Functional Materials and Photonics

The axis “Functional Materials and Photonics” aims to bring together multidisciplinary expertise involving Molecular Chemistry, Materials Science and Photonic to develop innovative systems based on (nano)functional materials. Interest is important in application areas for example relating to health care, energy, communications, environment and textiles.

 The methodology is to design molecular systems for specific applications and build associations with solid inorganic materials towards the final device.

The tools used for our researches lies from molecular modeling to organic and organometallic synthesis, material science (soft chemistry routes, colloidal chemistry) and spectroscopy (two-photon processes, luminescence, non-linear absorption, excited state absorption…).

Light/Matter interactions (Photonic) and chemical interactions between supported entities and surrounding molecules (Catalysis, molecular recognition, living cells) are of particular interest in our investigations for the final applications.

The axis is divided according to the following research themes:
1-Molecules for Optics (resp. C. Andraud): design, modelling, synthesis and characterization.   Participants: C. Andraud, Y. Bretonnière, O. Maury, C. Monnereau
2-Functional Materials (resp. S. Parola): inorganic and hybrid materials, nanomaterials, functional coatings.    Participants: F. Chaput, F. Lerouge, S. Parola
3-Surface Engineering and Reactivity (resp. L. Bonneviot): hybrid porous nanomaterials, catalysis.        Participants: B. Albela, L. Bonneviot,  N. Calin
4-Molecular Photonics, Biophotonics of Materials (resp. P. Baldeck): nonlinear optics, multiphotonic processes, photovoltaïcs, actuators.   Participants: P. Baldeck , M. Lindgren, G. Micouin.

Several important projects are supported by academic grants (ANR, FUI, Joliot Curie, EU-FP7, and defense) or industry.