sophiecarenco

Dec 11, 2020: European Innovation Summit

I will participate to the event from Knowledge for Innovation (K4I) in a session titled "the role of early career professionnals in driving sustainable innovation". Our pannel will discuss several aspects, from leadership to entrepreneurship, and how blue-sky research is related to innovation. Follow us here on friday at 11 am.

Dec 8, 2020: Nanoparticles & Conspiracy theories

In a long interview for the French radio France Inter, I answer to journalist Xavier de la Porte, who was curious as why nanoparticles are often mentionned in conspiracy theories. A nice opportunity to discuss the perception of nanoparticles, and more generally, of chemistry. Also, a chance to explain what we do in the labs and why I find this fascinating. Podcast in French.

Dec 1, 2020: Joining the Early Career Advisory Board of ChemPlusChem

Supporting Chemistry in Europe and promotting the involvment of early career chemists in policy making at all levels are two key actions I am happy to participate in. Joigning the Early Career Advisory Board of ChemPlusChem, a journal edited by ChemistryEurope, is a great way to do both. This is the second ECAB that I join, after these of ACS Catalysis. Great discussions ahead!

Nov 9, 2020: Online Symposium of GDCh at University of Regensburg

At the invitation of German colleagues from GDCh, the German society of chemistry, I gave a talk during their online symposium organized on the topic of phosphorus chemistry. I presented our research program on metal phosphide nanoparticles.

In a period void of regular meetings, this was a welcome opportunity to get feedback from the community on our most recent work. Thanks to the organizing committee.

Oct 30, 2020: Second lockdown begins

Six months after the first lockdown, here we are again, with suppressed travel rights and strong limitations on our professional and personal lives. Hopefully, this time our students and post-docs are able to access the lab for a few days pe

Oct 28, 2020: Bilateral Workshop with U. Sydney

This morning, I am presenting works from the Institute in a joint catalysis workshop from Sorbonne Université and University of Sydney.

A nice opportunity to share our work with distant colleagues and learn about their expertise as well!

Oct 7, 2020: Congrats to Dr. Kim Le

Today, Kim defended her PhD, titled "Oxygen Reduction Reaction with Molybdenum-containing Oxysulfide Nanoparticles: from Colloidal Synthesis to Surface Activity" in front of a (half)-full room and with more public online. She is now a Doctor of Sorbonne Université: congrats!

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Sodium, tell me what you do

We knew for years that sodium ions were mandatory to the formation of colloidal Gd₂O₂S nanoparticles... but we finally uncovered why! Read the story.

Copper flees the nest

Meticulous work at the bench and the microscope finally brought us to understand what happens to core-shell copper-nickel nanoparticles reacted with white phosphorus: copper migrates out!

This was achieved within a consortium of teams: two teams at Sorbonne Université, Nicolas Mézailles team at LHFA and Ovidiu Ersen team at IPCMS. Read the paper.

Bandgap: adjustable to your taste

Our study of the bandgap of (Gd,Ce)₂O₂S nanoparticles, combines synthesis, DFT, PDF, UPS, photoluminescence and more. We show how and why the bandgap is tunable from 4.7 to 2.1 eV, simply by playing on the lanthanide ratio in the solid solution. Read the paper.

Copper and NHC: finally united!

This article presents the first report of NHC-stabilized colloidal copper nanoparticles. Using a oxygen-free route, we formed, in one step, trully metallic copper nanoparticles stabilized by NHC ligands. The secret of this good match? An easy-to-reduce [CuMes]_n precursor with a more stable NHC-borane adduct.

While XPS shows the NHC coordinated to the copper surface, a detailed study using radical traps proposes elementary steps for the reaction mechanism. Read the paper.

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