Pollution by volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is one of the most important factors of morbidity (6 to 7 million deaths per year according to the UN). There are multiple sources of VOCs (exhaust gas, evaporation of solvents, degassing of plastics, fire smoke, etc.) and, since they cannot be eradicated, there is an urgent need to design efficient and controlled air purification systems, especially in indoor living spaces (schools, workshops, vehicle interiors, etc.).

Current air treatment processes use carbon adsorbents, which have drawbacks (flammability, irreversible adsorption-desorption, incomplete regeneration, irregular pore geometry, etc.). In addition, the absence of sensors makes it is impossible to monitor the effectiveness of the treatment or to know when the adsorbent must be renewed.

The objective of this project is to develop various materials which are able to trap by adsorption the VOCs present in the air (content <1 ppm), to eliminate them by catalytic oxidation and which can be used in the design of selective sensors to detect VOCs, with a view to design a controlled air treatment unit.

This project is held together by ICB (JP Bellat jean-pierre.bellat@ubfc.fr) and FEMTO-ST (JB Sanchez jean-baptiste.sanchez@ubfc.fr) and is supported by the Bourgogne Franche-Comté region, the National Research Agency (ANR) and the European Union:

One Ph.D student has been recruited for this project.

Two Post-Doc positions are opened. The first one is open for september 2020 and the second one for september 2021. To apply please contact directly by email Jean Pierre Bellat and Jean Baptiste Sanchez.