Mini-symposium on Sustainable Chemistry for Health and Energy: from LABUM to PTLs

This mini-symposium will be an opportunity to officially launch the CARLA and CHIMENE Long-Term Thematic Projects (PTL) of the Chemistry Cluster. It will provide an opportunity to present the themes of the two PTLs through conferences given by national and international researchers, and to facilitate discussion and exchange.

The event will be followed by theceremony awardingProfessor Lutz Gade(University of Heidelberg, Germany)anhonorary doctorate from the University of Montpellier.

Program

8:30–9:00 a.m.: Welcome coffee

9:00-9:45 a.m.: Introduction

• UM Presidency: Philippe Augé, Jacques Mercier, François Pierrot
• Director of Labex/LabUM: Stéphane Pellet-Rostaing
• Director of the Chemistry Division: Joulia Larionova

9:45–10:00 a.m.: Presentation of the PTLs

10:00-11:00 a.m.: Plenary session Marta Pineiro (University of Coimbra, Portugal)

11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.: Plenary session Thibault Cantat (CEA Saclay)

12:00 p.m.–1:30 p.m.: Cocktail lunch

1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.: Plenary session Guy Royal (University of Grenoble)

2:30-3:30 p.m.: Plenary session Magda Titirici (Imperial College, London)

3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.: Coffee break

4:30–6:00 p.m.: Honorary Doctorate Award Ceremony for Lutz Gade

6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.: Cocktail reception

Guest speakers:  

• Prof. Marta Pineiro(University of Coimbra, Portugal); “In Search of Sustainable Methods for the Synthesis of Unique Heterocycles”

• Dr. Thibault Cantat(CEA, Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission IRAMIS Institute, NIMBE, France; “Catalysis for a circular carbon economy: CO2 chemistry and chemical recycling of waste plastics”)

• Prof. Guy ROYAL (University of Grenoble, France); “Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS): Issues and Current Research Activities”

• Prof. Magda Titirici(Imperial College London, UK); “Sustainable batteries and electrocatalytic processes”

About the speakers:

Dr. Marta Pineiro obtained her Bachelor's degree in Chemistry from the University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain. During her final undergraduate year at the University of Coimbra (UC) through the Erasmus Program, she laid the foundation for her PhD in Organic Synthesis, completed in 2002 at UC. Since 2010, she has held a permanent position at UC, where she is currently an Associate Professor with habilitation.

Throughout her career, she has taken an interdisciplinary approach to both research and teaching. As an assistant professor at the UC's Chemistry Department, she continued her research into the synthesis of tetrapyrrolic macrocycles and their biological applications and explored Green Chemistry technologies for sustainable organic synthesis. Her research in this area led to the establishment of the Green Chemistry group at the Coimbra Chemistry Centre (CQC), which she currently coordinates. Marta's commitment to Green Chemistry aligns with its pivotal role in global sustainability. Her multidisciplinary background allows her to engage in collaborative projects both within and beyond the CQC. Having published more than 100 papers in international journals, 10 book chapters, and 3 patents, Marta has supervised over 40 internships, 16 master's theses, and 8 PhD theses. Additionally, her involvement in scientific outreach includes organizing scientific events and contributing to the promotion of chemistry in secondary schools.

Marta served as Vice-President of the Scientific Board of the Chemistry Department and Subdirector at the Chemistry Department (presently). She served as Secretary-General Adjunct and Deputy Director of “Química” publication of the Portuguese Chemical Society (SPQ), where she currently serves as Treasurer. Since 2009, she has been a member of the scientific council of the Department of Chemistry at UC, and since 2014, a member of the scientific committee of the CATSUS (catalysis and sustainability) PhD Program.

Dr. Thibault Cantat is a group leader at the Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) in France. He obtained his Ph.D. in Chemistry in 2007 at the Ecole Polytechnique, France. Afterwards, he received a Director’s Postdoctoral position at Los Alamos National Laboratory to explore uranium and thorium chemistry. Upon returning to France in 2009, he started a research group focused on the activation and recycling of_CO2, depolymerization of waste plastics, and valorization of wood lignin at CEA Saclay. He has published over 120 research articles and has obtained three grants from the European Research Council. Since 2020, he has been the Program Leader on the Carbon Circular Economy at CEA.

