D1: | Chemistry & Molecular Materials

Staff

39 Researchers and teacher-researchers

1 Emeritus

14 Ingineers and technicians

12 fixed-term contracts for researchers / post-docs / ATER

20 PhD students

The Chemistry & Molecular Materials department is part of a logic of contribution of molecular chemistry, structuring and shaping of materials (supramolecular chemistry, nanomaterials, multiscale materials), in response to academic challenges and major societal issues of our century. Indeed, the different facets of this department seek to position itself at the service of man and sustainable development, by addressing environmental issues (decontamination of radioactive moving elements, conversion of solar energy, pollutant sensors, organocatalysis, homogeneous catalysis), biomedical (bioactive molecules, biomaterials, formulation and controlled release of active ingredients, biological safety of nanoparticles (NPs), dynamic phototherapy, magneto- or photo-induced hyperthermia, imaging), and related to information sciences and technologies (optoelectronics, organic semiconductors, thermoelectrics, magnetoelectrics, energy-saving display devices, information storage).

Know-how / Skills

All the skills and expertise of the department’s staff in relation to these societal issues are grouped around four major unifying themes:

Organic synthesis
Coordination chemistry
(Nano)materials and nanosystems
Pi-conjugated systems.

The overlaps between these different themes are strong with many lines of research falling under several of these themes. This project is also built on collaborations with all the other departments of the ICGM, the chemistry UMRs of Montpellier and Marcoule but also many UMRs of other disciplines on the Montpellier site, as well as with many laboratories and companies in France and abroad.

In addition to expertise related to chemical synthesis, there is recognized technological expertise in chemical development (continuous flow, mechanochemistry), characterization (solid NMR, Raman in situ), and classical and quantum modeling allowing both alternative synthetic approaches and in-depth analysis of elaborate chemical objects. The integration or shaping of these different chemical objects is also considered. This global approach is covered by a wide range of skills associating within the department in addition to synthetic chemists and physical chemists, pharmacists, biophysicists and physicists.

A word from the manager

The Department of Chemistry and Molecular Materials is structured by bringing together researchers and teacher-researchers for whom molecular chemistry, whether organic or inorganic chemistry, is the core business. From this common foundation, the synthesis of molecules, and their use as such or as a component of (nano)materials or devices makes it possible to address important societal issues such as health, the environment and the electronics of the future. The sharing of a common approach both in synthetic developments and in the associated characterization methodologies constitute a cement that serves as a basis for the construction of rich internal collaborations, and a strong link with collaborators from the academic and socio-economic worlds, interested in a wide range of expertise in this field.

Yannick Guari

Head of Department

Research activities

The department is characterized by an original contribution in a strongly molecular approach to the development of molecular architectures and complex (nano)materials. This approach “from the molecule to the material and its shaping to the device” is based on strong expertise in terms of methodology, organic synthesis and catalysis and combines unique skills in heterochemistry (phosphorus, silicon, fluorine), coordination chemistry and organometallic chemistry. These molecular engineering skills are complemented by expertise in the development of wide area networks or nano-sized materials. The chemical objects of interest within the department therefore relate to molecules and supramolecular assemblies as well as nanomaterials and multiscale materials.