Three young PhD graduates from the Charles Gerhardt Institute Montpellier (ICGM), Sidonie Laviéville, Rakine Mouhoubi and Jules Simonin Garcia, have been awarded the 2025 Thesis Prize by the Balard Graduate School of Chemical Sciences (EDSCB).
This distinction recognizes the quality of research work defended in 2025 and highlights the scientific excellence of the research carried out within ICGM teams.
Sidonie Laviéville: Recyclable and Adaptable Materials
Affiliated with the Molecular Chemistry and Materials and Macromolecular Chemistry and Materials departments of ICGM, Sidonie Laviéville completed her PhD thesis entitled “Stabilized N,X-Acetals: New Exchange Platforms for Applications in Covalent Adaptable Networks (CANs)”, under the supervision of Eric Leclerc, Vincent Ladmiral and Camille Bakkali-Hassani.
Her research led to the development of a new chemical exchange platform applied to recyclable and on-demand degradable crosslinked materials. This approach paves the way for the design of materials with a wide range of properties, from rigidity to elasticity, while addressing sustainability challenges.
Rakine Mouhoubi: 4D Printing of Smart Materials
Within the Macromolecular Chemistry and Materials Department, Rakine Mouhoubi carried out a PhD project entitled “4D Printing of Liquid Crystal Elastomers by Digital Light Processing (DLP) Stereolithography”, under the supervision of Sébastien Blanquer and Vincent Lapinte.
His research focused on the development of molecular alignment strategies enabling reversible shape changes in complex three-dimensional architectures. These findings contribute to the emergence of smart materials capable of responding to external stimuli.
Jules Simonin Garcia: Innovative Biomaterials for Healthcare
Jules Simonin Garcia conducted his PhD research at the interface between ICGM’s Macromolecular Chemistry and Materials Department and the IBMM, under the supervision of Marie Morille, Emmanuel Belamie, Gilles Subra and Cécile Echalier. His work, entitled “Development of MMP-13 Sensitive Peptide-Based Biomaterials”, focused on the design of biomaterials capable of selectively responding to an enzyme involved in several pathological processes.
These biomaterials were developed for diagnostic applications, particularly for the detection of the enzyme in wounds, as well as for cartilage lesion treatment through functionalized collagen microparticles.
The awarding of these three prizes illustrates the diversity of research topics developed at the Charles Gerhardt Institute Montpellier, ranging from sustainable materials chemistry to healthcare biomaterials, including smart materials for 4D printing.