PhD (M/F) non thermal plasma and heterogeneous catalysis

The work will be carried out at the CNRS at the IC2MP - UMR CNRS 7285 within the Catalysis and Unconventional Media team under the supervision of the scientific coordinator. The project will be carried out in close collaboration with IJLRA and LPP. The candidate will be affiliated with the Rosalind Franklin doctoral school in Poitiers. The position falls within an area related to the protection of scientific and technical potential (PPST), and therefore, in accordance with regulations, your arrival must be authorized by the competent authority of the MESR.

The thesis topic is part of the ANR PLASINTER project, and the research will be conducted at the Institute of Chemistry of Mediums and Materials of Poitiers (IC2MP), in collaboration with the Jean le Rond D'Alembert Institute (IJLRA - Sorbonne University) and the Laboratory of Plasma Physics (LPP). The main objective will be to study the non-thermal plasma hydrogenation reaction of CO2, with a particular focus on understanding the reaction mechanisms at the plasma-catalyst interface, using in-situ infrared spectroscopic analysis coupled with plasma. Initially, an ex-situ parametric study will be conducted to evaluate the effects of catalysts on hydrocarbon and/or oxygenated compounds selectivities. These materials will be thoroughly characterized before and after the plasma discharge reaction, and the most interesting phases will then be analyzed by infrared spectroscopy. Catalysts based on metal oxides with promoters, both in powder form and supported on ceramic monoliths, will be examined. The chemical and physical properties of the materials, such as acidity, porosity, and dielectric constant, will be identified. This fundamental project aims to understand how the structure and properties of the materials modify the propagation of the plasma discharge, and thus the activation barrier on the catalyst and subsequent CO2 activation.