Description du sujet de thèse

-Photochemistry and Mechanochemistry, both well-established components of the arsenal of the Green Chemistry, known respectively for selectivity issues, and for the reduced amounts of additives (solvents), have been now combined into the burgeoning field of Mechano-Photochemistry. To improve its range of feasability we propse to drive the photochemistry in the Near InfraRed range of energy, using lanthanide-baseed upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) as sensitizers. As such particles can also be used as local pressure and temperature sensors, the Photomill project funded by the french Research Funding Agency (ANR) aims inter alia at:(i) using UCNPs as nano-lamps in solid-state mechanochemistry, (ii) using UCNPs as local reporters for physicochemical parameters such as temperature and pressure. The project of the PhD is to take benefit of the above-mentioned remarkable properties of Ln-UCNPs to reach the goals of mechano-photochemistry. Since the Softmat team is used to prepare and characterize Ln-UCNPs for various uses (from bioimaging to local photochemistry), we have identified two main tasks to be addressed:
• The preparation of UV to blue light-producing UCNPs, based on thulium emitters and suitable to excite UV responsive photosensitizers, more specifically the photocatalysts explored in the Photomill project.
• The understanding and calibration of mechanosensitive UCNPs to analyze the energetics of the photochemical transformations.
Part of the work in particular the mechanochemical experiments will be done in tight partnership with IBMM and will require the PhD student to move to Montpellier for short term missions.
Complimentary expertise of the Softmat and IBMM laboratories will provide the candidate with a large panel of know-hows, from organic to inorganic colloids chemistry, from Nanosciences to Green Chemistry. Candidates should have a Master's degree in Chemistry. The skills required lie in the field of soft matter (inorganic and organic colloids) and organic chemistry. Scientific curiosity and social skills will be appreciated.

Contexte de travail

-The PhotoMill project gathers 4 complementary partners, including IBMM (Pr. X. Bantreil Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron, Montpellier), GBCM-CNAM (Dr. Z Amarias, Department of Genomics, Bioinformatics and Molecular Chemistry, Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, St Denis), Softmat (Dr C . Coudret, Laboratoire Chimie des colloïdes, polymères & assemblages complexes, Toulouse) and LNE-CNAM (Dr L. Gevaux, Laboratoire Commun de Métrologie, Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, St Denis). This PhD will take place between the Softmat and IBMM laboratories.
The Softmat lab (Chemistry of colloids, polymers & complex assemblies) is dedicated to research into the chemistry of soft matter. It focuses on the design of organized systems made up of surfactants, polymers, bio-molecules or nanoparticles. Our skills in analytical chemistry, physical chemistry and photochemistry also enables us to accurately assess the structure/properties relationship of these responsive objects. This research is the subject of frequent collaborations with academic or industrial partners, and thus helps to meet the scientific and societal challenges of our time. The lab is based in the south of France, in the city of Toulouse. Have a look to our website: https://softmat.fr/en/
The Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron (IBMM) IBMM is nationally and internationally recognized for its work in the different classes of essential biomolecules: lipids, sugars, nucleosides and oligonucleotides, peptides and proteins, prebiotic molecules and biopolymers. IBMM displays its skills for integrated research, with the aim of understanding the mechanisms of life by designing molecules and systems useful for biology, medicine, and agriculture while developing green chemistry processes. In the IBMM, the Green Chemistry and Enabling Technologies team (www.greenchem.cnrs.fr) is located in the new Balard building on the CNRS Montpellier campus. The team has expertise in mechanochemistry (ball-milling and reactive extrusion), and access to the physical measurements laboratory (LMP) of UAR2041 PAC Balard.

Contraintes et risques

standard chemical laboratory risks; handling of laser light; handling of high pressure diamond anvils