An international team of chemistry researchers, led by Dr. Laroussi Chaabane and Prof. Bao-Lian Su, has just demonstrated that it is possible to produce "green" hydrogen using natural water and sunlight. These findings have been published in the prestigious Chemical Engineering Journal.

Faced with climate change, pollution, and energy shortages, the search for alternatives to fossil fuels has become a global priority in order to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Among the solutions being considered, green hydrogen appears to be a particularly promising energy carrier: it has a high energy density and can be produced without greenhouse gas emissions. Today, most of the world's hydrogen (around 87 million tons produced in 2020) is obtained through costly and polluting electrochemical processes, mainly used by the chemical industry or fuel cells. Hence the major interest in more sustainable methods.

Producing hydrogen and oxygen directly from water using light, a process known as photocatalysis of water, is often referred to as the "Holy Grail of chemistry" because it is so complex to master. At the University of Namur, researchers at the Laboratory of Inorganic Materials Chemistry (CMI), part of the Nanomaterials Chemistry Unit (UCNANO) and the Namur Institute of Structured Matter (NISM), have taken a decisive step forward. They have demonstrated that it is possible to use natural water, and no longer just ultrapure water, to produce green hydrogen under the action of sunlight.

The new material developed is a three-dimensional (3D) photocatalyst based on titanium oxide, graphene, and gold nanoparticles. This 3D architecture allows for better light absorption and more efficient generation of free electrons, which are essential for triggering the water dissociation reaction. One of the main challenges lies in the use of natural water, which contains minerals, salts, and organic compounds that can disrupt the process. To address this challenge, the researchers tested their device with water from several Belgian rivers: the Meuse, the Sambre, the Scheldt, and the Yser.

The performance achieved is almost equivalent to that measured with pure water.  

This is a first in Belgium, opening up concrete prospects for the sustainable use of local natural resources!

The full article, "Synergistic four physical phenomena in a 3D photocatalyst for unprecedented overall water splitting," is available in open access.

This scientific breakthrough also earned Dr. Laroussi Chaabane the award for best poster at the 4th International Colloids Conference (San Sebastián, Spain, July 2025), highlighting the impact and originality of this work.

An international research team

• University of Namur, Faculty of Sciences, UCNANO, Laboratory of Inorganic Materials Chemistry (CMI) and Namur Institute of Structured Matter (NISM), Belgium | Principal Investigator (PI) | Professor Bao Lian SU; Postdoctoral Researcher | Dr. Laroussi Chaabane
• Institute of Organic Chemistry, Phytochemistry Center, Academy of Sciences, Bulgaria
• Department of Organic Chemistry (MSc), Loyola Academy, India
• Free University of Brussels (ULB) and Flanders Make, Department of Applied Physics and Photonics, Brussels Photonics, Belgium
• University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM), Department of Chemistry, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
• National Institute for Scientific Research - Energy Materials Telecommunications Center (INRS-EMT), Varennes, Quebec, Canada
• Wuhan University of Technology, National Laboratory for Advanced Technologies in Materials Synthesis and Processing, China

At this stage, the study constitutes proof of concept demonstrating the feasibility of the process. It illustrates the excellence of chemical engineering and nanomaterials research at UNamur, as well as its potential for sustainable energy applications. A new study is underway to evaluate the performance of the process with seawater, a key step towards large-scale green hydrogen production.

The analyses carried out were made possible thanks to the equipment available at UNamur's Physico-Chemical Characterization (PC²), Electron Microscopy, and Material Synthesis, Irradiation, and Analysis (SIAM) technology platforms. UNamur's technology platforms house state-of-the-art equipment and are accessible to the scientific community as well as to industries and companies. 

The authors would like to thank the Wallonia Public Service (SPW) for its ongoing commitment to scientific research and innovation in Wallonia, enabling UNamur to develop technological solutions with a significant societal and environmental impact.

From fundamental to applied research, UNamur demonstrates every day that research is a driver of transformation. Thanks to the commitment of its researchers, the support of its partners from all walks of life, funders, industrial partners, and a solid ecosystem of valorization, UNamur actively participates in shaping a society that is open to the world, more innovative, more responsible, and more sustainable.

For several years now, heritage sciences have been experiencing a particularly significant boom. This deeply interdisciplinary field of research aims to foster dialogue between the humanities and natural sciences with a view to improving our knowledge of heritage objects, whether they be parchments, works of art, or artifacts discovered during excavations.

Manuscripts bear witness to ancestral practices and know-how, which unfortunately are poorly documented. It is still unclear why legal documents were preferably written on sheepskin parchment in England from the 13th century until 1925. Among the hypotheses put forward is the fact that sheepskin is whiter, and therefore more attractive, but above all that documents written on it were considered unforgeable due to the tendency of sheepskin to delaminate (any malicious attempt to erase the text would thus be revealed). This delamination property was exploited because it allowed the production of high-quality writing surfaces. It was also used to prepare strong repair pieces used to fill any tears that appeared during the parchment manufacturing process. Understanding why sheepskin delaminates is of interest in the context of traditional parchment preparation techniques, offering valuable insights into the interaction between animal biology, craftsmanship, and historical needs.

