A coating so dark it traps nearly all light
Published on 22/04/2025
STRAYPROTECT, the 12th spin-off from the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), officially launches operations in nanotechnology with a breakthrough innovation: a super-black coating that absorbs 99.4% of light, designed for applications in aerospace, defense, and high-performance optics.
Born in the lab, built for space
Developed by researchers at LIST, STRAYPROTECT’s proprietary coating uses carbon nanostructures to trap light and suppress parasitic straylight reflections, which improves the performance of sensitive optical devices such as those deployed for space and military applications.
Nicolas Boscher, Group Leader of Plasma and Vapor Deposition Processes at LIST, explains:
“STRAYPROTECT marks a breakthrough in space optics by enabling the gas-phase synthesis and integration of super-black coatings onto complex-shaped components. This innovation offers a lightweight, high-performance European solution to suppress stray light, outperforming conventional bulky shielding and multi-layer coatings in both efficiency and cost.”
Next-gen coatings for demanding missions
Two distinct coating architectures were developed to mitigate stray light across the visible to far-infrared spectral range. STRAYPROTECT’s advanced formulations are not only mechanically stable, but also compatible with diverse substrates, including additively manufactured components. Applications span:
- Aerospace optics and space-based telescopes
- Imaging systems to enhance societal resilience
- High-precision scientific instrumentation
The coatings make the most of cutting-edge composites, including carbon nanotubes and cermets, and can be applied to silicon microchips, quartz, copper, aluminium, and more.
From lab to launchpad
STRAYPROTECT marks LIST’s 12th spin-off, reinforcing the institute’s commitment to turning scientific discovery into commercial impact.
Jurgen Joossens, Deputy CEO of LIST, says:
“LIST champions Luxembourg's innovation ecosystem, aligning with our government's vision to foster start-ups and spin-offs. Through LIST-Ventures, we cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset within our organization and drive a dynamic valorization strategy, aiming to create captivating spin-offs that attract both local and international investors. STRAYPROTECT is yet another success for our entrepreneurial researchers. We wish the team the best of luck on their entrepreneurial journey!”
The development of STRAYPROTECT emerged from a request by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Luxembourg Space Agency (LSA) to design a European-made solution for super-black coatings, leading to the creation of a novel technology supported by a series of ESA grants (BlackCoat projects). The project was guided through LIST’s internal venture programme, LIST Ventures, and technology acceleration pipeline.
Naoufal Bahlawane, principal investigator and founder of STRAYPROTECT, adds:
“Initial interest from the space industry confirms a strong demand for STRAYPROTECT’s unique coating technology”.
Now, STRAYPROTECT has reached Technology Readiness Level 5 (TRL 5), demonstrating its performance in relevant environments and paving the way for industrial implementation.
Find out more about STRAYPROTECT: https://strayprotect.com/
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