Our research is at the crossroad of chemistry, nanosciences, Earth, energy and environment sciences. We are developing methods to design and to study original nano-objects, as ways to address some of the urgent challenges of our societies: energy and environment.

We are seaking to understand how materials form in Nature, and how to use these processes as inspiration to develop new methods of nanomaterials synthesis, in order to:

  • address the concepts underlying the formation, the reactivity and the properties of original nano-objects belonging to new territories in terms of chemical composition and atomic-scale order,
  • target specific properties and functions,
  • enhance sustainability of synthetic processes.

Our activities are performed in the Laboratory of Condensed Matter Chemistry of Paris (LCMCP), affiliated to CNRS and Sorbonne University. It is located in the center of Paris on the campus of Sorbonne University.

News

Superhard nanocrystals of boron carbide in ACS Nano!

The work of Fernando on the isomorphic synthesis of boron carbide nanocrystals and their processing into superhard materials is now published in ACS Nano. A fruitful and friendly collaboration with Yann Le Godec from IMPMC – Sorbonne University Transforming Nanocrystals into Superhard Boron Carbide Nanostructures, F. Igoa Saldaña, T. Gaudisson, S. Le Floch, B. Baptiste, …

Size-tunable silicon particles in Chemistry of Materials

In a study led by Glenna Drisko and M. A. Parker at ICMCB, we designed a redox pathway involving a silicon Zintl phase and a custom-made silicon complex to fabricate size-controlled silicon particles. Anissa contributed significantly to the ‘Zintl’ part during her Ph.D. Unveiling the Potential of Redox Chemistry to Form Size-Tunable, High-Index Silicon Particles, …

Metal borosilicides in JACS

A great achievement by Daniel during his Ph.D. work: We unveil a path in molten salts to transition metal silicoborides through structural transformations driven by boron-based covalent bonds. Specific charge transfer between atoms provide guidelines to design corrosion-resistant and Earth-abundant water oxidation electrocatalysts. Among a range of methods, we made extensive use of synchrotron-based in …