News : SyMMES

Redox photocatalysis is more and more popular in synthetic and pharmaceutical chemistry for preparing organic compounds is mild conditions. It aims to convert visible light absorbed by a photocatalyst into charges (electron and/or holes) with redox potentials well adapted for performing reduction and/or oxidation reactions. These reactions can be very efficient and enable the formation […] >>

Sodium-ion batteries can compete with Li-ion batteries for power applications, while being free of critical metals such as Co, Ni or Li. However, fast charging can lead to inter- and/or intra-particle reaction heterogeneities causing underutilisation of the electrode and/or mechanical degradation involving particle cracking. These complex non-equilibrium processes can have profound effects on the overall […] >>

The in situ characterization of battery materials is needed to help designing safer and more efficient electrochemical devices. In particular, following in real-time the lithiation and ageing mechanisms require to use advanced non-destructive tools capable to probe the system during cycling. In this regard, synchrotron and neutron techniques provide unique capabilities to access the chemical, […] >>

Our main interest is to understand the mechanism of organic reactions using computer modelling with quantum chemistry approaches. Indeed catalysts involving ecofriendly metal ions such as Fe have been shown to promote new and promising nitrogen or carbene group transfers into organic molecules in one strike. But the mechanism is not fully understood whereas improvements […] >>

With its tuneable chemical reactivity, cysteine plays crucial roles as Ni ligands in active sites of redox Ni enzymes. Instead, histidines are preferred to coordinate Ni(II) ions in non-redox proteins. Interestingly, cysteine exhibits extreme patterns of conservation, being either highly conserved or completely degenerated, with a strong tendency to form buried cysteine clusters. The case […] >>