Delamination is the phenomenon whereby the inner layers of the skin separate along their interface as a result of mechanical stress. The diagram (a) below shows the structure of the skin, which consists mainly of the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis. The dermis is divided into two layers, the papillary dermis and the reticular dermis, which contain hair, hair follicles, and sebaceous glands. 

During the parchment manufacturing process, a step following liming involves scraping the skin to remove the hair. This step crushes the sebaceous glands, releasing fats and creating a void where the hair was located (diagram b). 

The study showed that delamination occurs within the papillary dermis itself, in this structurally weakened area, rather than at the papillary-reticular junction as previously assumed. 

The unique nature of the delamination process in sheepskin is highlighted by the skin structure, which differs from that of other animals (calves, goats) used to make parchment, as it has a high fat content associated with a large number of primary and secondary hair follicles. In the study, the presence of fats was confirmed using Raman spectroscopy.

This study combines experimental archaeology and advanced analytical techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and micro-Raman spectroscopy, to characterize the delamination process and the adhesion of repair pieces on experimentally produced sheepskin parchment. It benefits from the expertise in archaeometry, biology, chemistry, and physics of the researchers involved.

Beyond its visual and structural implications, delamination has contributed to promoting the use of sheepskin for prestigious documents, improving the surface properties of parchment. The study of the interaction between metal-gallic ink and delaminated sheepskin (wetting experiments) showed that ink diffusion and writing quality are improved, a key finding that provides insight into how surface morphology and composition influence writing performance.

At UNamur, Marine Appart, a PhD student in physics, is conducting this multidisciplinary research on the archaeometry of delamination and repairs on a sheepskin parchment under the supervision of Professor Olivier Deparis (Department of Physics, NISM Institute). 

Also part of the UNamur team are:

• Professor Francesca Cecchet (expert in Raman spectroscopy), Department of Physics, NARILIS and NISM Institutes
• Professor Yves Poumay (skin specialist), Department of Medicine, NARILIS Institute
• Dr. Caroline Canon (histology specialist), Department of Medicine
• Nicolas Gros (PhD student in heritage sciences), Department of Physics, NARILIS and NISM Institutes

Other international experts

• Professor Matthew Collins (world expert in biomolecular archaeology, Department of Archaeology, The McDonald Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK)
• Jiří Vnouček (curator and expert in parchment production, Preservation Department, Royal Danish Library, Copenhagen, Denmark)
• Marc Fourneau (biologist) 

This study and the resulting article were inspired by the delamination experiments conducted in 2023 by Jiří Vnouček during a symposium in Klosterneuburg, Austria, in which Prof. Olivier Deparis participated. The symposium was organized by Professor Matthew Collins as part of the ABC and ERC Beast2Craft (B2C) projects.

But it all began in 2014, when the Pergamenum21 project, dedicated to the transdisciplinary study of parchments, was launched.  Pergamenum21 is a project of the Namur Transdisciplinary Research Impulse (NaTRIP) program at the University of Namur. The project received an additional grant in 2016 from the Jean-Jacques Comhaire Fund of the King Baudouin Foundation (FRB).

The projects and events followed one after another, including: 

• May 2014: a transdisciplinary seminar on parchment, the scientific techniques used to characterize this material, and historical questions at the Mauretus Plantin Library (BUMP)
• May 2017: "Autopsy of a scriptorium: the Orval parchments put to the test of bioarchaeology," a transdisciplinary research project co-financed by the University of Namur and the Jean-Jacques Comhaire Fund of the King Baudouin Foundation
• April 2019: a publication in Scientific Reports, Nature group - Jean-Jacques Comhaire Prize: discovery of an innovative technique based on measuring the light scattered by ancient parchments. This technique makes it possible to characterize, in a non-invasive way, the nature of the skins used in the Middle Ages to make parchments
• September 2020: a residential workshop on making parchment from animal skins at the Domaine d'Haugimont – a first in Belgium
• July 2022: a new project on parchment bindings for the restoration workshop at the Moretus Plantin University Library (BUMP) thanks to the Jean-Jacques Comhaire Fund of the King Baudouin Foundation.
• September 2024: a residential symposium-workshop at the Domaine d'Haugimont on the theme of the physicochemistry of parchment and inks using experimental and historical approaches 

Overall, the work of Marine Appart and her colleagues clarifies the structural and material factors that make sheepskin parchment susceptible to delamination and offers new insights into the surface properties of this ancient writing material. UNamur is now establishing itself as a major player in parchment research.

