Dr. Laurent Remy is a materials chemist and post-doctoral fellow at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), specializing in polymer chemistry, sustainable materials, and biopolymers. He earned his Ph.D. in materials chemistry from INSA Lyon at IMP laboratories, focusing on chemical modifications of polysaccharides by multicomponent reactions and hydrogels synthesis. His current work explores solar-driven nanoparticle synthesis for eco-friendly material development.
Photochemistry proposes a myriad of solutions to the sustainability issues in organic synthesis: enhanced reaction rates, temporal and spatial control, high selectivity, and mild conditions. Thus, an ever-increasing number of researchers have been focusing on the use of photochemistry in the realm of materials science, among which the synthesis of polymer particles. Microparticles are a versatile class of materials featuring a high volume/surface to area ratio, a small size (nano to micrometre) and tuneable properties. These features allow them to find applications in electronics, drug-delivery, biosensors, bio-imaging, coatings or even texturing agents in cosmetics. In our work, we aim to employ photoinduced cycloaddition to synthesize more sustainable polymer microspheres. The lecture will describe two photopolymerization pathways: nitrile imine mediated tetrazole–ene cycloaddition (NITEC) and photoenolization followed by Diels-Alder cycloaddition. The lecture will also delve into another possible applications of photoinduced cycloaddition, via the pyrolysis of the microspheres generated, as a promising system for the next generation of additively manufactured carbon (AMcarbon).