Research at UCNANO focuses on energy storage, pollution control and health, developing sustainable and innovative solutions to society's current challenges. Research focuses on energy, the environment, the conversion of waste into high value-added products, green chemistry and health. UCNANO develops high-performance materials with low environmental impact that promote the circular economy and biomedical applications, in heterogeneous catalysis, photocatalysis, nano- and bio-technologies, energy storage and conversion and cell therapy.
Specific features of research at UCNANO
The specific features of UCNANO's research are the design, molecular engineering and study of the properties of hierarchical porous materials and bio-integrated living materials. Structured materials based on substituted silica or functionalized with active species are particularly studied. The unit's laboratories are equipped with cutting-edge technologies such as solid-state NMR. The CNANO unit is one of the world leaders in the field of materials. Numerous international collaborations enrich the unit's research on a daily basis.
Social impact
Concerned with society's problems and challenges, UCNANO aims to propose solutions: innovative electrodes to improve battery performance (energy storage and conversion), new catalytic, photocatalytic and photosynthetic technologies (environment). UCNANO's target applications include: the conversion of CO2 into high value-added products, the valorization of biomass waste (e.g. glycerol from biodiesel production), the depollution of industrial and residential emissions, the invention of artificial organs to cure diabetic patients.