Professor Olivier Deparis, along with several of the researchers involved in this research, are also working on the ARC PHOENIX project.  This project aims to renew our understanding of medieval parchments and ancient coins. Artificial intelligence is used to analyze the data generated by the characterization of materials. This joint study will address issues related to the production chain and the use of these objects and materials in past societies. 

This article is taken from the "Issues" section of Omalius magazine #40 (March 2026).

“August 6, 1945, was Day Zero. The day it was demonstrated that universal history might not continue, that we are in any case capable of severing its thread—that day ushered in a new age in world history,” wrote Günter Anders, considered the first “philosopher of the bomb,” in *Hiroshima Is Everywhere* (1982). 

For many thinkers, the invention of the atomic bomb and its use against Japan by the United States constitute a turning point in the destiny of humanity. The Chernobyl accident in 1986—40 years ago this April—and the Fukushima disaster in 2011, whose 15th anniversary was recently marked, are two other landmark events, serving as a reminder of the potential dangers of nuclear energy. 

“Günter Anders also speaks of ‘globocide,’ that is, the possibility that emerged with nuclear technology to ‘make everything disappear,’” explains Danielle Leenaerts, a researcher in art history at UNamur.  “He also emphasizes the impossibility of separating the risks of military nuclear power from those of civilian nuclear power, since radioactive fallout is a possibility in both areas.” 

Today, however, nuclear energy is ubiquitous in our lives. Every day, for example, many workers are exposed to ionizing radiation. In Belgium, anyone professionally exposed to such radiation must wear a dosimeter at chest level (Article 30.6 of the Royal Decree of July 20, 2001). This data is then centralized, analyzed, and archived monthly by the AFCN (Federal Agency for Nuclear Control). An epidemiologist, researcher at the Faculty of Medicine, and member of the Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences (NARILIS) at UNamur, Médéa Locquet is also a member of the Belgian delegation to the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR), whose mission is to assess the levels and effects of exposure to ionizing radiation on human health and the environment. In this context, she studies in particular the effects of occupational exposure—whether among airline pilots exposed to cosmic rays, uranium mine workers, or healthcare personnel—as well as environmental exposure, and notably the impact of radon, 

“a naturally occurring radioactive gas emitted by the soil that can accumulate in buildings, and which is now the second leading cause of lung cancer after tobacco,” she notes. 

As part of her collaboration with UNSCEAR, Médéa Locquet is participating with her colleagues in Japan in the “Lifespan Study,” which investigates the consequences of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on irradiated survivors and their descendants. While the dangers of acute exposure to ionizing radiation (so-called “deterministic” effects) are well understood, the effects of low-dose exposure (“stochastic effects”) remain more complex to understand and assess. 

“Generally, in medicine, we move from basic research to applied research. Here, it’s the opposite: by observing an application of military nuclear technology, we directly study the effects on human beings to establish radiation protection standards and confirm certain mechanisms of action of ionizing radiation by returning to experimental research,” explains the researcher. 

Cancer cells are, in fact, characterized by their ability to proliferate continuously. 

Radiotherapy traditionally uses an X-ray beam to target the tumor, but today, researchers are increasingly turning their attention to protons. 

“UNamur has the only proton irradiator in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, which allows us to study their advantages over X-rays,” notes Carine Michiels. 

Read our previous article on this topic: ALTAïS – Penetrating the depths of matter to address current challenges

“Protons have a ballistic advantage,” explains Anne-Catherine Heuskin. “When you target a tumor with X-rays, some of the radiation is absorbed and some passes through to the other side. By irradiating upstream, you also affect the downstream area. But the goal is to spare healthy tissue as much as possible: in breast cancer, for example, we try to avoid irradiating the heart.” 

Because they interact differently with matter, protons deposit a small amount of energy continuously as they travel. 

“On the other hand, when they have only a few centimeters or millimeters left to travel, they release all their energy at once,” continues Anne-Catherine Heuskin. “Whatever lies downstream is then spared.” 

Proton therapy is particularly promising for treating pediatric cancers—that is, for patients who still have a very long life expectancy and are therefore at greater risk of experiencing the long-term effects of radiation on their healthy tissues. 

In addition to these external radiation therapy techniques, it is also possible to treat tumors using internal radiation therapy, 

“by attaching a radioactive atom to a ‘carrier,’ such as gold nanoparticles, which will transport this atom to the tumor via the bloodstream,” explains Carine Michiels. 

This technique maximizes the effect on cancer cells while sparing normal cells as much as possible. 

“Over the past 5 to 10 years, the major breakthrough in cancer treatment has been immunotherapy,” she continues. “But we still don’t understand why some patients respond to it and others don’t. One hypothesis is that we need to boost the cancer cells so that they are recognized by the immune system. And this is where radiation therapy has a huge role to play, because by damaging the cancer cells, it helps boost the immune response. The combination of radiation therapy and immunotherapy is therefore set to play a leading role.” 

Today, the scientific community is increasingly concerned about the long-term risks (cancer, leukemia, etc.) associated with medical exposure to radiation. 

“Several recent studies highlight an increased risk of brain cancers and leukemias in patients who underwent repeated CT scans during childhood,” explains Médéa Locquet. “During childhood, the high rate of cell proliferation and differentiation makes cells more radiosensitive, which increases the risk of late effects, particularly in adulthood.” 

Similarly, radiation therapy treatment can increase the risk of certain diseases, even though these risks are now well understood and generally well managed. 

“My research hypothesis,” says Médéa Locquet, “is that the effects of exposure to ionizing radiation mimic the aging process, since what we will find are mainly complications such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, as well as endocrine or neurodegenerative disorders—that is, diseases that appear in the general population with advancing age. Confirming this hypothesis would allow us to optimize doses to prevent this accelerated aging and the onset of treatment-related late effects. We could also try to prevent it by using senomorphs (editor’s note: agents that block the harmful effects of senescent cells), as well as through physical activity and nutrition programs in post-cancer care.”

What is nuclear energy?

Nuclear energy is a form of energy released by the nucleus of atoms, which is composed of protons and neutrons. It can be produced by fission (the splitting of an atomic nucleus into several parts) or by the fusion of several nuclei. The nuclear energy used today to generate electricity comes from nuclear fission. Energy production through fusion (as occurs in the cores of the sun and stars) is still in the research and development phase.

How does nuclear fission work?

In nuclear fission, an atom’s nucleus splits into several smaller nuclei, thereby releasing energy through a chain reaction. For example, when a neutron strikes the nucleus of a uranium-235 atom, it splits into two smaller nuclei and two or three neutrons. These neutrons then strike other uranium-235 atoms, which in turn split, producing more neutrons, with a multiplier effect that releases energy in the form of heat and radiation. 

What are the applications of nuclear energy?

Since the discovery of radioactivity, the properties of nuclear energy have been used in numerous applications, notably in nuclear weapons, as well as in military ships and submarines. But nuclear energy also has numerous applications in research, medicine, industry, the food industry (combating insect pests and pathogenic microorganisms), and even archaeology and museology (dating and authenticating certain artifacts).

This is particularly evident in the work of Belgian artist Cécile Massart, who explores landfills as sites of memory, and that of photographer Jacqueline Salmon, who documented the decommissioning of the Superphenix power plant (Isère), “offering a form of knowledge” that is distinct from and complementary to that of scientists. Both are featured in the exhibition curated by Danielle Leenaerts at the Delta, *(Faire) face au nucléaire*, and in her eponymous book (published by La Lettre Volée).

For over 30 years, UNamur, via its Chemistry of Inorganic Materials Laboratory (CMI) headed by Professor Bao-Lian Su, has excelled in fundamental research into catalytic solutions capable of "cleaning" air and water. In 2014, STÛV approached this expertise to design a sustainable, low-cost smoke purification system for wood-burning stoves, in anticipation of the tightening of European standards.

From this meeting was born the R-PUR applied research project, funded by the Walloon Region and the European Union as part of the Beware program, led by Tarek Barakat (UNamur - CMI). Between 2014 and 2017, an innovative catalytic filter was thus developed within the laboratory, in close collaboration with STÛV.

From 2018 to 2024, the technologies patented by STÛV and UNamur and the pollutant measurement equipment were gradually transferred to STÛV, at the same time as Win4Spin-off and Proof of Concept funding enabled technological and commercial maturities to be increased to meet market needs. These steps led to laying the foundations for a new Business Unit at STÛV, with the hiring of Tarek Barakat as Project Manager, and raising investments to produce the catalytic filters.

The UNamur-STÛV collaboration continues today with the Win4Doc (doctorate in business) DeCOVskite project, led by PhD student Louis Garin (UNamur - CMI) and supervised by Tarek Barakat. Objectives:

• Develop a second generation of catalysts to completely reduce fine particle emissions.
• Limit the use of precious metals.
• Sustain biomass combustion and make STÛV the world leader in zero-emission stoves.

This collaboration has enabled:

• The acquisition and transfer of know-how and equipment between UNamur and STÛV to validate results under industrial conditions.
• The organization of multidisciplinary workshops, such as the one on October 14, promoting the sharing of expertise around biomass combustion and sustainable development.

At the end of October, members of UNamur and STÛV came together to take part in a workshop organized by UNamur's Research Administration and STÛV. The aim? To highlight the benefits of collaborative research between companies and universities on subjects ranging from energy, the environment, profitability, ethics and regulation to sustainable development. The two partners discussed their collaboration, expertise and development prospects.