainable, scalable, and validated in leading journals.

⬡

TiN-Based Electrocatalyst Films

Thin films of titanium nitride (TiN) with engineered oxygen defects act as robust, cost-effective HER electrocatalysts with outstanding performance. The defect engineering strategy tunes electronic structure and active site density without relying on platinum-group metals. Validated in Nanomaterials 2024.

TiNOxygen defectsHERNon-PGM
◈

Nanorod-Supported Pd & Pt Catalysts

Au-nanorod arrays used as high-surface-area supports for Pd and Pt nanocatalysts deposited at ultra-low loading. Systematic study (Nanomaterials 2023) demonstrated Pd outperforms Pt mass-for-mass on Au-NR supports — directly informing cost-reduction strategies for green hydrogen electrolysers.

Au nanorodsPd catalystLow-PGM loadingElectrolysis
◉

Porous PtPd Alloy Nanotube Coatings

Template-derived porous PtPd alloy nanotubes on substrate surfaces combine maximised active surface area with minimal Pt content. Demonstrated high-performance HER electrocatalysis with low Pt loading (Catalysis Science & Technology 2019) — a viable path to affordable water-splitting electrodes.

PtPd nanotubesPorousWater splittingLow Pt
01
Sonochemical Nanoparticle Processing on TiN Substrates
Noble metal nanoparticles and nanoalloys synthesised directly on nanocarbon and TiN substrates from aqueous solution via sonochemistry — a green, one-step route eliminating surfactants and organic solvents. Enables electrode coatings with atomically dispersed catalyst phases (Ultrasonics Sonochemistry 2018; Micromachines 2023).
02
Nanocarbon & Carbon-CNT Composite Electrodes
Meso-macroporous graphite thin films and carbon-CNT nanocomposites processed via a novel on-substrate route provide high-surface-area, corrosion-resistant electrode supports. Modified nanocarbon surfaces with enhanced double-layer capacitance serve both as HER catalyst supports and as energy storage electrodes (Carbon 2017; RSC Advances 2014–2015).
03
Nanostructured Supercapacitor Electrodes
NiO nanostructures and Ni(OH)₂ nanolamellae electrode films deliver high specific capacitance for electrochemical energy storage — directly complementary to intermittent hydrogen production from renewable sources (Nanoscale Research Letters 2013; Micromachines 2023).
04
Piezo- & Pyroelectric Harvesting (Background Capability)
Established competence in piezoelectric (PZT, PVDF-TrFE) and pyroelectric (PMN-PT, PIN-PMN-PT) thin films for mechanical and thermal energy conversion. Available as a secondary technology stream for hybrid energy systems integrating harvesting with electrochemical storage or hydrogen production.
Career

Academic &
scientific career

1993 – 2021 · Honorary Member thereafter
Professor — Materials & Surface Technology, FH Kiel
Chair of IMST, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Kiel University of Applied Sciences. Founded and led the institute through 28 years of research, technology transfer, and industrial collaboration. Cumulative project funding exceeding €15 million.
1987 – 1993
Research Scientist — GKSS Research Centre, Geesthacht (now Helmholtz Center)
Microstructure–property relationships in intermetallic titanium aluminides (γ-TiAl, Ti₃Al) for high-temperature structural applications.
1986
Habilitation (Doctorat ès Sciences) — Université de Strasbourg
Segregation phenomena at metal and alloy surfaces studied by electron spectroscopy (AES, XPS).
1983
Doctorat de 3e cycle — Université de Besançon
Diffusion treatments of chromium coatings on steel substrates.
1980
Master of Sciences — Université de Besançon
Chemistry / Surface Chemistry and Properties.
Selected Publications

Recent &
key papers

Publications focused on antibiofouling surfaces and electrocatalytic coatings for hydrogen production, from a career total of 160+ peer-reviewed papers.

