Design and synthesis of semiconducting nanocrystals to tackle today’s environmental issues.
Please describe the research you are conducting at R-GIRO.
My research is focused on the synthesis and control of the surface chemistry of semiconducting nanoparticles using light. The purpose is to synthesize particles with at least one dimension in the nanometer scale made of semiconducting material. To enable their use, these particles must be covered by organic molecules called ligands. Many of the promising applications require a high degree of control over the ligand coating of the nanoparticle. By using a light absorbing molecule as a ligand, a dynamic control over the ligand covering the nanoparticle surface can be achieved. My interest lies in the control of such phenomena to undergo depollution processes, such as perfluoroalkyl decomposition, generation of hydrogen, and trapping of toxic organic substances.
Although I don’t believe science will solve all the issues that humanity is facing, I hope that some could be tackled with my future research. I think that huge progress could be made in the fields of low consumption displays, high-efficiency energy harvesting, and depollution. All of them would aim for a better efficiency and a lower amount of waste in our society.
Then, I hope my research will help maintain the overall quality of living without increasing the stress applied to the Earth’s ecosystem. In other words, I hope it will contribute to creating a society where reusing and complete use of every product is promoted instead of wasting and discarding.
Semiconducting nanocrystal suspensions illuminated under UV light
What is interesting about your research?
This research is a state-of-the-art domain that is bringing about great opportunities to tackle worldwide issues. As such, the corresponding scientific community is large and interactions with composing researchers are highly interesting. In addition, the expanding domain of nanocrystal science leaves room to plenty of high-quality studies which makes it very stimulating. Hence, this topic requires the knowledge and skills of several chemistry and physics domains, implying the relevant research calls for constant learning. As a personal point of view, the latter satisfies my curiosity and my interest in using and understanding a wide variety of instruments produced in the scientific world. As an example, I had the chance to carry out high-resolution transmission electron microscopy during my PhD. During the session, we could visualize the atoms in the nanoparticles, which is an incredible feat considering their small size! This is one of the most exciting moments of my career in this field and I feel lucky to have lived through it.
Why did you decide to become a researcher?
This work has interested me for a long time as I knew it could satisfy my curiosity, my need to do something practical and my resolve to solve intellectual challenges. In addition, I have quite a lot of patience which allows me to overcome the hard phases that can come across a researcher’s career. Furthermore, I enjoy having the liberty and the autonomy provided by this job.
I do remember that my first research internship at a French institute back in 2018. For two months, I carried out experiments, used scientific instruments, and analyzed the results on my own for the first time. It didn’t feel like working but more like playing, so I realized it was made for me!
In the laboratory
Interview conducted in October 2025.
参加しているプロジェクト：物質の時空間制御を実現する有機資源の有効利用
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