Ircelyon Launches Ambassador Program on LinkedIn
At Ircelyon, we train the researchers of tomorrow, and today we take it further by giving our PhD students a voice through a brand-new program: the Ircelyon Ambassadors!
This initiative aims to highlight their work, create a bridge between research and the general public, and possibly inspire future researchers by showcasing the diversity of paths and projects within our laboratory.
Who Are Our Ambassadors? And What Challenges Do They Face Daily?
For this first edition, we are pleased to introduce you to:
Sabrina Boughougal, PhD student in the C’Durable team at Ircelyon.
Sabrina is exploring the unsuspected properties of gold—in the form of nanoparticles.
Her PhD thesis aims to develop heterogeneous catalysts based on these nanoparticles to synthesize amides (molecules ubiquitous in medicines, materials, and our everyday lives) in a more eco-friendly way.
The twist? At the nanoscale, gold changes color: pink, violet, black… A phenomenon caused by surface plasmon resonance, where light makes electrons dance, altering how the material interacts with it. “It’s like if gold, a metal humanity has known for millennia, still has secrets to reveal,” Sabrina explains.
Her challenge? Studying these catalysts and modifying their synthesis conditions to adapt their behavior and optimize the amine synthesis reaction.
Eliott Couvey, PhD student in the CARE team.
Eliott focuses on the thawing of Arctic permafrost and its implications for climate change—a timely and passionate topic. Permafrost covers a quarter of the Northern Hemisphere’s landmass. Its thawing worsens climate change by releasing massive amounts of greenhouse gases and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
He summarizes the objective of his thesis as “understanding the emission process of VOCs from permafrost soils, from their microbial source (production/consumption) to their interaction with the atmosphere in remote areas.”
To achieve this, not only does he conduct lab experiments but he will also carry out field campaigns up to the Arctic for in situ measurements and to better understand natural dynamics!
Mariam Bou Orm, PhD student in the CATREN team.
Mariam’s field is photoelectrochemistry.
She works on light-sensitive materials capable of catalyzing chemical reactions as soon as they are exposed to sunlight. In her first post, she uses an analogy to explain the concept: “think of those tiny dancing solar-powered flowers people put on car dashboards that start moving when the sun hits them.” Except her materials don’t dance—they convert light energy into chemical energy!
Her goal during her three years of PhD? Develop a functional device that uses this technology to convert biomass into sustainable chemicals. A way to recycle organic waste into useful resources while reducing our carbon footprint.
Mohamad Kharma, PhD student in the ING team.
Mohamad studies catalytic reactions related to isosynthesis, a catalytic route that converts carbon monoxide and hydrogen into useful hydrocarbons, such as isobutene (a key component for fuels, plastics, etc.).
His challenge? Understanding the role of the CO/H₂ system while exploring the potential of CO₂ as an alternative carbon source for isobutene production. Using CO₂ as raw material helps promote more sustainable chemistry.
To do so, he probes the surface of catalysts to understand the reaction mechanisms… “where molecules sometimes have their own plans,” as Mohamad highlights.
The Next Steps?
Mohamad, Mariam, Eliott, and Sabrina, our PhD students in chemistry and specifically in catalysis, will take you behind the scenes of their daily lives on LinkedIn.
Here’s what you can expect:
– A day in the life of a researcher in a research lab.
– The scientific process:
- Observe, question: the starting point of any discovery.
- Formulate hypotheses: the art of proposing innovative answers.
- Test in lab: experiments to validate (or invalidate!) your ideas.
- Analyze and share: results will be published in scientific articles and presented at conferences to advance collective knowledge.
– How catalysis can address tomorrow’s challenges (green energy, sustainable chemistry, etc.).
– And many more topics…
How to Follow Our Ambassadors?
On LinkedIn, follow the official Ircelyon account and our ambassadors’ pages:
