Solid State Chemistry Department
Department leader foreword
The Solid State Chemistry department has its legacy in the former Laboratory of Crystal-chemistry and Physical-chemistry of Solids (LCPS), a founding member in 2006 with the LCL (Laboratory of Catalysis of Lille) of the current UCCS. Our activities are mainly focused on issues related to materials for energy (nuclear, hydrogen, electrochemical storage) and environment (recycling of fissile materials, eco-friendly ferroelectric thin films, valorization of by-products of nuclear cycle, trapping of radiotoxic elements).
The approach that constitutes our strong point, i.e. the creation/understanding/optimization of new phases, is at the heart of our strategy since it is, and will remain for the coming years, a source of new materials with remarkable properties. To carry out our projects, we rely on a rational synthesis approach (concept of architectural phases, use of computational modeling), supplemented by strong skills in advanced characterization methods. We can for instance cite methodological developments in solid-state NMR (quadrupole nuclei, DNP-Dynamic Nuclear Polarization), in electron crystallography, in electric, ionic and/or magnetic transport measurements (at macroscopic and nanometric scales).
The triptych synthesis-structure-properties is at the center of the five teams concerns constituting the CS department. The balance between upstream and downstream research is also an important point of our research, thus enabling a development committed to the various societal issues mentioned above. In summary, the main feature of the CS department, i.e. its ability to create, study, and optimize new inorganic compounds, either crystallized or amorphous, is, and will remain, the spearhead of our research.
Presentation
The main feature of the Solid State Chemistry (SSC) department is its ability to create new inorganic compounds, either crystallized or amorphous. Our approach is based on the rational assembly of structural building blocks, that allows the design of new materials, in very different fields (magnetism, transport, ferro- and piezoelectricity, optics ...), making us some "architects" of matter. By diversifying the methods of synthesis, the SSC department stands out from "conventional" materials, and maintains a constant effort in the exploratory research of new compounds with original architectures, essential to the development of physicochemical concepts and innovative applications. This includes, for instance, the development of innovative magnetic phases, rare-earth-based light-emitting materials, SOFC-type fuel cell cathode materials, lead-free thin films with ferroelectric properties or self-healing glasses. This approach of solid-state chemists is also at the heart of recognized skills in nuclear materials chemistry, for which long-term partnerships have been developed with the main industry key-players (ORANO, EDF, IRSN, ANDRA …). In addition to these synthesis activities, a strong expertise in advanced characterization methods is present within the team, with for instance, some methodological developments in solid state NMR, electron crystallography or electrical measurements at the nanoscale.
Strategy
The Solid State Chemistry department leads an activity focused on issues mainly related to materials for energy (nuclear, hydrogen). The approach that constitutes our main strength, the creation of new phases, will be continued since it will remain for the coming years a source of new and innovative potential materials. The strategy is based on a rational synthesis approach (concept of building units, use of computer modeling), supplemented by strong skills in characterization methods. It should be noted that the department has been selected to carry out a project to implement a 1200 MHz NMR spectrometer as part of a national TGIR infrastructure. The twofold upstream-downstream logic is also present, and some materials developed in the laboratory (ferroelectric thin layers, self-healing) are part of the priorities of Key Enabling Technologies-Advanced Materials (KET-AM).