Professor Guy Royal is a professor at the University of Grenoble Alpes and conducts research at the University of Savoie Mont Blanc. Professor Royal completed his PhD in 1998 at the University of Bourgogne (Dijon) under the supervision of Professor Roger Guilard, focusing on organic synthesis and coordination chemistry (an industrial project in collaboration with Air Liquide). He then moved to the United States for a postdoctoral fellowship in the field of electrochemistry at the University of Houston (USA) in the laboratory of Professor Karl Kadish. In 1999, he became an Associate Professor and Full Professor in 2009 in Grenoble. He is currently part of the Department of Molecular Chemistry, founded by Prof. Pascal Dumy, at the University of Grenoble Alpes.

His research activities are multidisciplinary: organic synthesis, coordination chemistry, electrochemistry, and photochemistry in solution and solid materials. Initially, he developed electrochemical sensors and later worked in the field of molecular switches (systems that can reversibly switch under the influence of external stimuli), including photochromic compounds (for electronics and health applications). Today, he is conducting research at the Edytem Laboratory at the University of Savoie Mont Blanc, which focuses on mountain and environmental studies. In collaboration with a Grenoble-based company (as part of a joint ANR laboratory), Professor Guy and his team are developing PFAS sensors.

Professor Royal has been a member of the Chemistry and Biology Council at the University of France since 2012 and has served as Deputy Director and then Director of the Doctoral School of Chemistry and Life Sciences (approximately 400 doctoral students) for 11 years. He has also been a visiting professor in China since 2016. Professor Royal has over 100 peer-reviewed publications, 3 book chapters, and is the co-inventor of 7 patents.

Prof. Magda Titirici obtained her BSc from the University of Bucharest, her MSc jointly from the University of Rostock and the University of Bucharest, followed by a PhD started at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and completed at the University of Dortmund in 2005. She did two years of postdoctoral research at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam near Berlin before becoming an independent group leader at the same institute. Magda obtained her German "Habilitation" in 2013. She then moved to the UK to take up a "Reader" position at the School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London, being promoted to "Professor" just one year later. In 2019, Magda moved to the Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, as Chair in Sustainable Energy Materials. Magda holds an RAEng Chair in Emerging Technologies. She also served as the "Director of Research" for the Chemical Engineering Department between 2020-2022. She is the President Elect of the Materials Chemistry Community Council at the Royal Society of Chemistry, a Wallenberg Initiative Materials Science for Sustainability (WISE) Guest Professor at University of Stockholm and an International PI at the Advanced Institute for Materials Research (AIMR), University of Tohoku in Sendai Japan.

Magda's research interests are in the field of sustainable materials for energy storage and conversion, where she has published around 400 papers and has been on Clarivate's list of "Highly Cited Researchers" since 2018. Her research has been recognized by numerous awards from the Royal Society of Chemistry: 2018 Corday-Morgan Prize; Institute of Materials and Mines: 2016 Rosenhain Medal and 2021 A. Griffith Medal and Prize, Royal Society: 2021 Royal Society Kavli Medal and 2023 Imperial College President Award for Excellent Research Team, among others.

Magda leads a large (40 people) and very diverse research team (50% women) at Imperial College London. In 2023 alone, four members of her groups obtained prestigious fellowships (Royal Society Research Fellow, Imperial Fellowship, Royal Academy of Engineering Fellowship) and academic positions at esteemed universities in the UK. She has many grants and projects with the developing world and is an active member of the Africa Materials Research Society (MRS).

Magda has over $20 million in funding from RAEng, EPSRC (PI of a program grant and a strategic equipment grant on automation for energy research), Faraday Institution (LISTAR, NEXGENA), Royal Society, EU, and industry (collaborations with bp, Shell, Petronas, Sinopec, Total, Toyota, etc.).

Join us for this inspiring and collaborative day where the pursuit of excellence and sustainable innovation come together to tackle the challenges of tomorrow!

Free event & open to all 

Possibility of credit validation for doctoral students!