01
Non-fouling Polymer Films on Hard-Anodized Aluminum: Nanomechanical Properties and Modelling
Bakhti, H.; Weyrich, T.; Es-Souni, Ma.; Laghrissi, A.; Es-Souni, M. · Progress in Organic Coatings · 2021, 161, 106553
doi.org/10.1016/j.porgcoat.2021.106553 ↗
Non-fouling
02
Nanomechanical Characterization and Modeling of Anodized Porous Aluminum Oxide Films with Photografted Anti-Biofouling Polymer Brushes on Their Pore Walls
Bakhti, H.; Laghrissi, A.; Roth, A.; Azrar, L.; Es-Souni, M. · Applied Nanoscience · 2020, 10, 2139–2151
doi.org/10.1007/s13204-020-01338-6 ↗
Polymer Brushes
03
Scratch-Resistant Non-Fouling Surfaces via Grafting Non-Fouling Polymers on the Pore Walls of Supported Porous Oxide Structures
Wassel, E.; Es-Souni, Ma.; Laghrissi, A.; Roth, A.; Dietze, M.; Es-Souni, M. · Materials and Design · 2019, 163, 107542
doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2018.107542 ↗
Scratch-Resistant
04
Processing of Nanotubes on NiTi-Shape Memory Alloys and Modification with Photografted Anti-Adhesive Polymer Brushes — Towards Smart Implant Surfaces
Es-Souni, Ma.; Wassel, E.; Dietze, M.; Laghrissi, A.; Klöhn, F.; Weyrich, T.; Es-Souni, M. · Materials and Design · 2019, 182, 108031
doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2019.108031 ↗
Smart Implants
06
Versatile Nanocomposite Coatings with Tunable Cell Adhesion and Bactericidity
Es-Souni, Ma.; Fischer-Brandies, H.; Es-Souni, M. · Advanced Functional Materials · 2008, 18, 3179–3188
Bactericidal
08
Oxygen Defects Containing TiN Films for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction: A Robust Thin-Film Electrocatalyst with Outstanding Performance
Laghrissi, A.; Es-Souni, M. · Nanomaterials · 2024, 14, 770
doi.org/10.3390/nano14090770 ↗
HER Catalyst
10
Towards High Capacitive Performance of Chemically Deposited β-Ni(OH)₂ Nanolamellae Electrode Films
Moonooswamy, K.R.; Es-Souni, M. · Micromachines · 2023, 14, 1644
doi.org/10.3390/mi14081644 ↗
Supercapacitor
11
Large-Area Thick Films of PVDF-TrFE and Relaxor-Ceramics for Piezo- and Pyroelectric Applications
Dietze, M.; Es-Souni, M. · Macromolecular Materials and Engineering · 2019, 304, 1900538
DOI: 10.1002/mame.201900538
Piezoelectric
12
Au-Nanorods Supporting Pd and Pt Nanocatalysts for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction: Pd Is Revealed to Be a Better Catalyst than Pt
Laghrissi, A.; Es-Souni, M. · Nanomaterials · 2023, 13, 2007
doi.org/10.3390/nano13132007 ↗
HER
13
Thin Film Nanocarbon Composites for Supercapacitor Applications
Schopf, D.; Es-Souni, M. · Carbon · 2017, 115, 449–459
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbon.2017.01.027
Supercapacitor
14
Porous PtPd Alloy Nanotubes: Towards High-Performance Electrocatalysts with Low Pt-Loading
Laghrissi, A.; Es-Souni, M. · Catalysis Science & Technology · 2019, 9, 4355
DOI: 10.1039/c9cy01145e
Electrocatalysis
View full publication list (160+ papers) →
Patents & IP

15 patents — application-ready
surface technologies

A portfolio of granted German, European, and US patents in antifouling coatings and functional surfaces — available for licensing, joint development, or technology transfer.

DE102018127812B4 · Granted June 2020
Contact Lens Coating and Process Thereof

Functional antifouling and wettability-enhancing coating for rigid gas-permeable (RGP) contact lenses. Environmentally friendly photografting process.

✓ Granted — DE
DE102018115709B4 · Granted March 2020
Antibacterial Coating for Medical Implants

Release-free antibacterial surface treatment for implantable medical devices. Durable, biocompatible anti-adhesive performance without biocidal leaching.

✓ Granted — DE
EP 18703549.8 · Granted May 2022
Transparent Scratch-Resistant Antifouling Coating

European patent for a transparent, mechanically durable antifouling coating. Combines optical clarity with scratch resistance and protein-repellent surface chemistry for sensors, optics, and glass.

✓ Granted — European
European Patent Nr. 12 732 952.2
Functional Coating for Polymer Substrates

Coating system tailored for polymers and silicones — imparting hydrophilicity, anti-adhesion, and surface energy control. Applicable to medical housings, tubing, and consumer devices.

✓ Granted — European
DE 10 2010 044 234
Porous Coatings and Process Thereof

Controlled production of porous coating layers enabling combined antifouling and functional performance through structural engineering at the nano- and microscale.

✓ Granted — DE
EP 2,283,082 B1 · US US8771830B2
Hydrophobic Coating

Dual European and US patent for a durable hydrophobic anti-fingerprint and oleophobic coating for glass, ceramics, and metals. Validated commercial deployment.

✓ Granted — EU + US
View recently granted patents →
IP Licensing & Technology Transfer

Available for licensing
& collaboration

The IMST patent portfolio covers proven, scalable surface technologies for antifouling and functional coating applications. Contact us to explore licensing arrangements, joint development agreements, or technology transfer partnerships.

Discuss licensing →
Contact

Get in
touch

For industrial partnerships, IP licensing, R&D collaborations, or consulting in antifouling coatings and energy technologies.

Name & TitleProf. Dr. Mohammed Es-Souni
Honorary Member, Kiel University of Applied Sciences
InstitutionIMST — Institut für Werkstoff- und Oberflächentechnologie
Fachhochschule Kiel, Germany
Emailcontact@cleancoat-imst.de
Phone+49 (0) 171 306 311 7
Websitewww.cleancoat-imst.de
Areas of Engagement ◆ Antibiofouling coating development & scale-up
◆ Scratch-resistant non-fouling surfaces
◆ Medical device & implant surface engineering
◆ Piezoelectric & pyroelectric energy harvesting
◆ Nanostructured supercapacitor electrodes
◆ Electrocatalysis for hydrogen generation
◆ IP licensing & technology transfer